PHILIPPINES RECEIVES 1M MORE SINOVAC VACCINE DOSES

MANILA — The Philippines received a shipment of one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech on Wednesday as supplies dwindle in the country.

The arrival of the shipment comes as several local governments suspend the second dose vaccination of Sinovac recipients as supplies from the national government run out.

The Chinese pharmaceutical firm has so far shipped 13 million CoronaVac doses to the country since February. Of the total, 11.1 million doses were purchases by the national government, one million doses were donated by Beijing, and 900,000 doses were procured by local government units and the private sector.

Additional 1.5 million Sinovac vaccine doses are expected to arrive on July 17.

DUTERTE ACCEPTS APOLOGY FROM WORLD BANK

MANILA — President Duterte has accepted the apology of the World Bank (WB) over reports indicating the poor performance of Filipino students.

“I would not want to begrudge the World Bank. International bodies working on the problems of the world should be very careful in their statistics. It is not good to commit a wrong internationally. But we welcome their apology,” Duterte said during his weekly public address on Monday night.

The World Bank earlier reported that 80 percent of Filipino children do not have the essential math and reading skills that they should have based on their academic level.

“The World Bank said they deeply regret the report, which was inadvertently published even before the Department of Education (DepEd) could have the chance to provide inputs,” Duterte said.

He said the DepEd is focusing on a new set of data that would be presented to the financial institution so it can amend its statistics and data inputs.

Duterte commended Education Sec. Leonor Briones for handling the DepEd portfolio properly during the present administration.

ROBREDO URGES GOV'T TO 'SHOW A LITTLE COURAGE' AS CHINA DUBS PH ARBITRAL WIN 'WASTE PAPER'

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday called on President Rodrigo Duterte's administration to "show a little courage" against Beijing, after it said Manila's arbitral triumph against China's sweeping claims to Philippine waters was nothing but a piece of "waste paper."

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian, on the fifth anniversary of the ruling on Monday, said that the arbitration award was "illegal, null and void."

"It is nothing more than a piece of waste paper," he said at a press briefing, quoted by multiple news reports.

It echoed the sentiment of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has pursued friendly ties with China and shelved the ruling in pursuit of investment and infrastructure funding from Beijing.

In May, the President said the arbitral ruling was a piece of "paper" that could be thrown into the wastebasket.

Robredo said she was not surprised with the remark from the Chinese official, though " the tone is unnecessary and unfortunate."

"The message is actually expected kasi ganoon naman ‘di ba (because that is the way it is, isn't it)? After all, governments are expected to assert their nations’ interests, even if sometimes they have to bend logic in the process," she said in a video message.

"Pero ‘yong sa ‘kin kasi, personal, sana all. Sana ‘yong gobyerno natin willling din na magpakita ng kaunting tapang regarding the issue kasi talagang habang umaatras tayo, lalo lang tayong didiinan. ‘Pag interest na ng sariling bansa natin, dapat pumalag tayo," the Vice President continued.

COMELEC TO BAN HANDSHAKING, KISSING, PDA DURING CAMPAIGN

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will ban handshaking, kissing and other gestures with physical contact during the campaign for the May 2022 general elections.

According to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, the poll body will prohibit what it called “public displays of affection” or PDAs by candidates, as traditionally practiced during the campaign.

During yesterday’s hearing of the House committee on people’s participation on the Comelec’s preparations for the national polls amid the pandemic, Jimenez said PDAs would be strictly regulated and covered by guidelines.

“PDAs used to be part of the whole idea of campaigning. Politicians go out to shake hands and kiss babies. They are not gonna be able to do that anymore because that will certainly be very risky amid the pandemic,” Jimenez told the panel chaired by San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan Rep. Rida Robes.

Apart from PDAs, which will be defined and enumerated in the guidelines, Jimenez said distribution of food during campaign events would also not be allowed.

The Comelec will allow mass gatherings for campaign activities.

“Mass gatherings cannot be banned outright. However, as I said earlier, we can restrict them. Aside from restrictions on attendance and venue capacities, the granting of permits will be limited,” he said.

OCTA DISCOURAGES GETTING THIRD DOSE OF COVID-19 JABS

MANILA — The OCTA Research Group is discouraging the public from getting a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines, citing the lack of clinical trial data supporting its safety and efficacy.

“We have no data about the effects of a third dose. No one has any data on what will happen if you give a third dose. There is no controlled experiment. If you receive a third dose close to the second dose, is there going to be a side effect? We don’t know,” OCTA fellow and molecular biologist Fr. Nicanor Austriaco said in an interview on “The Chiefs” on One News.

On Monday, San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora admitted receiving four doses of vaccines: two shots of Sinopharm last December and another two of Pfizer last month.

“He’s doing an experiment on himself. We have to discourage this kind of behavior. There are Filipinos who are tempted to do this and we have to be very clear that there is no data to support any of this behavior,” Austriaco explained.

PHILIPPINES, US COMPLETE P1.1-BILLION PROGRAM TO FIGHT EMERGING AGRI DISEASES

MANILA - The Philippines and United States have recently completed a 5-year project that aims to strengthens Manila's capacity to detect and fight emerging agricultural diseases.

Agriculture Undersecretary William Medrano said part of the P1.1-billion project was the establishment and enhancement of 7 animal disease diagnostic laboratories across the country.

"These laboratories were really equipped with sophisticated or state-of-the-art equipment for disease detection, diagnosis and testing so that they will be able to do an early detection and testing of all animal diseases, especially with the African swine fever now that is really present in the country," he told ANC's "Rundown."

The US Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Philippine Department of Agriculture collaborated for the project.

“We are proud of the work this partnership has achieved since 2016 to strengthen the Philippines’ capacity and capability to detect, diagnose, and report dangerous pathogens,” Dr. Ada Bacetty, DTRA’s Biological Threat Reduction Program chief, said in a statement.

“Now that the Philippine government is operating these labs at full capacity, we look forward to the next opportunity to work with our critical Philippine friends, partners, and allies.”

DND, DFA CHIEFS REFUTE REPORT ABOUT ALLEGED HUMAN WASTE DUMPING IN WPS

MANILA - The Philippines' defense and foreign affairs chiefs refuted Tuesday the reported dumping of human waste in the West Philippine Sea.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the report is "not true", while Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. branded it as "fake".

Simularity, a geospatial intelligence firm, earlier reported that raw sewage from hundreds of ships were being dumped on reefs in the Spratly Islands, leading to concentration of unwanted and harmful algae in the maritime area.

It said wastewater is being disposed of in the Spratly and Paracel Islands, based on satellite images taken by the European Space Agency.In an official statement, Lorenzana said the Department of National Defense is "confirming and verifying these wastes being dumped in the WPS."

"I have directed the Western Command who has jurisdiction over the WPS to verify and investigate," he said.

"Absent any confirmation of the Simularity report", he told reporters, "the reported dumping of waste in the (West Philippine Sea) is not true."

He noted that his department has "not received any report of waste dumping in the past."

But he pointed out that "the photo of a ship seen dumping waste accompanying the report was found to have been taken in the Australian Great Barrier Reef in 2014."

"Therefore, this intent to mislead has cast great doubt on the (accuracy) of the Simularity Report," Lorenzana said.

"We also question the conclusion reached by Simularity from just looking at satellite photos," he added.

Simularity later clarified that they only used the photo to provide context.

TOURISM PUSHES FOR CHEAPER RT-PCR COVID TESTS TO ENCOURAGE TRAVEL

MANILA - Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat on Wednesday said she would be asking the national government to decrease the price of RT-PCR tests, saying the current price of the COVID-19 test remained hefty.

The RT-PCR test, considered as the "gold standard" in COVID-19 testing, is priced around P3,500 in most laboratories in the Philippines, but the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) charges P1,800 while the the Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC) collects P1,500 for each swab.

"We still find P3,500 quite expensive... Natataasan ako (I still find it expensive) especially if you're a family of 5," Romulo-Puyat told ANC's Headstart.

"I will again bring this up with the IATF (Inter-Agency task Force) na kung puwede babaan pa kasi ang (that if possible, the standard cost can still be reduced because if) PGH nga can charge P1,800, and PCMC can charge P1,500, why can't others do the same?" she said.

A negative RT-PCR test result is needed for travel to several destinations in the Philippines.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has been subsidizing RT-PCR tests at the PCMC so that tourists who need to undergo the test would only pay P750.

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PH LOGS 3,604 NEW COVID-19 CASES, LOWEST SINCE MAY 23 THIS YEAR

MANILA - The Philippines on Tuesday registered 3,604 more COVID-19 cases, as the capital region recorded a spike in infections in the past 2 weeks, based on the health department's monitoring.

It is the lowest daily number of new infections since May 23 this year when DOH logged 3,079 cases, the ABS-CBN Data Analytics, and Investigative and Research Group said.

The country's total recorded COVID-19 cases stood at 1,481,660, of which 46,934 or 3.2 percent are active, the Department of Health (DOH) said in its latest bulletin.

CEBU PACIFIC TO COMPLY WITH TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS FOR LOCAL DESTINATIONS

MANILA - Cebu Pacific on Wednesday said it would comply with health protocols set by local governments for the air travel of fully-vaccinated passengers.

Negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test results even for fully vaccinated travelers may need to be presented "should it be required" by the LGU, the airline said in a statement.

Cebu Pacific said the following provinces are accepting vaccination card as a travel requirement:

• Cauayan City, Isabela

• Cotabato

• Dumaguete

• Negros Occidental (except Bacolod City)

• Virac

Dumaguete requires fully-vaccinated travelers to present vaccination cards along with antigen tests and approved S-pass from the local destination, the carrier said.

The S-pass is a new government system meant to manage travel workers and overseas Filipinos.

For Virac, passengers need to upload their vaccination card on their S-pass account 3 days before the scheduled trip to secure an approved travel coordination permit. The permit and vaccination card are needed at check-in, the airline said.

"Travelers are strongly urged to always check with the LGU of their destination for the latest updates," Cebu Pacific said.

A passenger is considered fully-vaccinated at least 14 days after receiving the second dose in a two-dose vaccine or at least 14 days after having a single-dose jab vaccine.

DIOCESE OPPOSES DUMAGUETE RECLAMATION PROJECT

MANILA — A Catholic diocese expressed its opposition to a planned 174-hectare reclamation project in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental as it called for transparency and consultation with communities.

The city government of Dumaguete and developer E.M. Cuerpo Inc. aim to build a P23-billion “smart city” on a reclaimed land, which is seen to negatively impact communities and coastal ecosystems in the area.

In an open letter, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dumaguete massive project “must also consider the scientific and environmental implications, not to mention its impacts on the cultural and moral life of the people in the local community.”

It said the technical processes involved in the study “have been found wanting in as far environmental and public interests are concerned.”

“We hope that an open public forum be organized concerning this issue so that more concerned people and institutions could take part in this discussion in order to promote transparency and dialogue,” the open letter read.

The diocese joined the list of scientists, environmentalists and organizations opposing the project.

BAYAN NG KANANGA SA LEYTE, TINAMAAN NG AFRICAN SWINE FEVER

KANANGA - Nagpositibo sa African swine fever ang ilang baboy sa bayan na ito sa Leyte, dahilan para magdeklara ng 2-week pork holiday ang lokal na pamahalaan nitong Miyerkoles.

Dahil din dito, nagpalabas na ng executive order si Kananga Mayor Vicente Torres na ipinag-uutos ang pagpatay sa mga baboy na pasok sa 500 meter radius mula sa Sitio Sagkahan Barangay Poblacion, kung saan naroroon ang mga apektadong baboy.

Idineklara rin ang pork holiday, kung saan ipinagbabawal muna ang pagbenta ng baboy sa bayan mula July 14 hanggang July 28, 2021.

Ito'y upang hindi na kumalat pa ang ASF sa mga baboy doon.

Sa ilalim ng pork holiday, bawal pansamantala ang pagkatay o pagbenta ng mga baboy sa meat stalls ng lungsod.

Bawal din ang pagbebenta o distribusyon ng frozen, raw, at lutong pork chorizo at longganisa.

Maaari lamang makapagbenta at makapag-distribute ng mga frozen pork products kung makakapagprisenta sila ng mga dokumento tulad ng COMI at MIC na nagpapatunay na sa labas ng bayan galing ang mga ito.

Bawal din ang inter-barangay na movement ng mga baboy.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

BELA PADILLA DENIES ZANJOE BECAME HER BOYFRIEND IN KIM CHIU'S NEW VLOG

MANILA – Kim Chiu put up a surprise vlog content for Bela Padilla which she uploaded on her YouTube channel on Sunday after the latter left for Europe to spend time with her boyfriend Norman Bay.

Titled “Who knows Bela better,” the entry featured Chiu and Dani Barretto competing as to who knows more things about Padilla.

While they were only asked “easy” questions such as what food is Padilla allergic to, or what animal is she scared of, it also included some personal questions about the actress’ love life.

At one point, Chiu and Barretto were asked who was Padilla’s first boyfriend which both of them were able to answer correctly by naming actor Jason Abalos.

It got a bit interesting when they were asked who was Padilla’s boyfriend before Bay.

Seemingly sure of their knowledge, both Chiu and Barretto answered that it was Zanjoe Marudo.

Surprised by her friends’ answer, Padilla quickly corrected them and said: “Hindi ko siya naging boyfriend.”

Marudo, who was once linked to Padilla, is one of her leading men in the upcoming movie “366,” which she herself also directed.

Aside from Marudo and Padilla, “366” also stars JC Santos.

In a recent interview with ABS-CBN News, Padilla talked about her vision as a filmmaker that led her to write and direct “366.”

“It’s the story of people who were and weren’t given the chance to have an extra day to stop, to live, to cry, to laugh, to forget and to love. We follow their journeys, their joy and their grief," said Padilla, who wrote the material before the pandemic.

“I had no idea how the world was going to change. Now, having gone through a global pandemic and shooting amidst it, everyday has become so important. Time spent with people has become essential. '366' feels like a wake-up call to me now, to really live well and to make everyday a little more than what it normally should have been!”

The release date of the movie has yet to be announced.

SPORTS

IOC CHIEF PRAISES 'BEST-PREPARED TOKYO' AS OLYMPIC VILLAGE OPENS

TOKYO, Japan -- Olympics chief Thomas Bach praised Tokyo on Tuesday as the "best-ever prepared" host city, as athletes began entering the Olympic Village 10 days before the opening ceremony.

The final countdown to the Games comes with Tokyo under a coronavirus state of emergency and spectators banned from attending all Olympic events in the city and surrounding regions.

International Olympic Committee President Bach, who arrived in Japan last week and spent three days in quarantine, told Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto that organizers were "doing a fantastic job".

"You have managed to make Tokyo the best-ever prepared city for an Olympic Games," he said.

"This is even more remarkable under the difficult circumstances we all have to face."

The pair met as the first athletes began entering the Olympic Village, which opened Tuesday without any of the welcome ceremonies or media opportunities often seen at the Games.

Organizers declined to even specify which teams were entering or how many athletes were now in the Village.

Strict coronavirus rules mean athletes can only enter the Village five days before their events and must leave within 48 hours of winning or being eliminated.

Despite the low-key opening, Bach said organizers could "be confident that the stage is set".

Aside from the spectator ban in Tokyo and surrounding regions, the public will also be kept out of almost all venues elsewhere in Japan.

Athletes, media and officials are subject to regular virus testing and limits on their movement.

Polls have regularly found most Japanese would prefer the Olympics to be postponed further or cancelled outright, though opposition has softened in recent weeks.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Our language has wisely sensed the two sides of being alone. It has created the word, loneliness to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word, solitude to express the glory of being alone. - Paul Tillich