GOVERNMENT KEEN ON DECLARING CLIMATE EMERGENCY – CIMATU

MANILA — A “climate emergency” may be declared by government to compel a

whole-nation effort in addressing the worsening impact of climate change on

the environment, economy and communities, a Cabinet official said yesterday.

“All government programs and initiatives are leaning toward the declaration

of a climate emergency,” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said in a press

statement.

Cimatu, who chairs the Cabinet cluster on climate change adaptation,

mitigation and disaster risk reduction, released the statement after

environmental group Greenpeace Philippines urged President Duterte to

declare a climate emergency to help the country achieve its goals under the

2016 Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

In doing so, the Duterte administration can compel more concerted efforts

among the government, civil organizations, private sector and other

stakeholders in protecting the country against various impacts of climate

change.

As early as February this year, Cimatu’s Cabinet cluster came out with a

resolution in support of House Resolution No. 535, titled “Declaring a

Disaster and Climate Change Emergency,” filed by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda in

November 2019.

“The Philippines has already suffered billions of losses, damages and

disruptions due to the impacts of hydrometeorological hazards, so there’s an

urgent need to address more projected adverse impacts to ensure climate

justice for the current and future generations of Filipinos,” he said.

Cimatu said the CCAM-DRR also approved a separate resolution underscoring

the urgent need to consolidate government data in order to generate a

nationwide climate risk assessment.

This would facilitate local government units in gaining easier access to the

People’s Survival Fund for their climate change-related development

projects.

IATF OKS EASING OUTBOUND TRAVEL LIMITS FOR PINOYS

MANILA — The government’s pandemic task force has agreed in principle to

relax the outbound travel restrictions on Filipinos who want to be with

their foreigner partners.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, vice chairman of the Inter-Agency Task

Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), said the

government is fine-tuning details to ensure that those who would be allowed

to leave are not infected with the coronavirus.

“There are certain details that we have to thresh out. Everything has to be

coordinated – from the testing to the airports, to (the measures to be

implemented by) the Bureau of Immigration, the DFA (Department of Foreign

Affairs) and the airlines,” Nograles said in a live online session last

Saturday.

“But in principle, we in the IATF have agreed. It’s OK. We just have to

finalize details. We do not want to do it unprepared or there would be

problems,” he added.

The Philippine government is implementing restrictions on people traveling

from countries with active COVID-19 cases to contain the virus, which has

infected more than 37 million people worldwide and has claimed more than one

million lives.

Exempted from the travel ban are Filipino citizens and their foreign spouses

and children, and holders of government-issued diplomatic visas and

permanent resident visas.

Some Filipinos who have foreigner partners are urging the government to ease

the restrictions, noting that the travel ban has delayed the weddings of

some couples.

The IATF has formed a technical working group to study the travel ban.

FIRST UK-PHILIPPINES VIRTUAL TRADE MISSION

The British Chamber will hold the first-ever UK-Philippines Virtual Trade

Mission on October 14.

The British Chamber will showcase the Philippines as an attractive

investment destination due to its dynamic and young population of almost 110

million.

In 2019 alone, total trade between the UK and the Philippines amounted to

$1.3 billion, making the UK the 18th largest trading partner of the

Philippines.

Through this virtual mission, the British Chamber will attract UK companies

interested in investing in the Philippines’ top sectors including retail,

food and drink, business services and advanced manufacturing.

VELASCO ALLIES MOVE TO OUST CAYETANO AS SPEAKER: MANIFESTO

MANILA - Allies of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco said Monday they would

move to oust House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano by declaring the position

vacant, a day before a special session would be convened for the passage of

the 2021 budget.

At least 187 lawmakers have expressed their support for Velasco, according

to a manifesto circulated to media.

"Therefore, in accordance with Section 13, Rule 3 of the Rules of the House

of Representatives, of the 18th Congress, we call to assemble, move to and

cast our vote to declare the position of Speaker VACANT on Monday, October

12, 2020," the manifesto read.

The group also said it manifests its "earnest and full commitment" to

President Rodrigo Duterte's certification of the 2021 budget as urgent.

In an interview with ANC's Headstart, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda confirmed at

least 167 lawmakers have signed the manifesto. "The thing is there are 167

congressmen who support Lord Allan Velasco as Speaker," he said.

The manifesto said the suspension of sessions last week "deprived the

Filipino People of exercising, through their duly-elected Representatives,

their right to participate in crafting a national budget that would best

serve the country."

"The House members were stripped of their legislative duty to scrutinize the

spending plan of various important agencies. Instead, this constitutional

duty was invalidly delegated through the creation of a 'small committee that

will accept alterations to the budget,'" it said.

"As a result, this invalid delegation effectively railroads and replaces the

important budget process which is comprised of sponsorship, debate and

amendments."

SARA DUTERTE'S HUGPONG NG PAGBABAGO BACKS HOUSE TERM-SHARING PACT

MANILA - Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said Monday her regional party

Hugpong ng Pagbabago supports the House speakership term-sharing agreement

between Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco and Taguig-Pateros 1st

District Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.

In a statement, the President’s daughter said her regional party HNP “will

respect the term-sharing agreement as ordered by the President last year.”

Under the term-sharing deal that President Rodrigo Duterte brokered last

year, Cayetano will lead the House of Representatives for the first 15

months of the 18th Congress or until October, while Velasco will serve for

the remaining 21 months.

Duterte-Carpio revealed that Velasco sought her help on the impending vote

on the speakership post.

“Congressman Velasco came to Davao City to personally meet me and discuss

Hugpong Ng Pagbabago,” she said.

“He intimated that there will be a Speakership vote and he sought for my

help, as the Chairperson of HNP, with regard to the votes of the 3 HNP

Congressmen from Davao Region,” she added.

Duterte-Carpio also said the Davao-based party, which was created to assist

the Duterte administration, also supported Proclamation 1027.

The order calls on Congress to conduct a special session on Oct. 13 to 16 to

resume deliberations on the proposed 2021 budget after sessions were

suspended by Cayetano last week.

Her brother, Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte, refused to take sides in the

ongoing speakership row, saying congressmen should vote for a Speaker who

could unify all members of the lower chamber.

PARAÑAQUE ENFORCES BIKE LANE ORDINANCE

MANILA — Beginning today, motorists using the designated lane for bicycle

and motorcycle riders along Dr. A. Santos Avenue (formerly Sucat Road) in

Parañaque City will be fined P1,000.

Mayor Edwin Olivarez has ordered the city’s traffic and parking management

office to strictly enforce Ordinance 2020-23.

Under the ordinance, the outer lane of Dr. A. Santos Avenue up to Ninoy

Aquino Avenue is exclusive for bicycles and motorcycles.

The inner lane of the 12-kilometer road is designated for private vehicles.

The center lane is for delivery trucks, vans and other long vehicles.

Olivarez said the city government has put up markings along the road to

prevent accidents.

He said owners of vehicles that are illegally parked along the bicycle and

motorcycle lane would be fined P1,000 per offense.

Motorcycle and bicycle riders who will go beyond the dedicated lane would be

fined P1,000 and P500, respectively.

Violators will be sent notices and tickets through the no-contact

apprehension policy.

With limited public transportation amid the pandemic, Olivarez encouraged

the public to use bicycle as an alternative mode of transport.

86th MALASAKIT CENTER LAUNCHED IN DAVAO ORIENTAL

MANILA — Sen. Bong Go led the opening of the country’s 86th Malasakit Center

at the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center in Mati City, Davao Oriental

on Friday.

The newly opened Malasakit Center is the first in the province, fourth in

Davao Region and 21st in Mindanao.

Go’s team provided meals and distributed bicycles to a few medical health

workers of the hospital.

The Malasakit Center in hospitals aim to give Filipinos access to medical

and financial assistance provided by the government.

Instead of seeking help from one government agency to another, patients or

their representatives will only need to go to the Malasakit Center and fill

out a unified form to request assistance.

An express lane for persons with disability and senior citizens is available

in every center.

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METRO MANILA MAYORS EYE ALLOWING MORE RESIDENTS OUTSIDE THEIR HOMES

MANILA - Metro Manila mayors are considering a proposal to allow residents

aged 18 to 65 years old out of their homes, their representative said

Monday.

Currently, only residents aged 21 to 60 are allowed to go outside.

The mayors, however, do not agree to shortening curfew hours, currently 10

p.m. to 5 a.m., said Parañaque mayor and Metro Manila Council head Edwin

Olivarez.

Workers and other authorized persons to go outside their homes (APOR) are

exempt from curfew, Olivarez added.

Mayors, meantime, will clarify with the government's inter-agency task force

(IATF) the policy on the supposed 24-hour operation of restaurants after

customers of a Quezon City restobar were fined for violating curfew.

"Kasi ang aming paguusap po ng MMC at members ng IATF 'yun pong 24 hours for

delivery. Yung dine-in 'di po 24 hours," he said.

JAILED ACTIVIST SEEKS FURLOUGH TO VISIT BABY'S WAKE

MANILA - A lawyers' group said Monday it has asked the court to grant

furlough to detained mother Reina Mae Nasino after her 3-month-old child

River died following their separation.

The baby died before 9 p.m. Friday night, hours after the National Union of

Peoples Lawyers (NUPL) asked a Manila court to allow her mother to see her

child.

The group is studying its next legal move but will prioritize Nasino's

request for furlough to visit the wake of her child, said NUPL-Metro Manila

secretary general Kath Panguban.

"Sa ngayon inuuna po namin na mapayagan si Ina makadalaw, masilip man lang

niya for the last time para makapagpaaalam siya nang maayos sa kaniyang

baby," she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

The NUPL was supposed to file a petition before the Court of Appeals Monday

questioning the local court's denial to allow the mother and child to be

together as jail facilities must provide lactation areas under the law,

Panguban said.

River was born with a low birthweight at 5.5 pounds, requiring her to be

breastfed every 2 hours, she added.

On Friday, October 9, her pediatrician gave the baby only a few hours to

live, based on the court filing.

"Kinikilala naman ng batas, both international and local laws na dapat

merong pagkilala sa karapatan ng isang buntis na inmate, 'yung karapatan

niya na magpabreastfeed sa kaniyang anak at 'yung anak din niya ay may

karapatan din sa kaniyang gatas bilang isang ina," she said.

"Kinikilala 'yung pagpapanatili ng baby sa loob ng facility lalo na kung

'yung health ng bata requires na dapat magkasama sila nung kaniyang nanay to

ensure na tuloy-tuloy ang supply ng breastmilk."

36 MORE COPS CATCH COVID-19

MANILA — Thirty-six more officers and personnel of the Philippine National

Police have tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, the

PNP reported yesterday.

The latest infections brought the total cases in the PNP to 6,383 as of

Saturday night.

A majority of the fresh cases were recorded in the Cordilleras with 12 and

in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) with 11.

The rest came from Central Luzon and Western Visayas with six each; Eastern

Visayas with two; and one each in Davao region, the National Capital Region

and Zamboanga peninsula.

The PNP’s national headquarters and administrative support unit also

recorded one case each.

Total recoveries within the force climbed to 5,564 after 108 more personnel

recovered from the disease. Fatalities remain at 20.

CASES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN WESTERN VISAYAS DECLINE

BACOLOD CITY — The Western Visayas police has recorded a 35 percent drop

in the number of cases involving violence against women and children.

The number of cases in the region dropped to 824 this year, from 1,268 last

year, according to Lt. Col. Joem Malong, spokesperson for the Western

Visayas police.

Of the figure, the province of Iloilo has the most number of cases with 298,

followed by Iloilo City with 173.

The provinces of Negros Occidental and Capiz ranked third with 85 cases

each, followed by Aklan with 82.

The island-province of Guimaras has 53; Antique, 27, and Bacolod City, 21.

The region posted a crime solution efficiency of 85.percent from January to

September, Malong said.

MASSIVE ANTI-MEASLES DRIVE EYED IN MIMAROPA

MANILA — The government will conduct a massive vaccination drive against

measles in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) following

reports of close to 300 cases in the region.

The campaign intends to immunize 95 percent of children aged five years and

below for measles as well as polio and rubella.

As of Oct. 4, the regional health office had recorded 272 measles cases,

including one death, according to Mario Baquilod, DOH-Mimaropa chief.

Most of the cases are children under five years old.

Baquilod stressed the need to address the region’s health situation to stop

further transmission of the disease.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

BEA ALONZO ASKED: 'KAMUSTA ANG PUSO MO?'

MANILA – For the first time, Bea Alonzo revealed the current status of her

love life more than a year since her controversial breakup with actor Gerald

Anderson.

In her most recent vlog, Alonzo answered some hot questions which were sent

to her by her followers.

One of them directly asked about the state of her heart, to which Alonzo

replied: “Okay naman siya. Nag-e-entertain siya. Nagde-date siya. Open siya

maging masaya. Thank you for asking.”

The actress likewise obliged to described the next guy she will fall in love

with.

“A guy who’s madly in love with me,” she said.

According to Alonzo, if there is anything her last relationship taught her,

that would definitely be about knowing how strong she really is.

“[It taught me] that I am stronger than I think, that I am resilient and

that I can survive anything in life. And that I am worthy,” she said.

Nonetheless, the actress acknowledged that her moving on process did not

come easy.

Giving advice to a netizen who asked for tips on getting over a heartbreak,

Alonzo said: “Just do. It won’t come instantly. It won’t be easy but you

just have to take it one day at a time. You just acknowledge your feelings.

If you’re still not okay, if you still have not forgiven the person who hurt

you, it’s okay because that day will come. Just trust the process.”

“Kasi sometimes, we get caught up in a situation where parang feeling mo

it’s so painful, parang hindi mo kaya so parang you go back to stage one.

Personally yun ang nangyari. Parang I didn’t trust myself that I could do

it,” she added.

Alonzo said that had she acknowledged that she needed help from friends and

family, she would have been able to move on earlier.

“Baka na-discount ko yung masasakit na yugto ng buhay ko. But of course I

had to learn the hard way. But kung maiiwasan naman, sana maiwasan,” she

said.

Through time, Alonzo said she has also realized that she now wants to be

with someone who loves her more than she loves him.

“Dati sinasabi ko lagi [na mas gusto ko yung] mahal ko kasi ‘di ba siyempre

yun talaga ang magdadala ng totoong kasiyahan sayo, kapag mahal mo. Pero

alam mo, parang naniniwala na ako sa sinabi ng nanay ko na mas magiging

tunay na masaya ka at magtatagal ang isang relasyon kapag pipili ka ng isang

taong mas mahal ka kaysa mahal mo. So nandoon ako sa mas mahal ako,” she

said.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES OCT 11

    1    2    3    4    T

1 Lakers 4-2    28    36    23    19    106

5 Heat 2-4    20    16    22    35    93

GAME 6: LAL LEADS 4-2

SCORING LEADERS

    L. James LAL

28 PTS, 14 REB, 10 AST

    B. Adebayo MIA

25 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST

LAKERS CLOSE OUT HEAT FOR 1ST NBA TITLE IN 10 YEARS

MANILA - After missing out on their close-out chance in Game Five, LeBron

James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers went out guns blazing, getting a

wire-to-wire victory in the title-clinching game.

Apart from getting his fourth ring, James also won his fourth Finals MVP

after averaging almost 30 points in the Finals series.

The Lakers imposed their will on the Heat in the paint, particularly in the

first half.

Led by inspired performances from James, Davis, and second unit players

Rajon Rondo and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Lakers blew the game wide open

early.

In the second quarter, the Lakers outscored the Heat by 20, 36-16, to lead

by 28 at halftime, 64-36. It was the second-biggest halftime lead in NBA

Finals history.

Come the second half, the Lakers continued the dominance and even stretched

the lead to as big as 36.

Five Lakers finished with double-figures led by James' triple-double of 28

points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Davis chipped in with a double-double of

19 points and 15 boards.

Rondo and Caldwell-Pope were crucial to the win off of the bench, tallying

19 and 17 points, respectively, in the title-clinching win.

The Miami Heat struggled all night on offense, but it was Bam Adebayo, who

put up big numbers with 25 points and 10 boards.

Jimmy Butler, who finished with a triple-double in Game Five, was limited to

only 12 points in the losing effort.

This is the Lakers' 17th title while James clinched his fourth ring with his

third team.

Davis, for his part, got his first NBA championship.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Tell people there's an invisible man in the sky who created the universe,

and the vast majority will believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they

have to touch it to be sure. - George Carlin