CARGO VESSEL, UTILITY BOAT COLLIDE IN MANILA SOUTH HARBOR; OIL SHEEN SEEN— COAST GUARD

MANILA — A cargo vessel collided with a foreign dredging ship some 100 meters from Baseco beach in Manila early Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard said, with both ships carrying substantial amounts of fuel onboard.

The collision between MV Palawan Pearl and the Cyprus-flagged vessel BKM 104 took place just outside the South Harbor Anchorage area, past 2 a.m.

The MV Palawan Pearl, which had 3,000 liters of diesel oil, remained half-submerged as of posting time. The PCG said it had laid an oil spill boom after it observed an “oil sheen” around the ship.

The vessel also contained a drum of diesel oil, 60 liters of engine oil and 5 liters of bilge oil, the PCG said, quoting one of the ship’s crew members Rexchel Fabrigas.

The BKM 104 was contracted to conduct dredging and other land development activities for the New Manila Airport.

No crew members of the two vessels were hurt in the incident.

The PCG said it has deployed BRP Panglao to closely monitor and assist MV Palawan Pearl.

US DELIVERS P48.5M IN WEAPONS TO AFP

MANILA — The US on Thursday turned over weapons worth P48.5 million to the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Clark Air Base.

The delivery was funded by US grant assistance and is intended to enhance the AFP’s counterterrorism capabilities and readiness, the US Embassy in Manila said in a statement.

Weapons turned over by officials of the Joint United States Military Assistance Group - Philippines include 14 M2A1 .50-caliber heavy machine guns, seven M240B machine guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

“As the United States and Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations today, we welcome this key equipment transfer, which will support the continued readiness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Col. Stephen Ma, JUSMAG-P chief and senior defense official to the Philippines, is quoted as saying.

ANOTHER PHREATOMAGMATIC ‘BURST’ RECORDED IN TAAL VOLCANO

MANILA — Another phreatomagmatic burst was recorded at Taal Volcano in Batangas Thursday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

Phivolcs said a phreatomagmatic burst occurred at the volcano’s main crater at 6:47 a.m., which generated a 200-meter grayish plume. The activity happens when magma and water interact explosively.

On Wednesday alone, state volcanologists observed six small phreatomagmatic events.

A phreatomagmatic eruption on July 1 prompted authorities to place Taal Volcano on heightened alert.

The Taal Volcano Network recorded 60 volcanic earthquakes, including five-explosion-type quakes, 24 low frequency volcanic earthquakes, 21 volcanic tremor events, 10 hybrid earthquakes, and low-level background terror.

Phivolcs said the sulfur dioxide emission averaged 11,397 tons per day on Wednesday.

Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest) remains over Taal Volcano, which means its activities could lead to an “explosive eruption.”

“Communities around the Taal Lake shores are advised to remain vigilant, take precautionary measures against possible airborne ash and vog, and calmly prepare for possible evacuation should unrest intensify,” Phivolcs said.

Thousands of residents living within danger zones in Batangas remain in temporary shelters.

DUTERTE MULLING ANOTHER BRAND FOR 2ND DOSE AFTER SINOPHARM?

MANILA — President Duterte has expressed concern over the possible adverse effects of getting inoculated with a second dose of a brand different from the first.

Duterte got Sinopharm as his first jab.

During a late night conference on Tuesday, he asked Food and Drug Administration chief Eric Domingo if there are reports of deaths caused by mix-matching the China-made vaccine with other brands.

Domingo said nobody has died from mixing and matching vaccines based on clinical trials. “None so far. There is no such interaction,” he said.

Domingo explained that the subject of trials includes the combination of an inactivated vaccine and another formula.

The FDA chief said the preliminary studies in other countries “are very encouraging” because it resulted in high efficiency and immunity.

Domingo said there is no “toxicity” issue, which the President referred to, explaining further that the mix-and-match strategy has been effective in providing additional protection to those who got vaccinated.

AFP IDENTIFIES REMAINS OF 19 SOLDIERS IN SULU PLANE CRASH

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Wednesday said it has identified the remains of 19 military personnel who died at the C-130 plane crash in Patikul in Sulu.

AFP chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana sought to clarify that the death toll from the incident is still at 49, and that there had been a double count. Yesterday, he told reporters that the figure was at 50, after another soldier died from chemical burns.

Sobejana said identifying the remains has been difficult since many were now beyond recognition.

"But we have experts supporting our efforts," he added. "We are doing our best to expedite the identification and the ongoing investigation without compromising its credibility."

Sobejana said efforts are still on identifying 30 more remains currently in Zamboanga City and on the ongoing probe on the crash.

WORLD PASSES 4 MILLION COVID DEATHS AS ASIA BATTLES FRESH OUTBREAKS

GENEVA, Switzerland - More than four million people have now died from Covid-19, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, as many rich nations prepare to loosen restrictions even as countries in Asia battle surging infections.

Millions are facing new lockdowns across Asia and Indonesia has emerged as a global hotspot with death rates rising tenfold in a month to a record 1,040 on Wednesday.

"The world is at a perilous point in this pandemic," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, calling the four million figure an underestimate of the true toll.

Tedros castigated rich countries for hoarding vaccines and protective equipment and accused them of acting "as though the pandemic is already over" by relaxing restrictions.

Indonesia -- a vast archipelago of 270 million -- has ordered people to work from home if possible and restricted opening hours of business across its territory.

New outbreaks have forced lockdowns in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City and Myanmar's Yangon -- home to more than 15 million people combined.

Sydney's five million residents, already two weeks into a lockdown, will be staying at home for another week after 27 new cases were detected.

Britain is facing a surge in cases, but mass vaccinations have helped to keep hospital admissions and deaths comparatively low.

More than 18 months since the virus emerged in China, the world is still struggling to move on.

Meanwhile, World Health Organization emergencies head Michael Ryan urged countries on Wednesday to use extreme caution when lifting COVID-19 restrictions so as "not to lose the gains you've made".

Ryan's comments come as England, hosting Europe's soccer championships, prepares to end many COVID-19 restrictions on July 19, European countries ease travel curbs and Indian states relax their lockdowns, despite accelerating infections with the Delta variant worldwide.

BISHOP CRITICAL OF DUTERTE DRUG WAR IS NEW CBCP PRESIDENT

A Catholic bishop who once received death threats for speaking out against the Duterte administration's war on drugs has been elected president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, 62, has been serving as conference vice president since December 2017, working alongside Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, the outgoing president.

He was elected president of the CBCP Thursday, during the first of the two-day bishops’ online plenary assembly.

David earlier revealed he had received death threats after President Rodrigo Duterte repeatedly urged drug addicts and criminals to maul, kill and steal from moneyed bishops. Duterte also drew the ire of Catholics for finding fault in the creation story in the Bible and saying that Catholicism will be gone in 25 years.

Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Fernando in 1983, David is known as one of the country’s leading Bible scholars.

Meanwhile, the bishops’ leadership also elected Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig as the new vice president.

GALVEZ DENIES 'PALAKASAN' IN COVID-19 VACCINE DISTRIBUTION

MANILA - Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr on Thursday rejected the claim of Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin that there was "palakasan" or preferential treatment to certain areas in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

"We would like to contest yung sinasabi ni Sec. Garin kasi wala po talagang favoritism ang ginagawa natin. Ang ginagawa natin, pag tumawag ang LGU and they rationalized na kailangan namin ganito na vaccine na matanggap namin kasi ganito pa lang ang natatanggap namin—which is para sa amin ay very reasonable naman," he told ANC's Headstart, referring to Garin with her title from her stint as a health secretary of the previous administration.

Galvez said district representatives should not meddle in the implementation of the vaccination program as they are not part of the system in place. He said the national government courses the distribution through the community health development offices of the Department of Health and the local government units.

"Ang gusto kasi ni former Sec. Garin, sa kanya namin ibigay yung doses, which is hindi naman tama. Humihingi siya ng allocation, ang mahihirapan, maguguluhan ay yung ibang LGUs kasi hindi siya nasa lineage ng distribution. Yung accounting mahihirapan tayo, pati yung administration," he said.

Galvez also noted some politicians take pictures during the arrival of the coronavirus shots and then publish posters that make it seem as though the COVID-19 vaccines came from them.

"Nakikita kasi namin, ginagamit sa politika yung vaccines. Yun po ang dini-discourage namin. Please do not use the vaccines as political weapons," he said.

LABOR CHIEF WANTS STUDY ON SCRAPPING OF BOARD EXAMS

MANILA - Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Thursday said he was only proposing to the Professional Regulation Commission to study the scrapping of licensure exams.

Bello said the idea had come to him during a webinar with the Philippine Board of Nursing and the Philippine Nurse Association.

"Four years of studying and preparing for your profession dadaan ka rin ng napakaraming exam. 'Yung accredited school bibigyan ka ba ng diploma yan kung 'di ka dumaan sa masusing pagsusuri," he told ANC's Headstart.

"The plight of these nurses, they come from middle income group, 'di naman ito mga mayayaman na (they're not wealthy that) they can afford to take another exam."

The labor chief said the same goes for lawyers, engineers and other professionals.

"Sa’kin (For me), I’d rather trust the product of an 8-year course than 1 day of examination," he said.

"I'm not proposing to scrap, I'm proposing especially to the, to Philippine Nurses Association and Board of Nursing to study and that applies to others, Board of Engineering. Pagaralan nilang mabuti (Just look into this carefully)," he added.

MIRIAM SANTIAGO’S PARTY JOINS HUGPONG COALITION, BACKS SARA FOR PRESIDENT

MANILA — The People’s Reform Party (PRP) of the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has joined the multi-party coalition led by the Hugpong Ng Pagbabago (HNP) of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

PRP president Narciso “Jun” Santiago Jr., husband of the late senator, said their party is also committing support for the possible presidential bid of Mayor Duterte.

“The People's Reform Party will give its full support to the presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio if she decides to run for president in the 2022 national elections,” he announced in a press conference in a hotel in Mandaluyong City.

“We in the People's Reform Party believe that Mayor Sara Duterte can continue the advocacies and principles of former Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago,”

Santiago recalled that the PRP also forged an alliance with HNP during the 2019 midterm elections, which would be renewed for next year’s polls.

“The PRP and the HNP share many things in common. The programs of government of both parties focus on reforms, discipline, leadership, and fighting corruptions in government,” he pointed out.

PHILIPPINE POPULATION HITS 109 MILLION

MANILA — The Philippine population has reached 109 million based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing gathered by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Malacañang said in a proclamation yesterday.

President Duterte signed Proclamation No. 1179, which pegged the total number of Filipinos at 109,035,343 based on the census conducted in September 2020, with May 2020 as reference date.

Batasan Pambansa Bilang 72 (s. 1990) provides that an integrated national census of population and other related data shall be taken every 10 years beginning in 1980, with the first day of May of every regular census year as reference date.

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K-12 REVIEW TO STREAMLINE CURRICULUM, SAYS DEPED

MANILA — The results of a review on the basic education curriculum in the country have been submitted to Education Secretary Leonor Briones, according to a Department of Education (DepEd) official.

Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan did not provide details on the results of the review, but said it validated concerns on the congestion of the curriculum.

“This will result in the streamlining of the curriculum. There were certain prerequisites and subsequent (learning competencies) that are missing in this curriculum and things like that,” Malaluan said in an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News/TV 5 on Tuesday.

He said the curriculum review was one of the programs initiated by the department to address issues on the quality of education in the country.

NAVOTAS GOV'T RESTRICTS ENTRY OF TRAVELERS

MANILA — The Navotas City local government disclosed it has imposed restrictions for incoming travelers from areas outside the so-called NCR Plus bubble.

This comes after the government's coronavirus task force said that a COVID-19 domestic vaccination card or a certificate of quarantine completion would count as alternatives to a testing requirement for interzonal travel.

The restriction applies to essential and non-essential travels of individuals coming from places outside Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite and Laguna, the city government said in a statement.

Visitors will need to register at s-pass.ph and submit documents including health declaration or medical certificates from the health office of their place of origin indicating that the travelers are not COVID patients nor suspected or probable cases.

They also need to submit a negative RT-PCR swab test result, a barangay certificate stating that they are not required to undergo quarantine or have already completed it, and the full address of their destination in Navotas.

“The travel restriction is a precautionary measure to ensure that we will not suffer again another surge of COVID cases. We saw an influx of cases and high transmission rates in places outside of NCR Plus. We need to implement additional safeguards to keep our people safe,” Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco said in a statement.

“While our cases remain low, they are steadily increasing that is why we need to be extra careful and proactive in our fight against this deadly and ever-changing virus,” he added.

S-PaSS is an online travel management system developed by the Department of Science and Technology to be an online platform for local government units, monitoring agencies and travelers.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay in a separate statement said, "We are developing a system for fully vaccinated residents scheduled to leave the country. They can download forms from our COVID-19 vaccination website certifying that they have completed their two vaccine shots.”

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

PIOLO, ALESSANDRA AS BEST FRIENDS IN 'MY AMANDA' TRAILER

MANILA – Netflix has finally dropped the official poster and trailer for the upcoming movie “My Amanda.”

Starring Piolo Pascual and Alessandra De Rossi, the film follows the story of two unusually close friends, TJ and Amanda, who share every aspect of their lives together, with their bond the only thing remaining constant through time.

The trailer gives fans a glimpse of their relationship as best friends, and how it plays out with the ones that they have with other people.

It ends showing two hands intertwined pointing to the stars.

“My Amanda” marks the directorial debut of De Rossi, while Pascual co-produced.

De Rossi described the film as a “gift” for Pascual, whom she credited for “turning my life around” when he produced her indie blockbuster “Kita Kita.”

Through this movie, Pascual previously said he is looking forward to sharing with viewers “the feeling of being on the same journey with someone, [and] finding out what profound companionship can offer to the other.”

“My Amanda” was originally planned for release in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed that schedule.

It is now set for a global premiere on July 15 via Netflix.

SPORTS

TOKYO TO HOST OLYMPICS UNDER COVID-19 STATE OF EMERGENCY

The Japanese government plans to declare another COVID-19 state of emergency in Tokyo until August 22, a period covering the duration of the Olympics, to combat a recent surge in infections, sources with knowledge of the plan said Wednesday.

The decision is certain to affect an impending decision by games organizers regarding how many spectators to allow in the stands, with a senior government official saying venues in the capital will likely remain empty. Some venues of the games are located outside Tokyo.

The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 920 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the most since mid-May at the peak of Japan's fourth wave of infections and topping the figure from a week earlier for the 18th straight day.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he will decide Thursday what to do regarding a quasi-state of emergency that is set to expire Sunday in 10 prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka, as well as the state of emergency in place in Okinawa.

"Infections in Tokyo are trending upward, and we will take every necessary measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus," he told reporters after meeting with members of his Cabinet including health minister Norihisa Tamura and Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the COVID-19 response.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike called the situation in the capital "extremely severe" and vowed to take steps to ensure the games are held safely.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action. - James Russell Lowell