'HAZARDOUS' AIR RECORDED IN PARTS OF METRO MANILA ON NEW YEAR'S EVE MANILA -- Air quality in Metro Manila was “hazardous” at the height of New Year's Eve revelries, as fireworks lit up the sky, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Wednesday. The air was dangerous to human health between 11 p.m. of Dec. 31 to 2 a.m. of Jan. 1, said DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda. The highest particulate matter, measured in microgram per cubic meter, at 497ug/ncm, was recorded in Mandaluyong City at the center of the capital district, he said. The level is considered "hazardous." "Hazardous" air quality was also recorded in Pateros (399ug/ncm), Las Piñas(376ug/ncm), Pasig (367ug/ncm), Taguig (355ug/ncm), and Caloocan (332ug/ncm). These areas hosted fireworks displays, he said. Compared to last year, when rains dampened New Year's celebrations, pollution levels were lower, Antiporda said. While the smoke generated from the New Year’s Eve slowly dissipates, the DENR recommends that the public wear face masks for a day or two. "Ang atin lang makasiguro lang, wear our mask for one day, siguro tomorrow ok na tayo, nothing to be alarmed of precautionary measure lang," Antiporda said. GOVERNMENT NOW RUNNING ON REENACTED BUDGET MANILA — The national government yesterday started running on the reenacted P3.757-trillion 2019 national budget because President Duterte is still reviewing the proposed P4.1-trillion spending program for this year. By mandate of the Constitution, the previous year’s appropriations law is deemed recycled if the current year’s budget is not yet in place. Palace officials have said the President might sign the budget bill next week. Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Sonny Angara earlier said the signing of the budget measure would be on Jan. 6. Angara said extending the validity of last year’s budget would help fund the completion of many projects and programs, including the repair and rehabilitation of 2,933 classrooms, electrification of 593 schools, acquisition of medical equipment as well as the construction of 2,884 health facilities and infrastructure projects. Duterte is reportedly scrutinizing the proposed 2020 outlay passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate for possible pork barrel-type insertions. Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has assured Duterte that there is no “pork” in the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget. “There is really no pork as defined by the Supreme Court. As a general rule, all projects are open to corruption. The question is: are there projects inherently open to corruption like lump sums under the discretion of lawmakers who can tell agencies where to use them? There is none,” he said. DUTERTE TO PINOYS: UNITE IN NATION-BUILDING MANILA — With two years remaining in his six-year term, President Duterte called on Filipinos to shun negativity as the world looks forward to the start of another decade. He also urged Filipinos to start being patriotic by working with the government in nation-building, rather than engage in worthless discussions that divide the country. “As this administration enters its fourth year, I am hopeful that all our policies and programs for the improved welfare of our citizens and the continued progress of the Philippines will be realized with the active participation of everyone,” Duterte said in a written New Year message. “Let us begin anew with a stronger commitment in our shared task of nation-building and ensure that all our development efforts will be made sustainable and inclusive,” the President said. Duterte joined the entire Filipino nation and the world in welcoming the New Year, citing also the importance of marking the occasion with loved ones and “filled with gratitude for blessings” received in the past year. The President also saw 2020 as another opportunity to work on new roads “for the wonderful possibilities ahead.” “While the New Year is indeed a time to reflect on lessons learned, it is also an opportune time to do better and aim higher,” Duterte said. “With the guidance and grace of the Almighty, and the enduring spirit of bayanihan and malasakit, I am confident that we will achieve a stronger and brighter future for our people,” the Chief Executive added. MINDANAO REMAINS UNDER 'STATE OF EMERGENCY' AFTER NEARLY 3-YEAR MARTIAL LAW The entire southern Philippines remains under a "state of emergency on account of lawless violence" following the lifting of a 957-day martial law in the area, the military said Thursday. Under the state of emergency mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte's proclamation 55, security procedures would be in effect to counter "terrorist violence" in Mindanao even as checkpoints and patrols are reduced, said military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo. "Kung makikita po ng ating mga kalaban na tayo ay ika nga magiging relaxed na in terms of security, baka makasingit na naman po sila," he told radio DZMM. DUTERTE RECOGNIZES SISON AS LEADER OF COMMUNIST FORCES: PANELO MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte recognizes exiled communist leader Jose Maria Sison as the head of communist rebels in the Philippines, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Thursday, following his challenge to his former mentor to come home and have a one-on-one discussion. Sison, however, said it was "not yet time" for him to return and instead offered to meet the President in "any country near the Philippines." Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Sison "cannot demand" that he and Duterte meet in a neutral country. "Joma Sison should be elated by that development. We've been saying na he's no longer in control of the ground forces," he told ANC's Early Edition. "The President wants him, ibig sabihin he's recognizing him as leader of his forces. Dati nga hindi na siya kinikilala eh, he should take that opportunity." Duterte has given his "personal guarantee" for Sison's safety, Panelo added. "If we talk and then we failed to agree on anything then you can go freely. Walang mangyayari sa'yo," he said. Duterte fueled hopes of reopening peace negotiations with communist rebels earlier this month when he asked former chief government negotiator Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to speak with Sison, who is living in self-exile in the Netherlands. The formal resumption of peace talks may begin early this year, according to Bello. PINOYS IN US NOT COVERED BY PHILIPPINES' VISA REQUIREMENT PLAN MANILA — Filipinos living or traveling in the United States are not covered by the administration’s plan to impose a visa requirement on Americans, Malacañang has clarified. President Duterte has threatened to require Americans to secure a visa before entering the Philippines as a response to a 2020 US budget amendment that bars individuals behind the detention of opposition Sen. Leila de Lima from entering the US. The administration has also banned US Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, authors of the amendment, and Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, supporter of the provision, from entering the Philippines. Last Tuesday, Durbin called the planned travel restriction an “insult” to the Filipino-American community and the country’s democracy. He also warned that the policy would be disadvantageous to Filipino-Americans and other people who travel between the two countries. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo described Durbin’s warning as “misplaced.” “As regards Sen. Durbin’s remark that this administration should stop threatening the travel of Filipino-Americans from the US to the Philippine territory, the same is likewise misplaced,” Panelo said in a statement issued last Monday. “Filipinos residing or sojourning in America, or our balikbayans, are not covered by our ultimatum should the US government pursue banning the entry of Filipino officials acting in accordance with the Philippine law apropos Sen. De Lima’s case,” he added. Panelo, nevertheless, said imposing visa requirements on foreign nationals is “an exercise of a sovereign right and is not an insult to any particular community.” “In fact, they have been requiring Filipinos to secure a US visa before we can travel into their homeland. As the community of nations believes in, ‘diplomacy is equality,’” he added. EASTMINCOM HEAD NAMED NEW AFP CHIEF DAVAO CITY — Eastern Command chief Lt. Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. will take over the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from Gen. Noel Clement who is set to retire this month after a three-month stint as military chief. President Duterte will preside over the command turnover on Saturday. Santos is a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Sinagtala” Class of 1986. Before assuming command of Eastmincom, Santos headed the Army’s 7th Infantry Division. Duterte appointed Clement as the country’s military chief last September. He was commander of the Cebu-based Central Command prior to his appointment as AFP chief, the sixth under the Duterte administration. Clement had also served in Southern Mindanao. While Clement’s successor has already been named, there is no word yet from Duterte on who is to replace retired Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde. Currently heading the PNP in an acting capacity is Police Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa. In a memorandum recently, Duterte has tasked Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to take charge of the PNP, while vetting for a permanent replacement for Albayalde continues. Albayalde went on “non-duty status” in October – or days before his retirement in November – at the height of the “ninja cops” controversy involving police who recycled seized drugs. PALACE OUTRAGED BY DEATH OF PINAY DOMESTIC WORKER IN KUWAIT MANILA -- (UPDATE) Malacañang on Wednesday condemned the death of a Filipina domestic worker in the hands of her employer’s wife in Kuwait. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo described Jeanelyn Villavende's death as a clear disregard of the agreement signed by both nations in 2018, which seeks to provide better protection for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Gulf state. "We condole with the members of the family and loved ones of Jeanelyn," he said in a statement. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is closely monitoring the case while the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) is working the repatriation of the victim's remains, Panelo said. Villavende hailed from Norala, South Cotabato. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), meanwhile, has been directed to provide burial and livelihood assistance, as well as scholarship to the family members of the victim. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III earlier said he was mulling the possibility of enforcing another deployment ban to Kuwait following Villavende's death. "I'm ready to do that. Ngayon, this is another possibility na hindi remote na magde-deployment ban din kami sa Kuwait unless they can show us na mabigyan ng katarungan ang ating kababayan na si Jeanelyn," said Bello in an interview on DZMM. An early report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait indicated that Villavende was "maltreated" by her employer, he added. Villavende's employer is now detained with Kuwaiti authorities. In response to the tragic incident, Sen. Joel Villanueva, chair of the Senate committee on labor, said he would prioritize a bill that seeks to expand the use of legal assistance fund for OFWs. "The fund will be able to help our abused and maltreated OFWs seek justice like our kababayan who died in the hands of her employer in Kuwait just before the New Year," he said in statement released Wednesday. "We feel that this urgent measure will be a fitting New Year’s gift to our hardworking OFWs who risk their lives and limbs just to give their families in the Philippines better lives," Villanueva added. WATER SUPPLY CUTS 'POSSIBLE' WITH ANGAT DAM LEVEL SHORT OF TARGET: REGULATOR Water supply cuts will possibly continue in Metro Manila after recent rains failed to raise Angat Dam's level to the year-end target, the capital's water regulator said Thursday. Angat Dam, the region's main water source, was at 202.6 meters as of 6 a.m., said state weather bureau PAGASA. This is below 212-meter normal high water level, which prevents the National Water Resources Board from bringing back Metro Manila's water allocation to the normal 46 cubic meters per second from the current 40 m³/s, said NWRB Executive Director Sevillo David Jr. "Kailangan po nating ma-manage ang supply para mapaabot... hanggang sa summer po, bago po ang mga pag-ulan. Kaya sa ngayon po, hindi pa ho natin maibabalik sa normal na alokasyon," he told radio DZMM. "Posible po talagang magpapatuloy iyong hindi normal na serbisyo ng tubig para sa kababayan po natin," he added. Rotational water service interruptions have hit Metro Manila since October 2019. THE TECH THAT WILL INVADE OUR LIVES IN 2020 The 2010s made one thing clear: Tech is everywhere in life. Tech is in our homes with thermostats that heat up our residences before we walk through the door. It’s in our cars with safety features that warn us about vehicles in adjacent lanes. It’s on our television sets, where many of us are streaming shows and movies through apps. We even wear it on ourselves in the form of wristwatches that monitor our health. In 2020 and the coming decade, these trends are likely to gather momentum. They will also be on display next week at CES, an enormous consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas that typically serves as a window into the year’s hottest tech developments. At the show, next-generation cellular technology known as 5G, which delivers data at mind-boggling speeds, is expected to take center stage as one of the most important topics. We are also likely to see the evolution of smart homes, with internet-connected appliances such as refrigerators, televisions and vacuum cleaners working more seamlessly together — and with less human interaction required. “The biggest thing is connected everything,” said Carolina Milanesi, a technology analyst for the research firm Creative Strategies. “Anything in the home — we’ll have more cameras, more mics, more sensors.” If some of this sounds the same as last year, it is — but that’s because new technologies often take time to mature. RAINS LOOM ON 2020'S FIRST WORK DAY: PAGASA Rains will likely hit parts of Luzon and Mindanao on Thursday, the first working day in 2020 for many Filipinos after the New Year revelries, the state weather bureau said. An intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) or band of clouds may trigger floods and landslides in Davao and Soccsksargen regions, said PAGASA. The amihan or northeast monsoon, meanwhile, will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and "possible occasional to frequent gusts" in Cagayan Valley, the Cordilleras, and Aurora and Quezon provinces, said the agency. Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, and Eastern Visayas will also experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains due to the amihan, it said. There is no storm expected to brew in the country in the next 3 days, PAGASA weather forecaster Meno Mendoza told radio DZMM. AMID RUMORED BREAKUP, JAMES MENTIONS NADINE IN NEW YEAR’S EVE INTERVIEW MANILA — Celebrity couple James Reid and Nadine Lustre have supposedly broken up due to “irreconcilable differences,” according to a January 1 report. Citing a source close to the two, PEP.ph reported that Lustre has left Reid’s home. The two have been open about living under the same roof during their relationship. Reid and Lustre have not shared a photo of each other on social media since October, the report also pointed out. Lustre’s recent Instagram posts have only fueled speculation as to the status of her relationship with Reid. Over the weekend, in particular, she captioned a black-and-white photo of her, “For good reason, lost all of my love.” The night prior to the report, Reid appeared casual as he mentioned Lustre, in the context of the actress-singer being among the contract artists of his music label Careless. Reid, along with his talents at Careless, were among the performers at a New Year countdown at a Quezon City mall. “She’ll have her first solo project under Careless, and we’re all very excited!” Reid told ABS-CBN News’ MJ Felipe, prior to his turn on stage. Asked how he was planning to welcome 2020 with Lustre, Reid said: “We’ll be all together later, celebrating and counting down over in Makati.” As of writing, neither Lustre nor Reid has directly addressed their rumored separation. WATCH: 'BLOCK Z' TRAILER RAISES THE STAKES IN BLOODY NEW TRAILER MANILA -- A brand new trailer for "Block Z," the upcoming Star Cinema zombie film from acclaimed director Mikhail Red ("Birdshot," "Dead Kids"), was released Tuesday night. The new clip gives a better sense of being trapped inside a school infested with zombies via its characters who not only have to deal with the hordes of infected who are terrifyingly fast, but also have to face each other as their desperation to survive lead to betrayals. "Back in high school, I used to make zombie movies with my classmates, using ketchup blood and a mini-dv camcorder," wrote Red on Twitter, as he shared the trailer. "Now I get to fulfill my lifelong fantasy and make a full-scale zombie movie with the biggest local studio." The film stars Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto with Mccoy de Leon, Ina Raymundo, Ian Veneracion, Maris Racal, and Dimples Romana. It it set to be released this January 29. NBA SCORES DEC 31 FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo 76ers 23-13    27    16    23    31    97 team logo Pacers 22-12    29    38    29    19    115 SCORING LEADERSJ. Richardson PHI 20 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST D. Sabonis IND 23 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Celtics 23-8    24    26    30    29    109 team logo Hornets 13-23    18    25    30    19    92 SCORING LEADERSJ. Tatum BOS 24 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST P. Washington CHA 15 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Clippers 24-11    28    29    31    17    105 team logo Kings 12-22    23    17    33    14    87 SCORING LEADERSK. Leonard LAC 24 PTS, 2 REB, 7 AST R. Holmes SAC 22 PTS, 10 REB, 0 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Cavaliers 10-23    25    18    26    28    97 team logo Raptors 23-11    27    32    27    31    117 SCORING LEADERS     C. Sexton CLE 22 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST     K. Lowry TOR 24 PTS, 1 REB, 8 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Nuggets 23-10    26    26    37    15    104 team logo Rockets 23-11    38    31    23    38    130 SCORING LEADERSN. Jokic DEN 21 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST J. Harden HOU 35 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST FINAL/OT     1    2    3    4    OT    T team logo Warriors 9-26    32    23    20    25    13    113 team logo Spurs 14-18    25    28    24    23    17    117 SCORING LEADERS     A. Burks GS 28 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST     D. DeRozan SA 24 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Mavericks 21-12    32    19    27    23    101 team logo Thunder 18-15    20    30    27    29    106 SCORING LEADERSL. Doncic DAL 35 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST D. Schroder OKC 20 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST