DFA SAYS WEST PH SEA FEATURES, EVEN WITH CHINESE STRUCTURES, ARE 'OURS'

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said features in the West Philippine Sea are "ours", even those with structures China built.

DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr said the “durability and vintage of the structures don’t matter,” when asked on Twitter if the Philippines would insist on ownership of a reef seen with foreign structures during a Philippine military patrol covered by ABS-CBN News.

A voice speaking on radio in English told Philippine aircraft flying over the area on Wednesday that it was "approaching a Chinese reef" and should "leave immediately and keep out."

“[The area is] within our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) so it’s ours," Locsin said in a tweet. "The durability and vintage of the structures don’t matter. Ours."

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said it "stands by its observation that these so-called 'fishing' vessels are maritime militia."

"Their build-up and massing formation from Julian Felipe Reef to other areas of the Kalayaan Island Group is hazardous to navigation and safety of life at sea," the task force said in a statement.

"They may be doing illicit activities at night and their lingering (swarming) presence may cause irreparable damage to the marine environment due to marine pollution and destruction of coral reefs. Their swarming also poses a threat to the peaceful exercise of sovereign rights of the Philippines in its EEZ."

The group called on China to "immediately withdraw these vessels flying its flag."

US, PHILIPPINE OFFICIALS DISCUSS CHINESE ACTIVITIES AT JULIAN FELIPE REEF

WASHINGTON - The national security advisers for the United States and the Philippines discussed their shared concerns over Chinese activities in the South China Sea in a call on Wednesday, the White House said.

The Philippines has described the presence of hundreds of Chinese boats inside its 200-mile exclusive economic zone at Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea as "swarming and threatening."

Manila believes the vessels were manned by maritime militia. Chinese diplomats have said the boats were sheltering from rough seas and no militia were aboard.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Philippines national security adviser Hermogenes Esperon "agreed that the United States and the Philippines will continue to coordinate closely in responding to challenges in the South China Sea," the White House said.

"Sullivan underscored that the United States stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rules-based international maritime order, and reaffirmed the applicability of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty in the South China Sea," it added.

Canada, Australia, Japan and others have voiced concern about China's intentions.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, China and Vietnam have competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, through which at least $3.4 trillion of annual trade passes.

PHILIPPINES CAN UNLOCK UP TO $1.1 BILLION FROM RECYCLING PLASTIC YEARLY: WORLD BANK

MANILA - The Philippine government should work with the private sector and other stakeholders to unlock the potential of up to $1.1 billion (P53.4 billion) per year in material value from recycling plastic, a World Bank report released this month showed.

To date, only $246 million (P11.9 billion) per year is being tapped since the country only recycles a part of its single-use plastic wastes annually, the World Bank's Market Study for the Philippines: Plastics Circularity Opportunities and Barriers said.

The Philippines in 2019 recycled some 28 percent of key plastic resins, the study showed. At the same time, 78 percent of material value of plastics was lost to the Philippine economy every year, the World Bank said.

"Fully addressing this market opportunity will require public and private sector investments to improve waste collection/sorting, an enabling environment to improve recycling economics, and

other systemic interventions," the report said.

Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand are losing an equivalent of $6 billion per year, or 75 percent of material value, when single-use plastics are not recycled as new materials, the report said.

“These studies show that there is an untapped opportunity to reap environmental and economic benefits with clear and complementary interventions from the private and public sector," aid World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand Ndiamé Diop.

Diop added that "mismanaged plastic waste" across the 3 countries also threatens economic sectors including tourism, fisheries, impacting livelihood and infrastructure.

Globally, 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans every year with Asia contributing over 80 percent of this marine leak, the World Bank said. The Philippines is among the top contributors to marine plastic wastes, it said.

BIONTECH-PFIZER SAY COVID-19 VACCINE 100 PCT EFFECTIVE ON 12 TO 15-YEAR-OLDS

BioNTech-Pfizer said Wednesday their vaccine showed 100 percent efficacy against the coronavirus in 12 to 15 year olds, as they eye approval for adolescents to get the jabs before the next school year.

Phase 3 trials carried out on 2,260 adolescents in the United States "demonstrated 100 percent efficacy and robust antibody responses," the companies said in a statement.

738,913 FILIPINOS VACCINATED BY MARCH 30 — TASK FORCE

MANILA — Nearly 739,000 Filipinos have received their COVID-19 vaccine on the first month of the country's inoculation efforts, government data showed on Thursday.

Broken down, that's 737,569 who got their first dose and 1,344 already completed with their second dose, according to data from the National Task Force Against COVID-19.

Most of the country's vaccine supply has been donated. Some 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca were from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, while a million doses of Sinovac were given by Beijing.

On March 29, another million doses of Sinovac arrived, which was the administration's first ever purchase of a COVID-19 jab. Other than that, officials have yet to finalize deals with manufacturers.

There had also been calls for officials to fast track vaccination efforts, especially with 50 million to 70 million targeted to be vaccinated this year and as a new surge in infections came that sent several areas back to stricter quarantine classifications.

The NTF said the seven-day average of daily vaccinated individuals was now at 32,940, with 2,596 sites operating. Further, 1.46 million out of the country's 2.52 million doses were also distributed.

Metro Manila, which was reverted to Enhanced Community Quarantine along with four other provinces for a week, had the most people vaccinated at 461,070.

It was followed by Calabarzon at 144,960, Central Luzon at 131,940, and Central Visayas at 117,960.

WITH COVID-19 PATIENTS BEING TURNED AWAY, ROBREDO URGES CHECK ON HOSPITAL BED SHORTAGE

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo renewed her call to the Department of Health and the government’s coronavirus task force to look into the shortage of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, Robredo said he saw new coverage of the recently held House of Representative hearings, where the DOH maintained that hospitals are not fully yet and that “93% of COVID patients have mild symptoms and do not need hospitalization.”

DOH data from case bulletin on Wednesday showed that in Metro Manila, 79% of ICU beds are utilized, 69% for isolation beds and 61% for ward beds. Health authorities reported 6,128 new COVID-19 cases, pushing national caseload to 747,288.

Active cases were at a record high on Wednesday at 130,245 but the case bulletin noted almost 98.4% are mild and asymptomatic.

But the vice president said the accounts of families seeking hospitals for their sick loved ones is different from DOH data. She added that they have been receiving distress calls from families of COVID-19 patients who cannot be admitted to hospitals in the past week.

“We have read how many have already died inside tents outside hospitals, waiting to be admitted to the ERs, in ambulances while in transit, at home without receiving any medical help,” Robredo said.

She recalled that she has recommended in the past to expand hospital capacity by “setting up field hospitals, hiring more health care workers and paying them well, making sure hospitals are equipped with everything necessary to treat patients.”

BSP SAYS MORE BANKS EXTEND WAIVED FEES FOR INSTAPAY, PESONET

MANILA - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas released late Wednesday an updated list of banks and their waved InstaPay and PESONet fees.

The updated list now includes several banks which further extended free InstaPay transfer for the next few months.

The central bank has been pushing for the use of InstaPay and PESONet, under its National Retail Payment System (NRPS) in a bid to raise online transactions in the country.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno also earlier said online transactions would help Filipinos conduct necessary financial obligations without leaving their homes, reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19.

NEW YORK POLICE ARREST MAN OVER ATTACK ON FILIPINO-AMERICAN WOMAN IN HATE CRIME CASE

NEW YORK - Police have arrested a man suspected of attacking an elderly Filipino-American woman in New York City and charged him with felony assault as a hate crime, the police department said.

Police identified the suspect as Brandon Elliot, 38, who was already on lifetime parole for murdering his mother, the New York Police Department said in a statement to Reuters.

Elliot was arrested and charged early on Wednesday.

The NYPD's Hate Crimes Force had been looking for the assailant since Monday afternoon, after a man punched and kicked the 65-year-old woman, knocked her to the ground and stamped at least three times on her head. He also made anti-Asian statements.

Videos posted on social media showed witnesses at the scene did not try to protect her and one man shut the door of a nearby building while the attacker casually walked away.

The police also confirmed that the victim sustained a serious physical injury.

The incident, which happened on a street in midtown Manhattan, is one among many rising hate crimes against Asian Americans. Such crimes rose by 149% in 2020 in 16 major cities compared with 2019, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

PGH DENIES SEEKING DONATIONS FOR PATIENTS WITH COVID-19

MANILA — The Philippine General Hospital denied it was soliciting donations for its patients battling COVID-19.

A supposed call from the government hospital and the PGH Medical Foundation for monetary donations "is not from us," PGH said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

"Current government funding and private support allow the PGH to provide free COVID-19 treatment to all our currently admitted charity patients," the hospital said.

The PGH urged the public "to be wary of false information circulated by unscrupulous individuals."

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr said on Thursday he hoped the PGH would get 200 "state of the art dialysis machine" that Singapore-based non-profit Temasek Foundation donated. The machines were set to arrive in late April, he said.

The PGH and other Metro Manila hospitals are contending with a surge in coronavirus infections, that raised the utilization of the healthcare system.

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FILIPINO PRIEST DEVELOPS ORAL, YEAST-BASED COVID-19 VACCINE

MANILA — A Filipino priest and scientist is developing an oral, yeast-based vaccine against COVID-19 and its many variants.

Fr. Nicanor Austriaco has been working on the vaccine since last year. A molecular biologist and visiting professor at the University of Santo Tomas, the Dominican priest shared his proposed yeast vaccine delivery system during a virtual lecture last December.

Speaking to UST's university-wide paper, The Varsitarian, Fr. Austriaco said that once developed, the oral vaccine will be something "like Yakult" that anyone can drink everyday.

With the use of the probiotic yeast, his team will genetically modify it to induce immune system response against the virus, he told News5 in December.

The priest-scientist, who holds a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has said in several interviews that he aims to develop the vaccine in oral form so that it could reach as many people, even as far away as boondocks. He also sees it as a means to lessen the risk of exposure or contact. He even said that since yeast can be stored at room temperature, refrigeration is not necessary for his proposed vaccine.

"You don't need a doctor, you don't need a nurse, you don't need an injector, you don't need a refrigerator. For our country, with more than 7,000 islands, millions of Filipinos in the bundok, how will you deliver the vaccine to them?" Fr. Austriaco said in an interview with GMA News Online.

ANGEL LOCSIN, ENCHONG DEE REACT TO DUTERTE'S EMOTIONAL SPEECH, 'MAGIC WAND' REMARK

MANILA — Kapamilya celebrities Angel Locsin and Enchong Dee reacted to President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent emotional national address.

In a prerecorded speech aired Monday night, Duterte said that he wanted to cry in front of the public because he's having a hard time dealing with COVID-19 pandemic.

“Gusto ko na nga umiyak sa harap ninyo pero naubos na ang luha ko. Hay, buhay. Kung alam lang ninyo… Para akong dumadaan ng purgatory ngayon, at this time,” Duterte said.

In her Instagram account, Angel said the Philippines needs concrete solutions and not emotions.

Enchong, on the other hand, criticized the president for saying he could end the pandemic if only he had power "like a magic wand."

“If only I had the power, kung nandiyan lang sa'kin 'yung power na like a magic wand na maalis kaagad itong problema natin, gagawin ko," Duterte said.

“What magic wand are you saying?! The reality is we have to live with the fact that you are our president - that is your magic wand! We gave you & your minions 1 year & billions of pesos to solve it and look where we are now?! Stop using flowering words to cover your failure!” Enchong wrote in his Twitter account.

Meanwhile, netizens reminded Duterte that he has the means and resources as the country's chief executive.

QUEZON CITY BEGINS VACCINATING SENIORS

MANILA — Senior citizens in Quezon City have received their first dose of vaccines against the coronavirus disease.

Joseph Juico, co-chairman of the local government’s vaccination task force, said an initial 2,000 seniors were expected to be inoculated yesterday at vaccination sites in the city’s six districts.

“This is a micro-rollout targeting barangays that are near the vaccine sites,” Juico said in an interview with The STAR. “The only (AstraZeneca) vaccines that we have now are around 2,000 doses that we got from hospitals that were not able to consume these vaccines.”

At a vaccination facility in Barangay Kaligayahan in District 5, senior citizens who were inoculated expressed hope that their lives would soon return to normal after over a year of being confined at their homes due the pandemic.

As of Monday, the local government had vaccinated over 18,400 people, including 1,110 healthcare workers at the Quezon City General Hospital, 6,815 employees of public and private hospitals in the city, and 10,496 other frontliners.

'LUGAW' NON-ESSENTIAL? PALACE SAYS FOOD DELIVERIES ALLOWED '24/7' EVEN DURING ECQ

MANILA — Food deliveries are allowed "24/7" even in areas under the strictest quarantine level, Malacañang said on Wednesday, following a viral video that spawned questions on the rule.

The video shows an unidentified woman reprimanding a delivery rider, saying the "lugaw" or rice porridge he was set to deliver was not essential. "Mabubuhay ang tao nang walang lugaw," she said. The woman also cited night curfews.

The enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal bans non-essential movement to curb a surge in COVID-19 infections.

The inter-agency task force leading the country's pandemic response earlier said "food preparation establishments such as commissaries, restaurants, and eateries, but limited to take-out and delivery" can operate at full on-site capacity during ECQ.

Clarifying the directive, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said, "Twenty-four/seven ang delivery."

Asked if he meant hours in which food deliveries can operate, he said in a phone interview, "Oo."

"Lugaw, or any food item for that matter, is considered an essential good. Delivery of food items must remain unhampered 24/7. Huwag natin harangin sa checkpoints," Roque's office added in a statement.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

GAME OVER! ELLEN ADARNA, DEREK RAMSAY NOW ENGAGED

After admitting their relationship just last month, actress Ellen Adarna is now engaged with actor Derek Ramsay.

On her Instagram page, Adarna posted on Tuesday a series of photos revealing that Ramsay has asked her to marry him.

In the photos, Adarna is seen wearing an engagement ring that features a huge diamond gemstone.

Present in the proposal were Adarna’s child with actor John Lloyd Cruz and Ramsay's son.

In February, after weeks of speculation, the couple acknowledged that they are in a relationship. In an interview, the two said they have been dating for a month.

Ramsay previously said he is convinced that the actress is “the one” he will finally marry, after several relationships that unfolded and ended in the public eye.

Ramsay, 44, spoke in detail for the first time about his new relationship with Adarna, 32, in an interview with Mega magazine.

He revealed that prior to the viral dinner party in January, which first spurred rumors romantically linking them, he had already gone out on a “blind date” with Adarna.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES MARCH 30

FINAL

           1          2          3          4          T

Hornets  24-22  32        32        25        25        114

Wizards  17-29  29        27        25        23        104

SCORING LEADERS

            T. Rozier CHA

27 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST

            R. Hachimura WAS

30 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST

FINAL

           1          2          3          4          T

76ers  32-15     22        23        26        24        95

Nuggets  29-18 44        24        20        16        104

SCORING LEADERS

            T. Maxey PHI

13 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST

            J. Murray DEN

30 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST

FINAL

           1          2          3          4          T

Magic  16-31     13        24        33        33        103

Clippers  32-17  26        25        22        23        96

SCORING LEADERS

            C. Okeke ORL

18 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST

            K. Leonard LAC

28 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST

FINAL

           1          2          3          4          T

Hawks  23-24    27        25        33        25        110

Suns  32-14      30        34        25        28        117

SCORING LEADERS

            B. Bogdanovic ATL

22 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST

            D. Booker PHO

21 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 48.53

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. - Ralph Waldo Emerson