DUTERTE SAYS PH HAS FLATTENED COVID-19 CURVE, LAUDS PUBLIC FOR FOLLOWING

HEALTH PROTOCOLS

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday lauded the public for following

health protocols imposed by government that led to the flattening of the

country's COVID-19 curve.

"The coronavirus curve flattened. Meaning to say, there are now less

people... contaminated (with the) disease called COVID-19," Duterte said in

a televised briefing.

"No significant contamination has been noted by government. This means that

the government efforts that were guided by the best interest of public

health and the crucial data provided by medical science paid off," he said.

According to Duterte, the fact that there are less people going around

because of the community quarantine imposed by government caused less people

to get sick with COVID-19.

"Ito kasi, mga kababayan ko, ito 'yung mga ginawa nating preventive

measures, kagaya ng COVID quarantine. Nakatulong talaga 'yun. Malaking

tulong 'yun because kakaunti lang ang taong naglalakad na magko-contaminate

ng iba. At 'yung iba naman, umiwas. And so, there were less COVID people,

and less people going around," he said.

"One inportant factor that contributed to this development is the awareness

of the public. And we truly appreciate the majority of those who were

following the minimum health protocols set by the IATF," he added.

"Ganito 'yun. Sumunod kasi kayo sa pagbawal, sa ipinagbabawal ng gobyerno.

(You followed the restrictions imposed by the government.) We had obedience,

and people followed. That meant a lot and contributed to what is happening

now, that there's a flattening of the cases."

Duterte also hailed local government executives who strictly implemented

health protocols in their respective areas.

Despite the "flattening of the curve," Duterte reminded the public to stay

vigilant as the risk of getting infected is still present.

DOH SAYS 'CANNOT CONFIRM YET' FLATTENING OF COVID-19 CURVE

MANILA - The Department of Health cannot yet confirm that the Philippines

has flattened its COVID-19 pandemic curve, an official said Tuesday.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said the country has flattened the

pandemic curve,lauding the public for following health protocols imposed by

government.

On Sunday, Dr. Guido David of the UP OCTA Research Team said Metro Manila

and Calabarzon are starting to flatten the pandemic curve, as the virus

reproduction rate in the two regions is estimated at 0.95, below the

threshold of "1."

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, however, said authorities

still need to conduct further study as the objective of flattening of the

curve is to "spread the increase of the number of new cases over a longer

period of time" to avoid overwhelming the healthcare system's capacity.

"Titingnan ho natin, basta itutuloy natin ang strategies na ginagawa natin

ngayon but we cannot really confirm yet na ito na po talaga ang sinasabing

flattening of the curve," she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

DUTERTE GRANTS ABSOLUTE PARDON TO PEMBERTON; DUTERTE CAN'T FIGHT FOREIGN

POWER, LAUDE CAMP SAYS

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte showed that he cannot stand up to foreign

powers by pardoning US Marine Lance Corporal Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton

convicted of killing Filipina transgender Jennifer Laude, the lawyer of her

family said Tuesday.

Duterte gave absolute pardon to Pemberton just as the justice department

planned to question the early release that a court granted to him due to

good conduct credits.

"Ang usapin ay dinala mismo ni Pemberton sa korte pagkatapos ika-cut short

niya lahat ng ito at bibigyan niya ng pardon," said Laude family lawyer

Virgie Suarez.

"May problema sa kung paano nag-iisip ang ating, si Duterte-hindi niya

kayang lumaban sa US o sa Tsina," she told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

Pemberton was imprisoned at a "privileged holding facility" and had only

refrained from throwing fits, which is not an exemplary good deed that

merits his release, she said.

He was pardoned as the Philippines prepared to purchase $2 billion worth of

military equipment from the US, said the lawyer.

"Nagbigay ng pardon nang walang basehan. Basta nangyari ang lahat ng ito

dahil lang si Pemberton ay isang Amerikano at sundalo," Suarez said.

"Ipagpapalit ni Duterte ang ating demokrasya, ang ating soberanya, ang ating

hustisya para lang sa Amerika," she said.

Manila, she said, should have an independent foreign policy in which leaders

view the country as equal to its neighbors.

"Pero lagi nang kung para kang tuta na sumusunod sa Tsina, sa Amerika at sa

iba pang bansa, nasaan na? Kawawa naman ang bansang Pilipinas, kawawa naman

ang mamamayang Pilipino," said Suarez.

"Marami pang Jennifer Laude ang maaaring sumunod hanggang ganyan ang ating

pag-iisip, hangga't laging ang binibigyan natin ng proteksyon ay ang

banyagang interes," she added.

Duterte's pardon clears all legal obstacles to Pemberton's release, despite

him serving just over half his 10-year sentence.

Duterte, a former prosecutor, said in a televised speech that it was his

personal decision to pardon Pemberton after learning about his case in the

news.

"You have not treated Pemberton fairly. So I will release him (through)

pardon," he said after meeting his cabinet, including the justice minister.

The pardon has renewed anti-American sentiment in the Southeast Asian

nation, where groups have long called for the removal of US military

presence.

Renato Reyes, leader of the leftist group Bayan, criticized the president's

remarks and condemned Pemberton's "special treatment."

"If Filipinos want pardon... they need to undergo a long process. The

American soldier that killed a Filipino was given an express lane," he

tweeted.

ONLINE BUSINESS NAME REGISTRATION SOARS DURING QUARANTINE PERIOD: DTI

MANILA - Business name registration for online businesses surged during the

quarantine period compared to January to March as the pandemic hastened

digital adoption in government transactions, the Department of Trade and

Industry said Tuesday.

Some 75,876 online businesses registered their business name as of Sept. 2

from just 1,753 in the period of January to March 15, the DTI said in a

statement.

The total number of business names registered as of Sept. 2 is now 712,657,

up 12 percent compared to the entire 2019 total of 637,690, the agency said.

"We are pleased to know that our citizens are starting their businesses

right by registering their business with appropriate government agencies,

such as the DTI," Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

"The silver lining in COVID-19 is the accelerated adoption of ecommerce.

Hence, the DTI is also increasing efforts to promote ecommerce by building

trust between consumers and merchants, and focusing on the digitalization of

our micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)," he added.

Lopez said the entire online registration only lasts for 8 minutes.

Migration to online registration is part of the government's efforts to cut

red tape under the ease of doing business law.

The tax bureau earlier urged the online selling community, which gained

popularity during the coronavirus lockdowns, to register their businesses

and disclose previous transactions for tax purposes.

Registrations have since been extended to up to end-September.

DFA CONFIRMS DEATH OF FILIPINO CREW MEMBER OF MISSING CARGO VESSEL JAPAN

MANILA - The identity of the first fatality among the crew members of a

missing cargo vessel in Japan has been confirmed, the Department of Foreign

Affairs reported Monday night.

"A verification of the remains of the unidentified person found on 04

September 2020 has been made. The deceased was confirmed to be of Filipino

nationality," DFA's bulletin read.

The agency added that the family of the deceased cooperated in identifying

the remains.

So far, two survivors, both of whom are Filipino, have been found by the

Japanese coast guard.

It also confirmed that the vessel was carrying 43 crew members, 39 of whom

were Filipino.

A report from Agence France-Presse identified the remaining four crew

members as two New Zealanders, an Australian and a Singaporean.

The Japanese coast guard temporarily suspended its search operations over

the weekend in light of the expected arrival of a typhoon.

According to the DFA, aerial search operations resumed on Monday.

"As the area is still pounded by gusty winds, search by patrol boat is not

possible at this time," the department said on Monday afternoon.

It added that the Japanese coast guard has confirmed that it will "will

resume the full sea and aerial search" on Wednesday.

"The Philippine government remains steadfast in providing full support to

our Filipino seafarers and their families as our foreign service posts and

[Philippine Overseas Labor and Office] in Japan continue to monitor and

coordinate the situation with the Japanese authorities," DFA said.

LABOR CHIEF WANTS MORE NURSES EXEMPTED FROM OVERSEAS BAN

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Tuesday he wants more nurses to be

exempted from an overseas deployment ban meant to ensure that the

Philippines would have enough medical workers during the coronavirus

pandemic.

Only medical workers who have completed requirements as of March 8 can

currently pursue their employment contract abroad, said Bello.

He said he urged the inter-agency task force on COVID-19 to extend the

exception from the deployment ban to workers who completed their

requirements as of August 31.

If the IATF approves the suggestion when it meets on Thursday, 1,200 nurses

can go abroad, he said.

"Marami pang maiiwan. Hindi masyadong madi-dislocate ang ating medical

services dito," he told ANC.

Recently, 7 nurses exempted from the ban were barred from leaving for the

UK.

"It was just a case of an oversight by the Bureau of Immigration

They have already corrected it," Bello said of the incident.

SAVE, INVEST FOR RETIREMENT: FILIPINOS URGED AS GOV'T LAUNCHES DIGITAL PERA

PLATFORM

MANILA - More Filipinos will have access to affordable savings and

investment products as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Bureau of

Internal Revenue launch the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA), a

digital platform where various retirement savings options are available

anytime, anywhere.

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) can use the platform to save a part of

their earnings in preparation for retirement, Finance Secretary Carlos

Dominguez said.

"Initiatives such as the digital PERA is the least this government can do

for the heroic Filipinos working overseas and helping support our economy,"

said Dominguez during the virtual launch.

"This is a major step towards the broadening of financial inclusion by

enabling a convenient, safe, and seamless medium for both investment and

retirement savings for the Filipino people," he said.

Transactions under the digital PERA platform can be paid using the BSP's

InstaPay and PESONet, the DOF said.

A PERA law, which is a voluntary retirement account, has been enacted since

2008 but was delayed due to regulatory issues, Dominguez said.

Dominguez said government's financial institutions would need a "massive

public campaign" to encourage Filipinos to engage in building their personal

retirement fund.

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PHILIPPINES LOGS 1,383 NEW COVID-19 CASES

The Department of Health reports 1,383 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in

the Philippines, raising the national tally to 238,727.

The DOH also confirms 230 additional recoveries, pushing the total of

recovered patients to 184,906. The country's death toll is now at 3,890 with

15 new reported deaths.

With these, total active cases in the Philippines (net of COVID-19 deaths

and recoveries) now stands at 49, 931.

DOT MOVES FOOD AND TRAVEL FEST 'KAIN NA!' ONLINE

MANILA - The Department of Tourism cooked up the return of its food and

travel festival, "Kain na!," that will now be staged online amid the

COVID-19 pandemic.

"The Filipinos' love for food never wavered nor waned, even during this

pandemic, but it all the more fueled our appetite and cravings. And while

mass gatherings and public events are still limited, we pivot our Kain Na!

initiatives to the digital platform," Tourism Secretary Bernadette

Romulo-Puyat said.

The culinary tourism event that had 12 successful legs since its first run

in 2018 will be held from September 15 to 18 this year.

The DOT said the blended edition remains to be a venue to grow the public's

interest in food and farm tourism.

Activities line-up

For this four-day virtual celebration, eating, food demonstrations and other

trademarks of the previous Kain Na! editions will be enjoyed by the public

at the comfort of their homes.

This will feature food tourism exchanges, an online selling platform,

digital business training and e-learning modules.

"Kain Na! is our continuing invitation to enjoy and appreciate Filipino food

culture. As we reboot the economy we have called upon Filipinos to 'buy

Filipino,'" Puyat said.

"This time around, we urge you all to 'eat and drink Filipino', too! Do

partake of our local cuisine, agricultural produce and food and beverage

products. Every sip and every bite will help our farmers and food tourism

stakeholders recover from this pandemic. This is certainly a fun way to

lend our support," she added.

On September 15, the Kain Na! Trading Post, an online shop housing partner

merchants, will be launched along with the Ayala Malls foodie pop-ups.

The food and travel event will highlight Philippine coffee, tea and

chocolate partnered with webinar series and experiential sessions such as

food demos and virtual tours.

Food tourism destinations such as Bicol, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Pampanga,

Laguna, Davao, Bacolod, Manila, Iloilo, and Baguio were featured in previous

editions of "Kain na!"

Ayala Malls' Pasyal TV will also unveil its Philippine coffee, tea and

chocolate video produced in partnership with the DOT.

HEALTH WORKERS WITH COVID-19 IN PH RISE TO 7,354

MANILA - At least 7,354 health workers have been infected with COVID-19 in

the Philippines, according to the Department of Health's (DOH) latest

report.

The report, released every Sunday, also recorded 6,616 recovered health

workers and 40 deaths.

The number of deaths has remained unchanged for a week despite reports of a

Philippine General Hospital (PGH) doctor who died due to COVID-19.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier told media that there

are delays in the reporting of health workers with COVID-19 because they are

still waiting for documents such as death certificates.

STUDENT ATHLETES ALLOWED TO TRAIN IN GCQ, MGCQ AREAS

Training of student athletes will be allowed in areas under general

community quarantine and modified GCQ, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque

says.

Roque, also spokesperson on the inter-agency task force on COVID-19, says

the IATF has approved it.

The trainings will be subject to guidelines that will be released by the

Commission on Higher Education.

DDB WARNS PUBLIC VS MARIJUANA-FLAVORED VAPES

MANILA - The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) yesterday warned the public against

using vape refills that are laced with cannabinol, a psychoactive substance

found in marijuana that produces high sensations.

The DDB affirmed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s warning against a

mamon or chiffon cake-flavored vape refill named "Gluttony" that has been

found to contain liquid cannabis.

"Cannabinol, being a cannabinoid extracted from the cannabis plant, is

prohibited under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. Therefore, the

manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, possession and use of products

containing cannabinol is banned," the DDB said.

In an advisory issued on Friday, the FDA ordered vape shops and other

establishments to stop selling the product.

The agency also directed law enforcement agencies and local government units

to ensure that the product is not distributed in their areas.

The FDA said the illegal substance in the product poses health hazards.

The DDB said anyone caught selling, buying or using the product would face

drug charges.

1,006 MORE JEEPNEYS TO PLY METRO MANILA ROUTES

MANILA - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)

has approved 1,006 more traditional jeepneys to operate along 10 additional

routes in Metro Manila starting tomorrow.

Under Memorandum Circular 2020-43, the LTFRB said a total of 16,213

traditional jeepneys would be plying 178 routes in the metropolis once

operational.

The new routes are EDSA/North Avenue to Quezon City hall, Marcos Avenue to

Quirino Highway, Dapitan to Libertad, Divisoria to Retiro, Divisoria to

Sangadaan, Libertad to Washington and Baclaran to Escolta.

The rest of the routes are Baclaran to QI, Blumentritt to Libertad and

Blumentritt to Vito Cruz.

The LTFRB said there was no need for jeepney drivers to secure special

permits to operate, but they should use downloadable QR (quick response)

code and implement the minimum health and safety standards.

These include the 50 percent passenger capacity and the "no mask, no shield,

no entry" policy.

The transport regulatory body has allowed 3,761 buses to operate in 32

routes; 1,905 UV express shuttles in 59 routes; 379 point-to-point shuttles

in 34 routes, and 786 modern jeepneys in 45 routes.

A total of 20,891 taxis and 23,968 Transport Network Vehicle Services were

also allowed to operate in Metro Manila.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

BREATHTAKING 'LIGHT PILLARS' SEEN IN BASILAN

MANILA - Residents captured photos breathtaking of "light pillars" that

appeared in the sky in Isabela City, Basilan Sunday night.

Mark Vincent Wong Lauriaga, who took pictures of the phenomenon, said it was

about 8:00 p.m. when they noticed the vertical beams of light in Brgy.

Tabiawan.

State weather bureau PAGASA said that light pillars are formed when tiny ice

crystals in the atmosphere reflect the light from the moon.

FEELING OLD YET? SERENA DALRYMPLE TURNS 30

MANILA -- Former child star Serena Dalrymple turned 30 on Monday, September

7.

In her Instagram post, Dalrymple shared a throwback photo to mark her

birthday.

Dalrymple rose to fame in the 1990s after appearing in a commercial for a

fast-food chain. She also starred in the award-winning film "Bata, Bata ...

Paano Ka Ginawa?"

In the comment section of her post, Dalrymple's friends from show business

shared their message for her birthday.

"Happy birthday my forever baby girl!" Camille Prats wrote.

"Hey you! Happy birthday," Carlo Aquino shared.

"Happy birthday," John Prats wrote.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES SEP 7

FINAL

    1    2    3    4    T

2 Clippers 2-1    33    24    27    29    113

3 Nuggets 1-2    32    27    29    19    107

GAME 3: LAC LEADS 2-1

SCORING LEADERS

    P. George LAC

32 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST

    N. Jokic DEN

32 PTS, 12 REB, 8 AST

FINAL

    1    2    3    4    T

3 Celtics 3-2    25    37    25    24    111

2 Raptors 2-3    11    24    28    26    89

GAME 5: BOS LEADS 3-2

SCORING LEADERS

    J. Brown BOS

27 PTS, 6 REB

    F. VanVleet TOR

18 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 48.67

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

There are means to live and there are reasons to live. Blessed is the man

who has both.- Anonymous