DUTERTE SAYS HE DIALED XI FOR VACCINE HELP; CHINESE LEADER MADE NO DEMAND
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he asked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for help to secure COVID-19 shots, and the latter made no demand that Manila abandon its maritime dispute with Beijing.
Duterte said he talked with Xi when the Philippines had yet to receive any vaccine supply.
“Sabi ko, ‘Mr. President, I would like to ask for your help. Until now, the Philippines is really at a loss on how to get the vaccines,” Duterte said in a taped speech.
“Sabi niya, ‘It’s okay, we will help you.’ Ganoon lang... Hindi naman sinabi kalimutan mo iyong Scarborough Shoal.”
“It is never, never wrong to say that I owe you a debt of gratitude. Totoo eh. Binigyan tayo, tinanggap natin, ginamit natin,” Duterte said.
“But it does not mean na tanggapin ko ang bakuna, tapos sabihin ko kalimutan ko na iyong claim d’yan sa West philippine Sea… it is never like that. The world never operates like that.”
He said there would be “no compromise” in the issue.
“Alam ng China ‘yan. Maski bahaan tayo dito ng vaccine, gagamitin ko pa rin, pero sasabihin ko hindi ito iyong kabayaran. Iba ito. This is Philippine national interest.”
PH IN RECESSION FOR 5TH STRAIGHT QUARTER AS GDP CONTRACTS 4.2 PCT IN Q1
MANILA – The Philippine economy remained in recession for a fifth straight quarter after contracting 4.2 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday.
The gross domestic product growth rate of -4.2 percent in Q1 followed the -8.3 percent growth rate in the fourth quarter.
The first quarter GDP performance was worse than the 3.2 percent contraction forecast by analysts in a poll conducted by Bloomberg, and the 3 percent contraction seen in a Reuters poll.
The pandemic-hit economy fell 9.6 percent in 2020, its worst performance since the end of World War 2.
Economic activities gradually regained traction in the first quarter as the restrictions eased. However, local executives in Metro Manila reimposed curfews on March 15, and the national government ordered a new lockdown on March 29 as COVID-19 cases continued to rise.
The NCR Plus bubble remains under modified enhanced community quarantine until May 14.
A Reuters poll of economists expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to keep interest rates steady during its meeting on Thursday to prop up the economy.
PFIZER VACCINES TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN NCR, DAVAO, CEBU
MANILA — The 193,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines expected to arrive last night will be distributed in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the cities of Davao and Cebu, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.
According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, Pfizer vaccines have “really high technical” requirements for storage and distribution and will therefore be given to local government units (LGUs) that have the capacity to meet the requirements.
“We have already proven, based on simulation activities, that they can handle ultra low freezer and the handling, thus we can prevent wastages,” Vergeire said.
The first batch from US-German team Pfizer-BioNTech was scheduled to arrive at 9:30 p.m. yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 2 on Air Hong Kong flight LD457 from Denmark, via Hong Kong.
The 193,050 Pfizer vaccine doses donated by Unicef of Denmark are part of the 1.3 million doses earmarked for the country through the COVAX Facility. It was supposed to be delivered back in February but got delayed due to tight supply.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said that after the arrival of Pfizer doses, government would initiate a “mini-roll-out” to help prepare for succeeding deliveries, noting that the vaccines must be stored at -70 degrees Celsius.
“Our LGUs in NCR are prepared (to receive the Pfizer vaccines) and we are also looking at Davao and Cebu,” Galvez said.
DUTERTE STRESSES JET SKI BOAST WAS JUST A CAMPAIGN JOKE
MANILA — People who believed his boast that he would ride a jet ski to the West Philippine Sea to assert Philippine sovereignty fell for a campaign joke, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday night in the face of criticism of his policy in the area of the South China Sea within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
In the first place, the president said, he does not have a working jet ski and the nearest Philippine-held island is too far away with nowhere to refuel on the way. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who was at the same taped meeting, said the island is "150 nautical miles, not kilometers, nautical miles" from mainland Palawan.
"We call it 'bravado,' ‘yong bravado ko that was just a pure campaign joke. At kung naniniwala kayo sa kabila, pati na siguro si Carpio pati si — I would say that you are really stupid. Sige, maghanap ka ng tao dito magpunta ng jet ski. Hindi pa mag-abot pa ng ilang oras I would conk out in the middle of the sea," he said.
Duterte was referring to former Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio, who has criticized Duterte's pollicy in the West Philippine Sea and who he has taken aim at in recent televised meetings.
At a televised meeting last week, Duterte challenged Carpio to a debate on the West Philippine Sea. The challenge has been withdrawn and the Palace spokesperson has been offered as a stand in for the president.
In March 2018, the president said he was surprised that anyone took the jet ski comment that he made at a televised debate during the 2016 presidential campaign seriously. In May of that year, jet skis were part of a stunt to emphasize Philippine sovereignty over the uncontested Philippine (Benham) Rise.
Duterte said Chinese vessels were already in the West Philippine Sea when he became president and that blame should go to the Aquino administration for withdrawing during the 2012 standoff.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the Philippines has not changed its position on the West Philippine Sea and the president's statement before the UN General Assembly "stands as the supreme expression of foreign policy on the West Philippine Sea issue."
Duterte stressed Monday night that people who believed his jet ski boast should have considered how he could have done it in the first place.
"Maniwala sa jet ski p** (Believing in the jet ski **)," the official transcript quotes him as saying.
NOT KNOWING WHEN DUTERTE IS JOKING, SERIOUS A 'BIG PROBLEM' - LACSON
MANILA - Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday it has become difficult to discern when President Rodrigo Duterte is serious or is joking during his public address.
Duterte, during his weekly address aired Monday evening, said his election promise to ride a jet ski to challenge Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea was a "pure joke" and that those who believed it were "stupid."
"We may have a big problem here because we don’t know at what point he was joking, at what point he was serious. We don’t know anymore when he is joking, when he was not," Lacson told ANC's Headstart.
"That’s a problem because he said he was just joking during the campaign debate that he would ride a jet ski to the West Philippine Sea. After that, he said he actually ordered a secondhand jet ski. At what point was he joking? At what point was he serious? We don’t know anymore, so we have a big problem in our hands," he said.
Lacson said this is problematic because "we cannot understand anymore" which parts of his speech were said as jokes and which ones are serious statements. "Mahirap yun. It’s really hard for Filipinos," he said.
DUTERTE SPENDS DAY OFF WITH QUIBOLOY
DAVAO CITY — President Duterte on Sunday night visited his long-time friend and ally Pastor Apollo Quiboloy at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ’s headquarters in this city.
Duterte chatted with Quiboloy for four hours over dinner of sour fish stew, sauteed mung beans and fried dried fish.
They discussed matters concerning retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio and Sen. Manny Pacquiao.
Carpio and Pacquiao recently criticized the President regarding the West Philippine Sea.
The President, accompanied by Sen. Bong Go, told Quiboloy that his Cabinet persuaded him not to go on a debate with Carpio.
Duterte appeared to be relaxed while laughing with Quiboloy during dinner.
The two used to go out for dinner when Duterte was mayor of Davao City.
Duterte arrived in the city on Friday night after staying in Manila for almost two months in the wake of escalating COVID cases in the National Capital Region and surrounding provinces.
Sources said that all officials and personnel in the Quiboloy compound were subjected to swab tests a few hours before Duterte arrived.
'FREE LAND ON BASIS OF YOUTUBE VIDEO': NAYONG PILIPINO EX-CHIEF SAYS FOLLOW THE LAW ON MEGA JAB FACILITY
MANILA - The Nayong Pilipino Foundation is not opposed to building a mega COVID-19 vaccination facility on the park's property, its former executive director said Tuesday, but noted several concerns about the proposal.
The ICTSI Foundation, which is the corporate social responsibility arm of billionaire Enrique Razon Jr's global port operating firm, earlier offered to build the vaccination facility at no cost.
Atty. Lucille Karen Malilong-Isberto, who resigned last week following the issue, said the state-run park operator required strict compliance with all laws before constructing such facility on reclaimed government land.
"Actually, we gave our approval for the use of the land as a vaccination facility on April 8. What we ask is that we follow all the legal processes for use of the land under an emergency," she told ANC.
Malilong-Isberto noted that the law requires "that the use of public land should be public, which means it should be a government agency running it."
"In this case, we were waiting for DOH (Department of Health). It would be illegal for Nayong Pilipino to give the land for free use to ICTSI Foundation on the basis of a mere letter and a YouTube video," she said.
"So, what we want is for the law to be followed, which means that the memorandum of agreement should be with the proper government agency and should be clear as to what exactly will be done in Nayong Pilipino," she added.
FIBER SUPERIOR TO DSL, WIRELESS SAYS CONVERGE CEO AS FIRM EXPANDS NETWORK
MANILA – Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions CEO Dennis Anthony Uy on Tuesday said it was using a technology capable of delivering the “fastest speed” after the heads of Globe Telecom and PLDT Inc exchanged views on internet speed.
Converge uses fiber optic technology to deliver high-speed broadband to its customers, Uy said in a statement. Its base plan is at 35 Mbps while others start at 5 Mbps, he said.
Uy said some providers use old DSL technology that runs on copper telephone lines which is “100 times slower than fiber optic cable.”
The internet provider is focused on home broadband, with the goal of reaching 55 percent of Filipino households by 2025.
Wireless technology is also unstable, slower and more expensive compared to fiber broadband which can deliver the “most consistent and fastest speed, without data caps,” Converge said.
As of end-April, Converge said it has reached around 370,000 kilometers in total fiber asset wth over 69,000 km in its fiber backbone and distribution network and over 300,000 km in its last mile network.
“In our case, Converge already offers a higher speed entry level plan at 35 Mbps and we’re proud to be able to reliably deliver to our subscribers a digital experience close to the maximum speeds of their subscription plans, through fiber technology,” he added.
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MANILA RESUMES FOOD AID DISTRIBUTION
MANILA — The Manila city government on Saturday resumed the distribution of food assistance to at least 700,000 families under the Food Security Program (FSP).
This marks the fourth straight month of the distribution of food boxes to help families cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Isko Moreno said around 149,000 food boxes have been distributed to 122 barangays in District 1 as of Sunday.
Each box contains three kilos of rice, 16 canned goods and eight sachets of coffee.
Personnel of the Department of Public Services, Department of Engineering and Public Works and Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau facilitated the distribution of food aid.
Moreno said city hall allocated P3 billion for the FSP.
The local government realigned the budget for road works to fund the program.
“Our priority is to provide food for each family in Manila. We want to make sure that they will not starve,” Moreno said.
Launched in February, the FSP will run until July.
14-DAY QUARANTINE FOR RESORT GUESTS’
MANILA — The hundreds who flouted strict quarantine rules to visit a popular resort in Caloocan City on Mother’s Day last Sunday should be made to undergo 14-day quarantine as they may have contracted or spread COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.
“They have to undergo quarantine for 14 days, all of them, so we can ensure that there will be no transmission among them,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters.
She called the incident at the Gubat sa Ciudad resort “saddening” as “we are doing all efforts to contain this disease.”
She said the DOH regional office for the National Capital Region had already been advised to closely monitor those who gathered at the resort over the weekend.
“We are still in MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine). Everyone knows we cannot just go anywhere we want,” she added.
133 BARANGAYS IN PASAY COVID-19 FREE
MANILA — More than one hundred barangays in Pasay City have not recorded active cases of COVID-19.
As of Sunday, 133 out of 201 barangays in Pasay were declared COVID-free.
The city health office tallied a total of 143 active COVID-19 cases from 68 villages in Pasay. Barangay 183 in Villamor registered the most number of infections with 18.
On March 25, Pasay posted 1,024 COVID-19 infections after the first cases of the South African variant of the virus were detected.
The surge prompted hospitals in the city to stop admitting COVID-19 patients.
Since March last year, Pasay has logged a total of 13,996 COVID-19 cases with 371 deaths and 13,482 recoveries.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
WATCH: WAR OF SYMBIOTES IN 'VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE'
Venom vs Carnage - who will win?
A war of the symbiotes is coming as everyone's favorite symbiote, Venom, takes on his more lethal, insane offspring, Carnage, in "Venom: Let There Be Carnage."
Tom Hardy reprises his role as investigative reporter-turned-lethal protector Eddie Brock who is trying to adjust to his new life as host of the Venom symbiote. Except there's a new symbiote in town with a murderous host, psychotic serial killer Cletus Kasady played by Woody Harrelson. Also coming along for this murderous ride is Frances Barrison a.k.a Shriek, Kasady's love interest.
Directed by Andy Serkis, the film also stars Michelle Williams, Stephen Graham and Reid Scott. The screenplay is by Kelly Marcel, story by Tom Hardy & Kelly Marcel, based on the Marvel Comics.
EXPECT AS MUCH ‘BUWISIT, GIGIL’ IN PH VERSION OF ‘DOCTOR FOSTER,’ SAYS DIRECTOR
MANILA — Viewers of “The Broken Marriage Vow,” ABS-CBN’s adaptation of the global hit “Doctor Foster,” can expect as much “buwisit” and “gigil” from watching the local version, just like the original.
“Definitely, for the fans of ‘Doctor Foster’ and ‘The World of the Married,’ they’ll still see that gripping, pang-buwisit na feeling,” the Philippine remake’s director, Connie Macatuno, said.
“‘Yung gigil, makikita pa rin nila iyon dito,” she teased, during the recent announcement event of “The Broken Marriage Vow.”
The Philippines is the sixth country to adapt “Doctor Foster” for its local audience. “The World of the Married” is South Korea’s version of the drama, which broke viewership records in the country, and also courted a loyal following among Filipino viewers.
Like the British original, “The Broken Marriage Vow” follows a married couple whose family is rocked by the husband’s affair.
The Philippine version’s cast is led by Jodi Sta. Maria as Dr. Jill Ilustre; Zanjoe Marudo as the doctor’s husband, David Ilustre; Zaijian Jaranilla as Gio Ilustre, the couple’s son; and Sue Ramirez as Lexy Lucero, David’s “other woman.”
“What’s going to be different is the way our actors will give life to these characters,” Macatuno said.
Another key difference, the director added, is the integration of Filipino elements in the story. “We’re going to localize everything, from the setting, the food, the style of life — it’s going to be Filipino,” she said.
Macatuno, whose recent film work includes “Glorious” in 2018 and “Malaya” in 2020, is hoping to make “The Broken Marriage Vow” a world-class offering.
“Gusto kong gumawa ng series na pang-international ‘yung factor,” she said.
Beyond the story of infidelity, Macatuno intends to convey the theme of women empowerment through the characters of Jill and Lexy.
“Ever since, when I make stories, I really want to focus on the stories of women, their struggles, and their triumphs,” she said. “I feel na, sana, maka-contribute ako kung paano maipakita ang isang empowered Filipina.”
SPORTS
NBA SCORES MAY 9
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Heat37-31 36 43 26 25 130
Celtics35-33 23 30 31 40 124
SCORING LEADERS
J. Butler MIA
26 PTS 8 REB 11 AST
E. Fournier BOS
30 PTS 3 REB 8 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Knicks38-30 26 30 23 27 106
Clippers45-23 29 25 20 26 100
SCORING LEADERS
D. Rose NY
25 PTS 6 REB 8 AST
K. Leonard LAC
29 PTS 4 REB 3 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Mavericks40-28 39 25 34 26 124
Cavaliers21-47 30 23 19 25 97
SCORING LEADERS
T. Hardaway Jr. DAL
25 PTS 2 REB 3 AST
C. Sexton CLE
24 PTS 3 REB 7 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Timberwolves21-47 34 40 33 21 128
Magic21-47 19 25 25 27 96
SCORING LEADERS
D. Russell MIN
27 PTS 6 REB 8 AST
R. Hampton ORL
19 PTS 5 REB 3 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Pelicans31-37 34 23 32 23 112
Hornets33-35 25 42 29 14 110
SCORING LEADERS
E. Bledsoe NO
24 PTS 4 REB 11 AST
T. Rozier CHA
43 PTS 5 REB 4 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Bulls29-39 28 29 26 25 108
Pistons20-49 18 21 29 28 96
SCORING LEADERS
Z. LaVine CHI
30 PTS 3 REB 6 AST
K. Hayes DET
21 PTS 7 REB 8 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Thunder21-48 25 26 20 27 98
Kings30-38 33 38 35 20 126
SCORING LEADERS
D. Bazley OKC
18 PTS 6 REB 2 AST
T. Davis SAC
18 PTS 4 REB 7 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Suns48-20 19 28 30 33 110
Lakers38-30 30 29 39 25 123
SCORING LEADERS
C. Payne PHO
24 PTS 1 REBA. Davis LAL
42 PTS 12 REB 5 AST
INDICATORS
FOREX $1 = P 47.86
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. - Bertrand Russell
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