NO LUNETA 'TRASLACION'? QUIAPO CHURCH EYES CHANGES IN BLACK NAZARENE FEAST

AMID PANDEMIC

How will the Catholic Church celebrate the Feast of the Black Nazarene in

the time of COVID-19?

Fr. Douglas Badong, vicar of Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, said the

church's procession committee is considering several proposals on how to

conduct the Traslacion next year including the possible cancellation of the

procession in Rizal Park to ensure physical distancing rules are followed.

Millions of Filipino Catholic devotees flock to Quiapo every Jan. 9 to join

the annual procession of the Black Nazarene which is believed by many to be

miraculous.

"Kailangan talaga namin ma-practice ngayon at least 'yung mga tao masanay na

ito ang ipapatupad natin, na may physical distancing habang nagsisimba sila

sa nobenaryo ng Traslacion," he said in an interview on ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

Badong appealed to the public for their cooperation as the church eyed

proposals on how to conduct the procession where millions of devotees flock

in one of the biggest shows of Catholic zeal.

"Sa ngayon po ay talagang naguusap-usap na kami ng proposal sa procession

committee na idudulog namin sa IATF. Kung papayagan ng IATF na following all

the protocols, 'yun ang gagawin namin. Pero nakaset na rin naman kami na

posibleng wala talagang Luneta event ngayon at wala 'yung usual na ginagawa

natin," he said.

"Kailangan din ihanda na yung mag deboto na makundisyon na sila na kakaiba

ang panahon natin ngayon. Malaking pagbabago talaga sa January 9, sana

maging bukas ang mga deboto sa pagbabagong ito. Ngayon lang naman itong may

pandemic."

Fr. Badong also urged the government to allow entry of devotees up to at

least 30 percent of the church's capacity.

At present only 100 or 10 percent of the 1,000 seating capacity of the

church is allowed under government guidelines, according to

"Kaya namin hanggang 50 percent pero kung mapagbigyan sana 'yung kahilingan

na kahit 30 percent man lang ay masaya na kami doon," he told ABS-CBN News.

"Sa 100 na katao sa loob ng Simbahan talagang napakaluwag ng Simabahan.

Sayang naman yung loob na baka sakali mas ligtas sila sa loob dahil sa loob

mame-maintain namin ang physical distancing nila dahil may markings, ushers

sa loob."

The church has increased the number of its masses to 8 from 5 daily to

accommodate more faithful, he added.

GOVERNMENT ASKS BSP FOR P540 BILLION TO BOOST PANDEMIC WAR CHEST

The Duterte administration is seeking to borrow P540 billion from the Bangko

Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to augment funding for public programs during the

coronavirus health crisis.

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday the Monetary Board, the

seven-member policymaking body of the central bank, has yet to approve the

request.

"These are uncertain times. Like any other governments, this is because of

the pandemic," National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon said in a phone interview.

The request followed the maturity on Tuesday of P300-billion in bonds

purchased by BSP last March.

HOUSE VOTES TO KEEP CAYETANO AS SPEAKER

But will he step down October 14?

MANILA — Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano is keeping his post after the House

plenary decided in session yesterday to reject his offer to resign and

proceed with his term-sharing agreement with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan

Velasco.

ItÂ’s unclear if Cayetano intends to honor a reported agreement brokered

Monday by President Duterte, who heads the administration coalition, to turn

over the SpeakerÂ’s post to Velasco by Oct. 14.

Congressmen voted 184-1 with nine abstentions to approve the motion of

CayetanoÂ’s allies to reject his offer to resign effective today.

Several of those who voted in favor, however, clarified that they simply

wanted Cayetano to keep his post until Oct. 14, as agreed upon with Duterte.

Cayetano offered to resign at the end of an hour-long address to the plenary

in which he attacked Velasco for pushing for the change in the House

leadership during budget deliberations and while the nation is facing the

coronavirus pandemic.

“I will not be a party to letting the President down, so I am offering my

resignation here and now to you, my dear colleagues. My fate and the fate of

the 2021 budget and leadership of the House are in your hands,” he told

fellow congressmen.

“What Velasco did last night makes it impossible for me to finish the

budget. If our colleagues want you (Velasco) to take over today, then do it.

I’m offering my resignation here and now,” Cayetano said.

He added: “Congressman Velasco told the President that he is ready. Then I

think the best time to prove it is now. You want Sept. 30. Go ahead. If

colleagues want you today, then go ahead.”

His allies, led by Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor and Bulacan

Rep. Jonathan Sy-Alvarado, stood up and put forward a motion rejecting his

resignation offer.

Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu then sought viva voce voting or voting via “ayes”

and “nays,” but the plenary instead proceeded to settle the matter via

nominal voting.

A total of 184 House members voted to keep Cayetano as Speaker, while only

one dissented.

This developed after Cayetano and Velasco met with Duterte in Malacañang the

night before to tackle the speakership issue.

Earlier in the day, allies of Cayetano led by Deputy Speaker LRay

Villafuerte belied reports quoting VelascoÂ’s camp that he is all set to

assume the House leadership on Oct. 14.

Cayetano said he was tasked by the President to announce what was discussed

about the agreement in the Palace Tuesday night.

He said he planned to report it to the plenary, but said the camp of Velasco

preempted it and immediately broke the development to the media “with a mix

of fake news.”

VELASCO CAMP ABSENT

YesterdayÂ’s voting to retain Cayetano as Speaker reportedly happened while

allies of Velasco were asked not to join the session via online platforms so

as not to listen to his rivalÂ’s speech.

They reportedly did not participate in the voting.

Before the voting, Cayetano already expressed confidence of having the

support of the majority of congressmen.

“Under the Constitution, you need a majority of all members to be elected

speaker. So, I can step aside, but I cannot guarantee he (Velasco) will be

elected. In fact, I will make a fearless forecast, he will not win. Or if I

step aside and he wins, after one week he will be ousted by coup d’etat,”

the Taguig-Pateros congressman stressed.

Earlier this week, a total of 202 out of the nearly 300-member House signed

a manifesto of support for Cayetano amid the power struggle in the chamber

in what appeared to be a show of force of the so-called “supermajority” in

Congress.

OCT. 14 OR NOT?

Villafuerte, who attended the meeting in Malacañang, also said the date of

Velasco’s assumption of the speakership was “not clear,” contrary to reports

that it was set for Oct. 14.

“Oct. 14 date was never mentioned during the meeting. They’re (Velasco camp)

the ones claiming that. If youÂ’re going to be strict about it, term-sharing

deal should kick in on Oct. 22, not Oct. 14,” he said.

But an ally of Velasco who was also at the meeting said the Oct. 14 date was

agreed upon by both camps.

“Both parties agreed to leadership change on Oct. 14 in front of the

President,” said Oriental Mindoro Rep. Doy Leachon, adding that the

President urged Cayetano and Velasco “to honor their words.”

“The President did not want to impose, but let both parties come to some

terms. Cayetano hoped that he would still be Speaker on his birthday on Oct.

28. Cong. Velasco, on the other hand, said his birthday is on Nov. 9. Both

of them agreed on the Oct. 14 date,” he said.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SPOKESMAN RESIGNS

MANILA - Department of Justice spokesperson Undersecretary Markk Perete has

resigned from his post Thursday.

Perete said he has yet to inform Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, adding

that his reasons for quitting were "very personal."

"After much thought, I have decided to submit my resignation from the DOJ

effective today due to serious reasons. Thank you," he told reporters.

"I would have liked to continue under Sec. Guevarra's leadership but it

would be a disservice to do so at this time."

Perete, a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Law, was

appointed as Justice Undersecretary in July 2018 and became the agency's

spokesman 4 months later in November.

PNP ASKS FACEBOOK FOR LIST OF FAKE ACCOUNTS

MANILA — The Philippine National Police has asked Facebook for a list of

fake accounts supposedly managed by the PNP, which the social media giant

took down for alleged coordinated activities to mislead the public.

PNP spokesman Col. Ysmael Yu said yesterday the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG)

and the Information Technology Management Service (ITMS) have coordinated

with Facebook for the list of fake accounts so they could conduct their own

probe.

“We are still waiting for feedback from them,” he said in a phone interview.

According to Yu, they want to find out who are behind the fake accounts.

Facebook disabled at least 57 accounts, 31 pages and 20 Instagram accounts

supposedly run by the police and the military for reported coordinated

inauthentic behavior.Coordinated inauthentic behavior is defined as the use

of multiple accounts, pages and groups to mislead people, an activity

prohibited under FacebookÂ’s guidelines.

Yu said police hands are tied on FacebookÂ’s decision to purge accounts which

the social media platform perceives as spreading lies.

“But we respect the decision of Facebook,” he said.

DPWH OPENS BIGGEST ISOLATION FACILITY

MANILA — The Department of Public Works and Highways has opened the biggest

quarantine facility in Metro Manila, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said.

Villar said the Solaire-PAGCOR mega quarantine center at Bagong Nayong

Pilipino in Parañaque was funded by the Razon Group of Companies.

The opening of the facility on Tuesday was attended by National Task Force

Against COVID-19 chairman Delfin Lorenzana, NTF deputy chief implementer and

testing czar Vince Dizon, presidential spokesman Harry Roque, DPWH

Undersecretary Emil Sadain and JV Emmanuel de Dios, chief executive officer

of Prime Metro BMD Corp., the construction arm of Razon Group.

“We thank the private sector for continuously helping the government in the

fight against COVID-19,” Villar said.

He said asymptomatic patients in Metro Manila and nearby provinces would be

accommodated in the isolation facility.

The DPWH is rushing the construction of more quarantine centers and 75

off-site dormitories for medical workers.

THE REST

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COVID-19 CASES IN THE PHILIPPINES BREACH 311,000

The number of confirmed novel coronavirus infections in the Philippines rose

to 311,694 on Wednesday after the Department of Health added 2,426 new cases

to its tally.

Of these cases, 52,702 are active, while recoveries are at 253,488.

ALMOST 6,000 COPS HAVE CONTRACTED COVID-19

MANILA — The Philippine National Police logged an additional 61 cases of

COVID-19 among its personnel on Wednesday night.

The total number of cops who have contracted the virus now stands at 5,990.

Of these, 1189 are active, according to the PNP.

Meanwhile, 75 new recoveries were reported by the agency, bringing the total

number to 4,784.

Deaths among police remained at 17, with Thursday's figures reporting no new

fatalities.

Last Friday, PNP said two of its major COVID-19 task forces would work

together to better safeguard cops assigned to mega quarantine facilities.

Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, commander of the Joint Task Force Shield,

confirmed this in a statement released to reporters, after cases among

police breached 5,600 as of the night before. Since then, cases have

increased by over 300.

'MANILA BAY SANDS' A COSTLY EFFORT THAT WON'T SOLVE MANILA BAY'S PROBLEMS —

MARINE SCIENTISTS

MANILA — Overlaying a small portion of Manila Bay's shoreline with crushed

dolomite rocks is an expensive and temporary effort that will not help solve

the bayÂ’s environmental problems, the University of the Philippines Marine

Science Institute said Wednesday.

Dolomite grains were laid as a topping to the naturally gray coastline of a

portion of the Manila Baywalk as part of a P389-million “beach nourishment”

project. This project is part of the governmentÂ’s rehabilitation program for

the degraded bay, officials said.

"There are no shortcuts to a cleaner environment. The use of crushed

dolomite sand will not help solve the environmental problems in Manila Bay.

At most, it is a beautification effort that is costly and temporary," the UP

MSI said.

Threat of erosion

Among the environmental problems that beset Manila Bay are poor water

quality due to poor waste management and erosion, which is influenced by

wind direction, wave action and tidal fluctuation

The Department of the Environment and Natural Resources earlier said that a

“nourished” beach will prevent erosion by “dissipating wave energy and

having a balanced sediment budget.”

But the addition of crushed dolomite rocks "cannot serve to anchor the loss

of beach sand nor serve as replacement for eroded sediments," the UP MSI

said.

It explained that beach nourishment projects are not "one-shot deals,"

especially for continuously eroding shorelines aggravated by excessive

groundwater extraction and land subsidence.

MAKATI CONVERTS JEEPNEYS INTO LEARNING HUBS

MANILA — Several jeepneys in Makati have been converted into mobile learning

hubs to help students who do not have internet access and cannot participate

in the distance learning system.

Twenty-seven jeepneys will be used by the local government for the cityÂ’s

mobile learning hub project.

Each vehicle will be equipped with laptops, internet connection, books and

other learning materials, Mayor Abby Binay said yesterday.

The jeepneys, which the city government call “Dyipni Makati,” will go around

the barangays from Monday to Saturday.

“We want to ensure the continuous learning of students while keeping them

safe from COVID-19 infection,” Binay said.

The project is part of the city governmentÂ’s learning continuity plan to

address issues such as limited access to gadgets and internet connectivity,

the mayor said.

Makati registered a total of 85,000 enrollees in public elementary and high

schools.

Binay has pledged to give students and teachers free internet load for five

hours daily.

QUEZON CITY TO ESTABLISH 1,000 WIFI ACCESS POINTS

QUEZON CITY — The Quezon City government has partnered with the innovative

development arm of telecommunications company Globe to set up 1,000 WiFi

access points in the city.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said the initiative, which will be implemented with Globe

Labs, would provide residents free one hour internet connection daily

through the access points.

“We are fortunate to have Globe as a partner because we share the same

goal,” Belmonte said, highlighting the importance of online connectivity,

especially with the distance learning system as face-to-face classes have

been suspended due to the risks of COVID-19.

The local government awarded Globe the contract for the provision of 176,000

data SIM cards for the tablets to be distributed to public high school

students in the city.

The SIM cards will be loaded with 10GB data allowance every month to allow

the students to access learning materials online using the tablets

previously turned over by the city government to the schools division

office.

Globe added security features to prevent access to certain content and

gaming websites, ensuring that the tablets will be used only for learning.

PROVINCIAL BUSES RESUME METRO MANILA TRIPS

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

said that the return of long-haul provincial bus operations coming to and

from Metro Manila is still not guaranteed as most provinces remain hesitant

to open their borders amid the coronavirus pandemic.

LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra said they are conducting continuous engagement

with local government units (LGUs) to reopen provincial bus operations after

a six-month hiatus.

The LTFRB yesterday reopened 12 routes going to various points in the

provinces of Laguna, Batangas, Cavite and Pampanga.

In an online forum, Delgra explained this was just the initial salvo and

there were no long haul trips yet because only select LGUs in Calabarzon and

Central Luzon approved the restart.

“We hope that other LGUs will follow,” Delgra said.

“It is just not the decision of LTFRB. This is a collective effort that we

have to address. Not only an issue of public transport, but of public

health. We need all stakeholders to address this,” he added.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

KISSES DELAVIN HAILED AS PHILIPPINES' 'MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN' FOR 2020

MANILA — Kapuso actress Kisses Delavin is the "Most Beautiful Woman in the

Philippines" for 2020, according to an online poll by entertainment site

Starmometer.

The former "Pinoy Big Brother" housemate reportedly garnered 2,180,769

votes, winning over Maine Mendoza, Nadine Lustre and Kathryn Bernardo.

Maine is in second place, receiving a total of 1,873,741, votes while

two-time titleholder Nadine is in third place with 1,406,627 votes.

Kathryn, winner of the poll last year, is in fourth place with 905,596

votes.

It was Kisses' second time to top the poll, having done so in 2018.

Among the new entries were Adrianna So, who is in fifth place, while

Jennylyn Mercado, Julie Anne San Jose, Loisa Andalio, Marian Rivera and

Sanya Lopez are in 6th to 10th places.

In the pollÂ’s 15 years, Angel Locsin is still the record holder, topping the

poll as the most beautiful of the 100 Most Beautiful Women in the

Philippines seven times.

JODI STA. MARIA, RAYMART SANTIAGO ARE DATING

MANILA — “Ang sa Iyo ay Akin” star Jodi Sta. Maria is dating Raymart

Santiago.

The two are thought to be “happy” in a relationship, reported talent manager

Noel Ferrer for Pep.

Ferrer shared that Santiago confirmed the news to him, after he asked him

about a photo that showed the actor and Sta. Maria embracing one another

inside a private residence in Alabang.

“WE ARE HAPPY THAT YOU ARE HAPPY!!!” Ferrer exclaimed, sharing the photo on

Instagram and tagging both the accounts of Sta. Maria and Santiago. “GOD

BLESS YOU BOTH!!!” he added.

Sta. Maria last dated Jolo Revilla, whom she broke up with in 2018. She was

also married to Pampi Lacson, but they split in 2011 after five years

together. They have a son, Thirdy.

SantiagoÂ’s last relationship was with a non-showbiz woman. He also had a

previous marriage, with actress Claudine Barretto. They have two kids,

Sabina and Santino.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES SEP 30

    1    2    3    4    T

Heat     0-0    28    20    19    31    98

Lakers 0-0    31    34    28    23    116

GAME 1: SERIES TIED 0-0

SCORING LEADERS

    J. Butler MIA

23 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST

    A. Davis LAL

34 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 48.89

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It is better to be approximately right, than precisely wrong. - Warren

Buffett