'START WITH THE WILLING': AMID VACCINE HESITANCY, GOV'T URGED TO OPEN COVID VACCINATION TO ALL

MANILA - A lawmaker on Tuesday urged government to allow the general public to get inoculated as vaccine hesitancy remains high among members of priority groups.

The Philippines is set to receive 21 million COVID-19 vaccines next month which would be "more than enough" to inoculate 8 million Metro Manila residents who are willing to get the jab, according to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

The senator cited a recent Social Weather Stations survey that found only 32 percent of the capital region's 26 million population were willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

"The rest of the public want to get their vaccines already. We have to start with the willing because they’re rearing to go," he told ANC's Headstart.

Gatchalian also welcomed proposals to allocate vaccine brands to certain groups such as Pfizer for students, AstraZeneca for the elderly, and Sinovac for military and police.

"I still believe that we allow first the adults because the adults are susceptible and when we vaccinate them they can go back to work. Then after the adults we can now go into the teenagers," he said.

Asked about the resumption of face-to-face classes, he said: "We are seeing surges around the country so my analysis here is let the school year end. Hopefully, come August, September we’ll have a better situation, we'll have more vaccinated."

DUTERTE PARIN MOVEMENT LAUNCHED IN MANILA

MANILA — “Six more years” – this is the collective cry of the Duterte Parin Movement as they push for the election of Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, who is believed to effectively continue and further innovate on the legacy of her father, President Duterte, in the upcoming 2022 national elections.

“Duterte is not just a name but a brand of good governance,” said secretary general Juniño Padilla in reference to the humble but strict governance that has been implemented by the Dutertes in the city of Davao, which is now felt throughout the country.

According to Padilla, the Duterte brand is the “gold standard” of governance which brings forth effective policies that endured and triumphed through different crises such as the Taal Volcano eruption, COVID-19 pandemic and the escalating tension in the West Philippine Sea.

The movement believes that it is their inter-generational responsibility to find a balance between change and continuity, noting that President Duterte won the 2016 elections on a platform of change.

Despite what critics say, it is undeniable that the present administration bringing the Duterte brand of governance has made a big impact in the Philippines and that six more years of another Duterte is needed to continue his legacy.

UK'S LARGEST WARSHIP TO SAIL THROUGH PHILIPPINE SEA, SOUTH CHINA SEA

MANILA — The United Kingdom's RoyalNavy will deploy one of its largest aircraft carrier for a 28-week world tour, including the Philippine and the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea.

The Queen herself went onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth to bid farewell to 1,700 UK navy, air force and marines personnel, as well as 250 US marines prior to its world tour.

"The aircraft carrier will cover 26,000 nautical miles in 28 weeks, from the Mediterranean to the Philippine Sea," the Royal Family tweeted on May 22.

This will be the maiden voyage of HMS Queen Elizabeth, one of the two largest warships ever built by the UK Royal Navy.

According to a report from BBC, the aircraft carrier will also sail through the South China Sea, where China claims indisputable sovereignty despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its expansive maritime claims.

British defense secretary Ben Wallace, however, said the UK is not looking for a confrontation in the area, BBC reported.

FISHING BOAT CAPSIZES OFF WEST PHILIPPINE SEA; 31 RESCUED

MANILA — Thirty-one fishermen have been rescued after their boat capsized in the waters off the Nares Bank in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Philippine Navy confirmed yesterday.

“All those aboard the FB Pauline 2 are in good condition and will be brought to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro,” Commodore Donn Anthony Miraflor, chief of the Naval Forces West said.

A request for assistance made by another fishing boat, Española, was received on Sunday by the Navy’s central operation center.

“It so happened that our vessel, BRP Emilio Jacinto, was in Northern Palawan. We dispatched Jacinto to rescue the fishermen,” Miraflor said.

1,600 HOUSE EMPLOYEES INOCULATED

MANILA — At least 1,600 employees of the House of Representatives have been vaccinated against COVID-19 since its inoculation program started on May 11, a senior administration lawmaker said yesterday.

“Our target is 25,000 from the rank-and-file employees, including their families,” Bataan Rep. Jose Enrique Garcia III, who heads the House’s “CongVax” program, told radio station dzBB.

Those who have received COVID-19 vaccines were in the A2 and A3 priority categories, which include the elderly and people with comorbidities.

Garcia said the House leadership procured around P50 million worth of Novavax vaccine doses imported from India for the inoculation of House members and their dependents.

The next batch of vaccines they ordered is expected to be delivered in July, he added.

SENATE PANEL TO PROBE SHELL'S MALAMPAYA SALE TO UDENNA

MANILA - The Senate Committee on Energy will look into the Royal Dutch Shell's sale of its stake in the Malampaya natural gas field off the Philippines to Udenna Corporation, its chairman said Tuesday.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, in a previous hearing, said the Dennis Uy-led firm had no known technical expertise to operate the multibillion dollar deep water gas-to-power project.

"We will definitely call on the DOE. In the first hearing we conducted, their statement was that they were still in the process of evaluation. It has to be very clear to the public what are the criteria and if the new company is competent based on that list," he told ANC's Headstart Tuesday.

"Government needs to assure the public that the next operator is competent and financially strong...Government through the DOE needs to evaluate if the transaction is legally, financially, and technically complaint."

Shell earlier said a subsidiary of the oil and shipping firm Udenna Corp. will pay $380 million for its 45 percent operating interest in the gas field, plus up to $80 million between 2022 and 2024 "contingent on asset performance and commodity prices."

The transaction brings Udenna's total shares in Malampaya to 90 percent, having earlier bought out the 45 percent stake of US oil giant Chevron in 2019.

PHILIPPINES TO LAUNCH P100-M STUDY ON EFFECTS OF COVID-19 VACCINES ON FILIPINOS

MANILA— The Philippines is set to undertake a P100-million study on the effects of COVID-19 vaccines on Filipinos, an official from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Tuesday.

The research seeks to answer questions on the vaccines' effects as determined by ethnicity and how long their efficacy would last on Filipinos, DOST Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said in an online press conference.

"Habang nag va-vaccinate 'yung Department of Health (DOH), pipili tayo ng participants doon na susundan natin 'yung nangyayari sa kanila after the vaccination after a year or so," she said.

"We expect that every quarter there will be milestones. Every quarter puwede kaming magreport (We can release reports every quarter)," she said.

The study is expected to begin in June with 1,000 participants, but the number may change depending on the research design that would be approved.

DOT BACKS SHORTER QUARANTINE FOR FULLY VACCINATED OFWS, BALIKBAYANS

MANILA - The Department of Tourism will meet with agencies on its proposal to shorten the quarantine period of returning Filipinos who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Tuesday.

Overseas Filipino workers and balikbayans are currently required to stay in quarantine facilities for 10 days where they will be swabbed on the 7th day from arrival. They are also required to observe 4 more days of home quarantine.

The DOT has proposed to the inter-agency task force to shorten this for fully vaccinated travelers, said Puyat. She noted that in Thailand, quarantine for this group is limited to only 7 days.

"We’re still proposing that, at least shorter quarantine days to encourage them to come home," she told ANC's Headstart.

"We’re meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, with Department of Health, Department of Foreign Affairs, and other government agencies, including the health experts, because we now have more and more studies about fully vaccinated individuals," she said.

COVID SCIENCE: DENTURES MAY HARBOR MORE BACTERIA DURING COVID-19

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Months after recovery from mild COVID-19, when antibody levels in the blood have declined, immune cells in bone marrow remain ready to pump out new antibodies against the coronavirus, researchers reported on Monday in Nature.

Upon infection, short-lived immune cells are generated quickly to secrete an early wave of protective antibodies.

As the immune cells die out, antibody levels decline. But a pool of these immune cells, called long-lived plasma cells, is held in reserve after infection.

Most of them migrate to the bone marrow, explained coauthor Ali Ellebedy of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. His team obtained bone marrow samples from 19 patients seven months after the onset of mild COVID-19.

Fifteen had long-lived plasma cells secreting antibodies against the coronavirus. Five of the 15 had second bone marrow biopsies 11 months after symptom onset and all still had long-lived plasma cells secreting antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

Ellebedy, in a statement, noted that these cells are "just sitting in the bone marrow and secreting antibodies. They have been doing that ever since the infection resolved, and they will continue doing that indefinitely... These cells will live and produce antibodies for the rest of people's lives."

It is not clear yet whether the same results would be seen in survivors of moderate to severe COVID-19, the authors said.

THE REST

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PHILIPPINES POSTS 4,973 NEW COVID-19 CASES

MANILA - The Philippines' total COVID-19 cases increased by 4,973 to 1,184,706 on Monday, data from the health department showed.

Active cases stood at 48,917, or 4.1 percent of the cumulative total. It is the lowest in five days, or since May 19 when 48,505 active cases were registered, according to the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group.

The number of active cases reported in previous days has been adjusted for duplicates, noted the group.

Of those still battling the disease, 95 percent are mild cases and asymptomatic, 1.6 percent are in critical condition, 2.1 percent are severe, and 1.4 percent are moderate.

The death toll, meanwhile, climbed by 39 to 19,983, and the total recoveries by 6,666 to 1,115,806.

The number of additional recoveries is the lowest in 3 days, while the number of new deaths is the highest in 2 days, said the ABS-CBN IRG.

QUEZON CITY GOV'T, BPO GROUPS SIGN DEAL TO 'EXPEDITE' INOCULATION OF 67K EMPLOYEES

MANILA - Several Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) groups have signed a deal with the local government of Quezon City for the vaccination of over 67,000 workers who report in the area, an industry group said Tuesday.

The QC LGU, as well as the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP) and the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding for the program.

In a statement, IBPAP said the local government would "facilitate and expedite" the inoculation of IT-BPM employees who report to offices in Quezon City. Workers have the option to assist in the administration of the vaccine, it added.

The program is in line with the sector's vaccine procurement efforts, it said. Many BPO firms have also announced they would inoculate their employees for free.

Some 29 firms have signed up under the program. The first batch was inoculated at the Araneta Mega Vaccination Center, the IBPAP said.

VISITORS FLOCK TO CENTRAL LUZON TOURIST SITES, SENT HOME

MALOLOS — Visitors at eco-tourism sites in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija were sent home by police and local officials on Sunday in compliance with the minimum health protocol set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

More than 3,000 visitors flocked to the Bakas River in Barangay Matictic in Norzagaray, Bulacan as well as at the Minalungao National Park in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija for a weekend outing, according to Col. Lawrence Cajipe, Bulacan police chief.

Some visitors reportedly did not observe minimum health protocols like social distancing as they were taking a dip in the river or chatting along the riverbanks.

Police and personnel of the Bulacan 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company were dispatched to the area to help local officials persuade the visitors to go home.

Seventy-five people caught violating the health protocol were issued provincial citation tickets.

The rest heeded the advice of the local officials and went home immediately.

RAINY SEASON ALMOST HERE – PAGASA

MANILA — The rainy season associated with the southwest monsoon is likely to start between the last week of May and mid-June, the state weather bureau said yesterday.?

Ezra Bulquerin, weather forecaster at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), told Teleradyo there are two criteria in officially declaring the start of the rainy season – the recording of 25 millimeters or more of rainfall for three consecutive days in at least seven out of its 14 stations and the prevalence of the southwest monsoon.

The declaration of the rainy season applies to areas under Type 1 Climate with distinct dry and wet seasons.

These include Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Mindoro, Palawan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales and Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, Bulquerin said no weather disturbance is expected to affect the country in the next three to five days.

He said the country will continue to experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers due to the easterlies or warm air from the Pacific and thunderstorms.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

SHARON CUNETA WANTS TO SETTLE IN LA BUT FRANCIS PANGILINAN WON'T LEAVE PHILIPPINES

MANILA — Kapamilya actress Sharon Cuneta revealed that she wanted to settle in Los Angeles, California but her husband Sen. Francis Pangilinan will never leave the Philippines.

In her Instagram account, Sharon posted a photo of Los Angeles, saying that the place is back to normal again.

“My gosh. Being here makes it seem like Covid is a lot farther away than it ever was. I love the weather now (it’s cold), and aside from seeing people wearing masks and not being able to watch movies at cinemas, eating at restaurants tables apart, it almost feels like life is normal again...” she wrote.

The “Megastar” said she could live forever in LA but her family will stay someplace else.

“I love being 'home' here. Though I lived in Boston for a year++ and love New York, the West Coast has always felt like home to me since I was a little girl. I could live here forever,” Sharon said.

“Kiko would NEVER leave the Philippines no matter what though. I could. In a heartbeat! Sorry na lang life is short. Kakie will continue her studies in New York this year, God-willing. Miel will probably follow in a couple of years. Though these two daughters of mine are just as Nationalistic as their father. My Miguel however, wants to live here with me. KC got her green card long before I did. Patay at iba-iba kami! Ngek,” she added.

Sharon also shared that she received her first dose of Moderna vaccine.

SPORTS

NBA: JORDAN CLARKSON WINS NBA SIXTH MAN AWARD

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson won the Kia NBA Sixth Man Award, learning of the accomplishment while sitting with teammate Joe Ingles during a TNT interview.

The two carved out a spot in league history, too, marking the first one-two finish by teammates in Sixth Man voting.

Clarkson is the first player in Jazz franchise history to win the award.

Clarkson received 65 first-place votes (407 total points) from 100 sportswriters and broadcasters around the globe.

Ingles collected 34 first-place votes and 272 points, with New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose third with 77 points (one first-place vote).

To be eligible for the Kia NBA Sixth Man Award, players had to have come off the bench in more games than they started.

Clarkson established a career high in scoring (18.4 points per game) while collecting 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26.7 minutes per game over 68 games (one start).

His scoring average of 18.3 points as a reserve was the highest in the NBA.

Clarkson, whose 208 made 3-pointers ranked seventh in the NBA this season, scored 40 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 15 and 41 points against the Golden State Warriors on May 10, giving him two of the five 40-point games off the bench in Jazz history.

The Jazz trail their first-round playoff series against Memphis 1-0 with Game 2 set for Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, Utah.

NBA SCORES MAY 23

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

8 Wizards0-1    28        34        31        25        118

1 76ers1-0        27        34        38        26        125

SCORING LEADERS

B. Beal WAS

33 PTS 10 REB 6 AST

T. Harris PHI

37 PTS 6 REB 2 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

7 Lakers0-1      25        20        23        22        90

2 Suns1-0         32        21        28        18        99

SCORING LEADERS

L. James LAL

18 PTS 7 REB 10 AST

D. Booker PHO

34 PTS 7 REB 8 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

5 Hawks1-0       24        28        19        36        107

4 Knicks0-1       16        34        23        32        105

SCORING LEADERS

T. Young ATL

32 PTS 7 REB 10 AST

A. Burks NY

27 PTS 3 REB 4 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

8 Grizzlies1-0    17        32        34        29        112

1 Jazz0-1          24        19        31        35        109

SCORING LEADERS

D. Brooks MEM

31 PTS 7 REB 2 AST

B. Bogdanovic UTA

29 PTS 5 REB

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 48.06

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The superior man...does not set his mind either for or against anything, he will pursue whatever is right  - Confucius