DIALOGUE SET BETWEEN PHILHEALTH, HOSPITALS

MANILA — The chairperson of the committee on health of the House of Representatives has initiated a dialogue between the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and private hospitals, following the government’s decision to suspend payment of claims.

“We want to hold a dialogue between the PhilHealth and the hospitals. We do not want the bridge to collapse. We cannot allow this conflict to persist in the face of the worsening

pandemic in the country,” Quezon Rep. Helen Tan said over the weekend.

The PhilHealth meeting with private hospitals will be held tomorrow.

“We want to rebuild whatever trust and partnership that are left between the state health insurer and our healthcare institutions or providers,” she reiterated, as she called the meeting to clarify the circular and “provide a venue to resolve the differences.”

The virtual meeting of the Tan panel will air over FB Live of the House Facebook account at 9 a.m., which will also feature a briefing by the Department of Health and PhilHealth on the latest updates regarding the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act.

The dialogue will be in relation to Circular 2021-0013, issued by the state health insurer, on the guidelines for Temporary Suspension of Payment of Claims (TSPC), to strengthen its measures in ensuring the rational use of funds by detecting potential fraud or reimbursement abuse through dubious claims.

DOH USES P311M IN SAVINGS TO PAY SPECIAL RISK ALLOWANCE TO OVER 20,000 HEALTH WORKERS

MANILA - The Department of Health is using P311 million from its savings to pay for the special risk allowance of 20,156 health workers who were added into the existing list of recipients.

The fund will cover both public and private health workers, DOH spokesperson Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online press conference.

"We can source it out from our contingency fund to which the [Department of Budget and Management] already has the approval from the Office of the President," she said.

"That's not final yet. Kailangan naming hintayin yung final list na isusumite sa amin ng aming facilities and regional office para magkaroon tayo ng final number at final amount that we need," she said.

Between September 2020 and June 2021, the DOH has disbursed P10.33 billion for the SRA of 685,431 medical workers, the agency said in an earlier Congressional hearing.

The DBM said it could not release more funds for the SRA due to the expiry of the enabling law, but Senate Finance Committee chair Sonny Angara noted that the DOH may continuously release special benefits and allowances for health frontliners while the country is still under a state of emergency.

DUTERTE WANTS MORE HEALTH FRONTLINERS TO GET RISK ALLOWANCE

MANILA — President Duterte wants more healthcare workers, who are on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19, to receive special risk allowance (SRA), Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said yesterday.

Nograles made the statement following Duterte’s order to the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Budget and Management to look for funds to pay health workers’ benefits.

“There are some nurses who say they should also be included as COVID-19 continues to spread and they are now directly exposed (to the virus). This is being verified by the DOH now,” Nograles told dzBB.

“Maybe they were not included (among the beneficiaries) but they are also qualified. That is what the President meant when he said, ‘look for funds,’ ” he said.

Nograles said the DOH had already released the SRA for health workers under Bayanihan 1 and Bayanihan 2 amounting to P9.02 billion.

COMELEC TIGHTENS RULES FOR PARTY-LIST NOMINEES

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has adopted stricter rules on the nomination, withdrawal and substitution of party-list nominees in an apparent bid to prevent another controversy similar to that of Duterte Youth.

In a resolution, it prohibited the nomination of a losing candidate for any elective office in the May 2019 elections to a party-list post. It also ruled that an individual may only be nominated in one party-list group.

Except when the nominee dies, becomes incapacitated, or there is a valid withdrawal, the Comelec will no longer allow alterations or change of names after the list has already been submitted to the commission.

“In case of withdrawal of nominees, it should be done in writing, under oath, and filed with the Comelec law department not later than Nov. 15, 2021,” the Comelec noted.

A nominee, who withdraws his acceptance to the nomination, shall not be eligible for re-nomination by the same party or nomination by other parties.

DOH CAUTIONS VS IVERMECTIN USE ANEW AFTER US FDA WARNING

MANILA — The Department of Health on Monday doubled down on its advice against treating coronavirus patients with ivermectin, following authorities in the United States' reminder also not to use it.

Select groups and individuals in the Philippines have been touting the anti-parasitic drug as a treatment or preventive measure against COVID-19.

But that's against repeated warnings by officials that there remains no evidence that ivermectin would work in that way, and could instead pose harmful effects.

"DOH is not recommending ivermectin and we continue to remind the public against its use," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a briefing in Filipino.

The comments came after the US Food and Drug Administration sought to address reports of people being poisoned after taking ivermectin pills for treating worms in horses.

"Evidence has shown it does not give you any benefit in preventing, shortening the duration of hospitalization," Vergeire said, "or the progression of your disease when you have COVID-19."

She added in Filipino: "This medicine has side effects that could be harmful to your body." Vergeire said, too, that the public should only take registered medicines and those recommended by the DOH.

GOVERNMENT BANS DEPLOYMENT OF OFWS TO AFGHANISTAN

MANILA — Filipino workers are now barred from seeking employment in Afghanistan amid the prevailing tension in the Islamic country.

In a governing board resolution, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) ordered the imposition of a total deployment ban to Afghanistan.

POEA noted that the deployment ban was imposed to ensure the welfare and protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) previously placed Afghanistan under alert level 4 in response to the worsening security situation.

“Alert level entails imposition of an absolute ban on deployment, which includes returning workers due to large scale internal conflict,” the POEA pointed out.

POEA is extending assistance in the repatriation of Filipino workers from Afghanistan, where the Taliban took over in mid-August after a swift turn of events following the pullout of US troops.

PHILIPPINES TO RECEIVE PROCURED MODERNA, PFIZER VACCINES FROM SEPTEMBER

MANILA - The Philippines will receive the remainder of its vaccine procurement from Sinovac and the bulk of its order from Pfizer and Moderna beginning September, an official said Monday.

Sinovac has delivered 21 million out of the 25 million that the Philippine government procured, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

Government has placed orders for 40 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer and 20 million jabs from Moderna.

"Sinabi ni (vaccine czar) Secretary Charlie (Galvez) na yung next batch of vaccines apart from Sinovac will be really concentrated on Pfizer and Moderna. I'm sure they will deliver on time," he told ANC's Headstart.

HONG KONG TO ALLOW ENTRY OF FILIPINO WORKERS VACCINATED IN PH: DOLE

MANILA - The Department of Labor and Employment on Sunday said the government of Hong Kong will be allowing Filipino workers vaccinated in the Philippines to enter the city.

In a statement, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Hong Kong government has already agreed to let overseas Filipino workers to come and start working there beginning August 30, provided they can present validated COVID-19 vaccine certificates issued by the Bureau of Quarantine.

Some 3,000 OFWs who are awaiting deployment will benefit from this development, Bello added.

Once deployed, the OFWs will undergo quarantine in specified hotels, with the cost shouldered by their employers.

The Hong Kong government is also in the process of coordinating with partner hotels for the quarantine arrangements of the OFWs.

AFTER UGAS LOSS, PACQUIAO TO FACE COMPLAINT FOR 'DISLOYALTY' TO PDP-LABAN

MANILA - Following his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas, Senator Manny Pacquiao now faces another challenge: a disloyalty complaint for alleged violation of the PDP-Laban constitution that could see him expelled from the party.

PDP-Laban Secretary-General Melvin Matibag earlier said Pacquiao's camp has 10 to 15 days to explain why they should not be expelled from the party after the boxing-senator's alleged conversion of regional party People's Champ Movement (PCM) into a national one.

"May due process kami sa partido (The party has a due process) and because of that, I believe there is a complaint against him regarding that allegation. We will have to run him through the process of the party and that means he will be given a chance to explain," the party's executive vice president, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, told ANC's Headstart.

"We’ll allow him to answer allegations. There will be a hearing, there will be a decision about it. May grievance procedure kami (We have a grievance procedure) when it comes to party members."

The rift within the ruling party began when the senator was selected as party president in December without the knowledge of its chairman President Rodrigo Duterte, said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who leads the faction against Pacquiao.

Pacquiao then refused to attend an executive council meeting where party members urged Duterte to run for vice president next year.

The two factions separately filed documents required for political parties in the upcoming 2022 national elections before the Commission on Elections.

GO-DUTERTE TANDEM

The executive committee will push through with its plan to nominate Senator Christopher "Bong" Go as its presidential nominee and Duterte as its vice presidential nominee in next year's polls, Nograles said.

The party's national convention is on September 8, he added.

"That’s a nomination that will have to run through the body," he said.

"It will depend on our nominee. They are free to accept the nomination or not," he added.

THE REST

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PHILIPPINES CONFIRMS MORE THAN 16,000 NEW CASES OF COVID-19

MANILA - The Philippines confirmed 16,044 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday bringing the country’s total to 1,839,635.

The DOH meanwhile also reported 13,952 new recoveries, pushing the total number of Filipinos who recovered from the disease to 1,681,925.

This means that the country has a total of 125,900 active cases as of 4 p.m. Sunday.

Two hundred fifteen more deaths were reported from COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the disease’s death toll in the Philippines to 31,810.

LONGER COMMUTER LINES AS METRO MANILA REVERTS TO MECQ

Commuters queue up to ride the EDSA bus carousel from the Roosevelt station in Quezon City on Monday, the first work day after Metro Manila reverts under modified enhanced community quarantine.

The National Capital Region and Laguna were placed under a more lenient quarantine level from August 21-31 allowing more businesses to reopen and ease of travel for more workers as quarantine passes will no longer be required.

PACQUIAO SAYS 'MAY NOT' RETURN TO RING AFTER UGAS UPSET

LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao plans to take his time before deciding on his future but admitted on Saturday he may not return to the ring after his upset defeat to Yordenis Ugas.

The 42-year-old Filipino boxing superstar indicated he now planned to turn his attention to his political career in the Philippines in the wake of a unanimous points defeat to Ugas.

"In the future you may not see Manny Pacquiao fight in the ring," Pacquiao said. "I don't know.

"I've done a lot for boxing and boxing has done a lot for me. I look forward to spending time with my family and thinking about my future in boxing."

If Saturday's loss was Pacquiao's final fight, it marks the end of a glittering 26-year professional career that has already ensured the Filipino will go down as one of the all-time greats.

Against Ugas on Saturday however, age finally appeared to have caught up with Pacquiao as he was outboxed and outfoxed by a skillful, younger opponent.

Although Ugas said he would be willing to give Pacquiao a rematch, it is hard to see how a second fight would pan out any differently.

Beyond that, other, younger fighters in the welterweight division such as Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford are likely to be even more dangerous for the veteran Filipino.

"In my heart I want to continue fighting," Pacquiao said. "But the thing is I have to consider also my body."

Pacquiao is now expected to turn his attention to his political career. Already a Philippines Senator, Pacquiao is believed to be mulling a presidential bid.

"There's a lot of things that I need to accomplish to help people and that's my mission," Pacquiao said. "I want to be an inspiration to all the Filipino people inside and outside the ring.

"I am a fighter inside and outside the ring. And I look forward to getting back to the Philippines and serving the Filipino people as this pandemic continues to affect millions in the Philippines."

"I couldn't move. My two legs were tight. But I'm not making excuses," he said. "Too much hard work. I ran in the mountains, also doing 32 rounds (in training) every day. I don't know. We're not young any more.

"I did my best tonight but my best wasn't good enough. No excuses. I wanted to fight for the title in the ring, and the champion tonight is still Ugas."

Pacquiao's veteran trainer Freddie Roach also acknowledged that time might finally have caught up with his friend and protégé.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

'DITO AT DOON' IS FINALLY COMING TO NETFLIX

MANILA — “Dito at Doon,” the romance movie starring Janine Gutierrez and JC Santos, is finally headed to the giant streaming platform Netflix.

The movie, which goes by the English title “Here and There,” will be available for subscribers starting September 2.

The JP Habac film was originally set for a March 17 release in cinemas, but TBA Studios has decided to postpone that plan due to health and safety concerns, amid rising cases of COVID-19.

Instead, it headed straight to digital streaming via KTX.ph, iWant TFC, Cinema 76 @ Home, and Ticket2Me last March 31.

In the movie, Cabs (Santos) and (Len) Gutierrez discover romance through video calls and chat. They eventually find comfort in each other, despite being apart, a setup many couples could relate to during the pandemic.

The film’s theme song is Ben&Ben’s “Nakikinig Ka Ba Sa Akin,” which talks about respecting each other’s differences.

“Dito at Doon” is the first team-up between Gutierrez and Santos.

SPORTS

BOXING: SHOCKER IN VEGAS AS UGÁS DECISIONS PACQUIAO

Cuba's Yordenis Ugás claimed  the biggest victory of his boxing career on Saturday, as he outpointed Filipino ring icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao in their welterweight showdown at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Ugás, who took the fight on just 11 days' notice after Errol Spence Jr. had to withdraw due to an eye injury, made a successful defense of his WBA "super" welterweight title.

Scores were 115-113, 116-112, and 116-112 for the Cuban, who was by far the more accurate boxer in the bout. Ugás maximized his reach advantage, using his jab to great effect and repeatedly clobbering Pacquiao with right hands.

"That was the lead punch, the double jab. We only had two weeks of training, but I listened to my corner and it all worked out," an ecstatic Ugás said after the fight.

It was an impressive effort for the 35-year-old Ugás who showed no signs of being overwhelmed by the moment, even as he was facing off against one of the all-time greats of the sport.

Instead, Ugás followed his fight plan to the letter, repeatedly attacking Pacquiao's body early on and countering whenever the Filipino icon went on the attack. His defense was also superb, blocking plenty of Pacquiao's punches and rendering him ineffective throughout the 12-round affair.

"I want to thank Manny Pacquiao for giving me this moment in this ring today," said Ugás, who improved to 27-4 in his professional career. "I told you I am the champion of the WBA, and I showed it tonight."

"He's a great competitor, but I came in here to show I am the champion of the WBA. A lot of respect for him, but I won the fight," he added.

The Cuban had been elevated to "super" champion status by the WBA in January, when the sanctioning body stripped Pacquiao of the title and declared the Filipino a "champion in recess." Ahead of the fight, Pacquiao and his camp said the Filipino wanted to prove he was the rightful owner of the belt, but their plans were crushed by Ugás.

Fight statistics showed how Ugás neutralized Pacquiao with his length. The Cuban landed 151 of his 405 punches, including 50 of his 234 jabs and an impressive 101 of his 171 power punches.

Pacquiao was far busier, but also much less efficient: the Filipino threw 815 punches, but landed just 130 of the. He connected on just 42 of 475 of his jabs, and 88 of 340 power punches.

Moreover, Ugás shook off any punch that Pacquiao landed, and appeared unbothered even when the "Pacman" swarmed at him. In contrast, Ugás repeatedly backed up Pacquiao whenever he landed his right hand.

"That's boxing," said Pacquiao after the bout, as his face showed the evidence of Ugás' punches. "I'm (having) a hard time in the fight, making adjustments about his style. I think that's the problem to me, because I didn't make the adjustments right away, and my legs are tight."

"I congratulate my opponent for making it tough tonight, and for winning tonight. That's boxing. Let's face another tomorrow again, and plan our future," he also said.

For Pacquiao, it was the eighth defeat of his career, and his first since a disputed loss to Australia's Jeff Horn in July 2017. His record dropped to 62-8-2.

Pacquiao was fighting for the first time since July 2019, when he defeated American Keith Thurman to become the oldest welterweight champion in history. It might have also been the last time that Pacquiao fought, though he didn't make a concrete announcement as to his boxing future when asked.

"I don't know, I don't know. Let me rest first and relax, and make a decision if I'll continue to fight or not," he said.

If it was the last time that he fought, the crowd at the T-Mobile Arena made sure to shower him with love, as they chanted his name after his post-match interview and as he made his exit from the ring.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Each minute we spend worrying about the future and regretting the past is a minute we miss in our appointment with life. - Thich Nhat Hanh