MANILA - The Philippines' gross domestic product contracted anew in the

fourth quarter shrinking 8.3 percent to bring the full year 2020 growth to

-9.5 percent, the state statistics agency said Thursday.

In contrast, the Philippine economy grew 6.7 percent in the fourth quarter

of 2019, and posted a full-year growth rate of 6 percent then.

“Among the major economic sectors, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing

registered -2.5 percent growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2020, while

Services and Industry posted -8.4 percent, and -9.9 percent respectively,”

the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

Other sectors that posted negative growth rates were construction, which

posted -25.3 percent growth; other services at -45.2 percent; and

accommodation and food service activities at -42.7 percent, the PSA said.

Thursday's data showed the economy grew a seasonally adjusted 5.6 percent

quarter-on-quarter, slowing from an 8 percent growth in the September

quarter.

Government expenditure grew 4.4 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter,

while household spending declined by 7.2 percent.

Last year's full-year negative GDP growth is the first contraction since

1998's 0.5 percent decline, which was triggered by the Asian financial

crisis.

The GDP contraction in 2020 is also worse than the 7 percent contraction

recorded in 1984, making it the steepest post-war slump in Philippine

history, using available PSA data dating back to 1947.

The contractions of 16.9 percent in the second quarter and 11.4 percent in

the third quarter were the two worst quarterly decline based on available

data.

In contrast, Vietnam, which was able to quickly control the spread of the

novel coronavirus posted a positive growth of 2.9 percent.

Singapore, which was able to control the outbreak despite initial setbacks,

posted a less steep -5.8 percent decline.

The National Economic and Development Authority blamed the contraction on

the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

'IT WASN'T STOLEN': PHILHEALTH SAYS 'MISSING' P15B WENT TO HOSPITALS FOR

COVID-19 EXPENSES

MANILA - The Philippine Health Insurance Corp on Thursday rejected claims

that the alleged missing P15 billion funds were stolen, saying they went to

hospitals to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Well, the P15-billion issue they went to the hospitals, partner facilities

of PhilHealth, 711 in all nationwide," the agency's spokesperson Rey Baleña

told ANC.

"These funds were used to ensure that they are kept open, servicing our

patients who will be affected by the pandemic."

The state-run health insurer maintained that the funds were not lost to

corruption.

"It wasn't stolen. Because the fact that the hospitals received them, the

fact that the hospitals were able to use these funds for their services to

our patients, the fact that they are reporting this back to PhilHealth in

the form of liquidation, these are proofs that the funds are not stolen,"

Baleña said.

He said P13.8 billion or 92 percent of the funds had been liquidated. The

agency could present to the public full liquidation of the funds by next

month.

"We have given the hospitals some leeway in submitting their liquidation

given the situation, the constraints that they are facing," Baleña said.

"So, the reports are coming in and we're happy that by next month, we will

be complete with this liquidation."

PhilHealth also assured the public they scrutinized every claim made by

hospitals. They will investigate if there are cases of "padding, upcasing or

upgrading" of these claims.

"If the hospitals will be found guilty of these violations, they will be

meted with the corresponding penalty," Baleña said.

PH APPROVES ASTRAZENECA’S COVID-19 VACCINE FOR EMERGENCY USE

MANILA — The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted British

company AstraZeneca emergency use authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19

vaccine, 3 weeks after its application.

This makes AstraZeneca’s vaccine the 2nd, after Pfizer's, to be approved for

emergency use in the Philippines.

AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine is reported to have an

average efficacy rate of 70%, while Britain’s health care regulator said it

was at 80% under a certain administration pattern.

While this is lower than the efficacy rate of vaccine frontrunners Pfizer or

Moderna, which have rates of around 95%, AstraZeneca seems to be more

favored by local government units in the Philippines because of its storage

requirements.

Unlike those requiring ultra cold freezers, AstraZeneca’s vaccine can be

kept in regular refrigerator temperature like more common vaccines kept by

the Department of Health.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. also said he is expecting 200,000

to 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine for the early deployment of jabs

next month.

As of this month, the country, through its local government units and the

private sector, has secured 17 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19

vaccines.

CATHOLIC CHURCH'S SOCIAL JUSTICE ARM REJECTS CHARTER CHANGE

MANILA —The social justice arm of the Catholic Church in the Philippines

rejected fresh moves to change the Constitution, saying there are more

urgent issues that need attention.

It also warned that the current attempt to revise the charter may be used to

keep politicians in power.

“The recent proposals in both houses of Congress to amend the 1987

Philippine Constitution, in the guise of ‘improving our economic openness to

the world’ will not benefit the nation,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of

the Philippines Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace said in a

statement released Thursday.

The Catholic Church commission said genuine constitutional reform will only

come from the direct participation of the people, which it said is lacking

in the current push by some lawmakers in the House and the Senate to change

the Constitution.

It added that the government needs to focus its attention on other more

pressing issues including COVID-19, disaster financing and management, the

climate emergency, unemployment, education, red-tagging, and the execution

of farmers, indigenous people, environmental and human rights defenders.

It also called the Duterte government “unstable” and “very susceptible to

corruption,” and worried over the possibility that Charter change can be

used to cancel the elections in 2022, extend politicians’ terms or even prop

up a revolutionary government, which it said are all “detrimental” to the

people.

House lawmakers who are pushing for Charter change have repeatedly insisted

that their focus would only be on amending economic provisions in the

Constitution which they believe to be “restrictive.”

Some political observers, however, do not buy this as they point out that

tinkering with the Constitution could open up the floodgates to any

amendment, including to political provisions like the extension of terms and

the lifting of term limits.

House leaders say a majority of lawmakers in the chamber are already

supportive of the move to amend the Constitution’s economic provisions

initiated by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

But the Senate remains cool to this latest attempt to change the

Constitution as it is still concerned over procedures on how Congress can

amend provisions in the Charter.

PH RANKS 79TH IN GLOBAL COVID-19 PERFORMANCE RATING, LAGS BEHIND ASIAN PEERS

MANILA - The Philippines ranked in the bottom quarter of 98 nations

evaluated for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, lagging behind its

Asian peers, according to a study released Thursday.

The Philippines garnered an average score of 30.6 using six indicators in

the 36 weeks that followed its hundredth confirmed case of COVID-19, said

the Lowy Institute.

The indicators include the number of confirmed virus cases, confirmed

deaths, confirmed cases per million people, confirmed deaths per million

people, confirmed cases as a proportion of tests, and tests per thousand

people.

The country's Southeast Asian neighbors Vietnam and Thailand ranked 2nd and

4th with average scores of 90.8 and 84.2, respectively.

Singapore, Malaysia, and Myanmar placed 13th, 16th, and 24th with average

scores of 74.9, 71, and 62.3, respectively.

The only Southeast Asian country that ranked below the Philippines was

Indonesia at 85th place with a score of 24.7. There was no available data

for Brunei, Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Laos.

The index also excludes China, where the first COVID-19 cases were

identified in December 2019, due to lack of publicly available data on

testing.

The Philippines in October was among 20 nations with the highest number of

COVID-19 cases.

It now ranks 32nd in the world in terms of COVID-19 cases, Presidential

spokesperson Harry Roque told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

"Kung dati po ay nakasanayan na natin ang old variant, tayo nga po ay number

32 na in the world, number 117 tayo in fatality rate. We have managed the

old variant very well. Baka kailangan paigtingin pa natin," he said.

The Philippines as of Wednesday has reported 518,407 cases of COVID-19, with

32,384 active infections.

DUTERTE GOVERNMENT HAS NO INTEREST IN PROBING THEMSELVES — GLOBAL GROUP

MANILA — The Department of Justice’s exclusion of the Commission on Human

Rights in its “drug war” review report, and of domestic rights groups in its

Human Rights Summit in 2020 only showed the Philippine government does not

intend to make itself accountable, international panel Investigate PH said.

Commissioners of the international investigating panel, launched Thursday,

pointed out the lack of voice of persons who are most affected of the human

rights violations in the country in the DOJ-led summit in December 2020.

International Association of Democratic Lawyers President Jeanne Mirer said

the summit was just “people talking to themselves and not raising the issues

of the people whose rights the Investigate PH is looking at.”

The three-day summit themed “Peace is the Work of Justice” was one of the

projects in a joint program on technical cooperation between the Philippine

government and the United Nations pursuant to the latest resolution adopted

by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

But local rights groups Karapatan and Ecumenical Voice for Peace and Human

Rights in the Philippines were not invited in the summit, neither were

victims of alleged abuses.

Guevarra said then that these groups “may be invited to participate in

future activities.”

Former Australian Senator Lee Rhiannon, also part of the Investigate PH

panel, said no matter what the Philippine government’s statements, situation

in the country is getting worse.

Investigate PH is an international panel conducting an independent probe

into human rights violations in the Philippines. They will submit a report

to the UNHRC on its 46th session in March 2021.

BIDEN REVIVES H-2B VISA FOR WORKING PINOYS

MANILA — Filipinos whose working visas have been withheld during the

administration of Donald Trump can now heave a sigh of relief after newly

inaugurated US President Joseph Biden revived a policy allowing foreigners

to work in America.

“This is definitely a positive signal from Washington. For two years under

the previous US administration, the Philippines was removed from the

eligibility list and Filipinos were unable to participate in the H-2B

program,” Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said yesterday.

The chairman of the House committee on strategic intelligence said relations

between Manila and Washington are “off to a good start,” as the Philippines

was put back on the list of countries eligible to participate in America’s

H-2B visa program.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHC) recently announced its decision to

return the Philippines to the list of countries whose citizens are qualified

to receive H-2B visas for short-term non-farm jobs in America.

“The US should really be more welcoming to Filipinos, considering that we

are an ally,” Pimentel, who supports the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement

in support of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries,

said.

“The immediate beneficiary of our return to the eligibility list are

Filipinos looking for construction jobs in Guam,” Pimentel, a former

governor, said.

PHILIPPINES PROTESTS CHINA’S NEW COAST GUARD LAW

MANILA — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has filed a diplomatic

protest with China over its new law authorizing its coast guard to fire on

foreign vessels and destroy structures in the East China Sea and South China

Sea.

“After reflection I fired a diplomatic protest,” Locsin tweeted yesterday,

days after initially saying it was “none of our business.”

“While enacting law is a sovereign prerogative, this one – given the area

involved or for that matter the open South China Sea – is a verbal threat of

war to any country that defies the law; which, if unchallenged, is

submission to it,” he added.

The new law also authorizes the Chinese Coast Guard to inspect foreign

vessels in waters claimed by China.

Fomer foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario slammed the new law

authorizing the Chinese Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels.

“In the wake of the new US administration and Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s

recent visit to the Philippines, the decision of the Chinese leadership to

authorize its coast guard to fire on its neighbors’ vessels is a sobering

reminder to the world that China remains adamant in pressing its illegal

claims in the South China Sea, now with force and probably with violence,”

Del Rosario said in a statement.

THE REST

========

MAJORITY OF 12 UK VARIANT PATIENTS IN BONTOC RECOVERED: OFFICIALS

MANILA - Majority of the 12 cases of the more contagious coronavirus variant

in Bontoc town, Mountain Province have recovered from the illness, officials

said Thursday.

Nine patients remain isolated as their village is on lockdown while 3 are

still hospitalized, said Dr. Ruby Constantino, director of the Cordillera

Center for Health Development.

"'Yung 12 po sila, 'yung 9 matagal na po silang magaling kaya nasa bahay na

sila pero sinabihan po silang 'wag lalabas. Naka-lockdown ang barangay kung

saan sila nakatira. 'Yung tatlo stable pero nasa ospital pa rin po," she

told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

Bontoc town Mayor Franklin Odsey, however, said 11 patients have recovered

while 1 was still admitted in the hospital.

Five villages in the town have been placed under lockdown to prevent virus

spread, he added.

Authorities have so far traced 645 close contacts of all patients from first

generation to third generation, Constantino said.

An initial 171 close contacts were traced when the 12 patients tested

positive for the coronavirus. Of the number of contacts, 39 also contracted

the disease and their test results have been sent to the Philippine Genome

Center, Constantino added.

"Sa ngayon wala pa po kaming nare-receive na resulta po," she said.

METRO MANILA MAYORS WANT REGION TO REMAIN UNDER GCQ IN FEBRUARY

MANILA - Metro Manila mayors have recommended to national government to keep

the National Capital Region under general community quarantine in February,

their representative said Thursday.

The Metro Manila Council took into consideration the arrival of the more

contagious COVID-19 variant in the country, said its chairman Parañaque

mayor Edwin Olivarez.

"Ang consensus ng buong council na irekomenda po sa ating IATF na manatili

po tayo sa GCQ sa darating na February. Binibigyan po natin ng precaution

yung UK variant, yung bagong variant," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

"Kung magluluwag po tayo, napakahirap po na magkakaroon tayo ng spike lalong

paparating na ang vaccine."

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the proposal was the

"correct judgment."

EXTREMIST VIOLENCE, CLAN FEUDS LINGER IN PARTS OF BANGSAMORO - WATCHDOG

MANILA— Despite a decline in conflict incidents, extremist violence and clan

feuding remain in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, a

peace-building organization said Thursday, two years since the milestone

establishment of the region seen to spur peace and development in the

long-restive area.

In its latest conflict report, International Alert said extremist violence

remained persistent while clan feuds rose in the Bangsamoro, particularly in

Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao, in 2019.

"Lanao del Sur is a very important cause for worry... We've been seeing this

year an increase in violence," Dr. Francisco Lara Jr., the group's senior

peace and conflict adviser in Asia.

"In Maguindanao province, the problem was increase in clan feuding in

relation to land issues," he added.

The number of clan feuds rose by nearly 50 percent to 146, of which the

highest concentrations were in Lanao del Sur (64) and Maguindanao (56),

International Alert said in its report. These feuds were fueled by personal

and political grudges, and land conflicts, among others.

The group also said Sulu was "on course towards reclaiming its notorious

identification with terrorism," which Lara cited was due to the emergence of

female, Filipino and foreign suicide bombers.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

GRETCHEN HO LEAVES ABS-CBN FOR TV5, EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO HER FIRST NETWORK

Television host and volleyball star Gretchen Ho has nothing but gratitude

for ABS-CBN as she moves on to a new home with TV5.

To mark her official transfer to the Kapatid network, Ho took to Instagram

yesterday, Jan. 26, to pay tribute to her first home since she got out of

college.

“I have been working with ABS-CBN for a good [seven to eight] years, but as

a UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) athlete I

consider my tenure so much longer than that,” she said.

Ho’s tribute aptly came with several photos of her journey with ABS-CBN over

the years, starting from being covered by the network as an Ateneo de Manila

University volleyball player to hosting different Kapamilya programs.

“I have nothing but gratitude for the network that helped our sport grow

leaps and bounds, in the same way that they have helped me grow from being

an athlete, to being a host, to being a news person,” Ho stressed.

“Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa lahat ng nagtiwala at nakasama sa aking

ABS-CBN journey (I have immense gratitude to those who trusted and

accompanied me in my ABS-CBN journey). However, time has come for me to grow

even further, and to continue on pursuing my personal calling,” she added.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES JAN 26

FINAL

    1    2    3    4    T

Clippers 13-5    21    27    22    29    99

Hawks 9-8    22    21    33    32    108

SCORING LEADERS

    R. Jackson LAC

20 PTS, 7 REB, 8 AST

    T. Young ATL

38 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST

FINAL

    1    2    3    4    T

Wizards 3-10    29    23    18    18    88

Rockets 7-9    26    30    19    32    107

SCORING LEADERS

    B. Beal WAS

33 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST

    J. Wall HOU

24 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST

FINAL

    1    2    3    4    T

Knicks 8-11    27    32    22    13    94

Jazz 13-4    18    28    34    28    108

SCORING LEADERS

    A. Rivers NY

25 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST

    R. O'Neale UTA

20 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 48.07

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the

embarrassment he can tolerate – Doug Engelbart