OMICRON RISK REMAINS ‘VERY HIGH’, SAYS WHO, AS COVID CASES SPIKE
The risk posed by the omicron variant is still "very high", the World Health Organization said Wednesday, after COVID-19 case numbers shot up by 11 percent globally last week.
Omicron is behind rapid virus spikes in several countries, including those where it has already overtaken the previously dominant delta variant, the WHO said in its COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update.
"The overall risk related to the new variant of concern omicron remains very high," the UN health agency said.
"Consistent evidence shows that the omicron variant has a growth advantage over the Delta variant with a doubling time of two to three days and rapid increases in the incidence of cases is seen in a number of countries," including Britain and the United States, where it has become the dominant variant.
"The rapid growth rate is likely to be a combination of both immune evasion and intrinsic increased transmissibility of the omicron variant."
However, the WHO highlighted the 29 percent decrease in the incidence of cases observed in South Africa -- the country which first reported the variant to the WHO on November 24.
It said early data from Britain, South Africa and Denmark -- which currently has the world's highest rate of infection per person -- suggested there was a reduced risk of hospitalization for omicron compared to delta.
"It is also expected that corticosteroids and interleukin 6 receptor blockers will remain effective in the management of patients with severe disease," the WHO said.
"However, preliminary data suggest that monoclonal antibodies may be less able to neutralize the omicron variant."
DBM RELEASES P1.8-B MORE AID TO LGUS, GOV’T AGENCIES FOR ODETTE RELIEF OPERATIONS
MANILA—The Department of Budget and Management released more than P1.8 billion to various government agencies and local government units to be used for relief efforts in areas affected by typhoon Odette.
In a statement, the DBM said it released P827.18 million to agencies for replenishment of their quick response fund (QRF) to be used for aid and rehabilitation services in typhoon-hit areas.
Of this amount, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) received P139.68 million, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) received P662.50 million.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) was also given P25 million.
Meanwhile, P1 billion was allocated as aid for the LGUs affected by the typhoon.
The P1 billion released on Tuesday came a few days after the DBM released P1 billion on December 24 to LGUs affected by the typhoon.
As of Tuesday, the death toll due to Odette was at 397.
The number of typhoon-related injuries also climbed to 1,147, according to an updated toll from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Some 83 people are reported missing.
PALACE PROMISES DUTERTE WILL SIGN 2022 NATIONAL BUDGET BY YEAREND
MANILA — Next year's proposed national budget is still being reviewed, Malacañang said Tuesday, even as it assured the public that President Rodrigo Duterte would sign the spending bill into law by yearend.
The proposed ?5.024-trillion outlay for 2022, which was ratified by both chambers of Congress last Dec. 15, was supposed to be signed into law on Tuesday, December 28.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday said that the signing of the 2022 budget had been postponed but Malacañang did not provide reasons behind the change in schedule.
"The review process is continuous. The review process and examination of the budget is not yet finished. The budget book is very thick, it is composed of a number of books and each one has to be reviewed," Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who is also acting presidential spokesperson, said at a press briefing.
"It (2022 budget) had to undergo processes here in the executive department after it was ratified by both the House of Representatives and the Senate," he added.
"We would want to assure and we assure the public that the budget will be signed. President Duterte will sign the budget for 2022 before Dec. 31," he added.
DUTERTE WARNS HOARDERS IN ODETTE-HIT AREAS
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has warned hoarders in typhoon-struck areas that they would be arrested as he ordered agencies to stop the activities of those who take advantage of the situation to gain profit.
During a pre-recorded public address last Monday, Duterte said he was worried about the reported spike in the prices of medicines and other goods despite the price caps imposed in areas affected by Typhoon Odette.
"They say that some, not all, are hoarding and you know that... you increase the price by selling more than the usual price of - for example, building materials, or even food stocks, canned goods. They are getting to be more expensive for the people," the president said.
Duterte then asked Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez to confirm if the reports of hoarding and overpricing were true.
"If not, then there's no problem. If it's true, I am just giving you the warning," Duterte said.
"Since you are here, tell us if there has been a violation or violations during this time because we can identify them and the Philippine National Police, we will ask them to arrest the hoarders and people who are taking advantage of the situation," he added.
"We have to put a stop (to) this and probably you can come - go ahead and cap the prices of the goods available, especially medicine."
“Cases would follow if the higher prices are not explained to us. But after they were apprehended, actually, Mr. President, they corrected (their prices)," Lopez said.
PHILIPPINES TO BUY TWO NEW SOUTH KOREAN WARSHIPS FOR P28B
MANILA — The Philippines has ordered two new warships from South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday, modernizing Manila's navy as it faces a dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea.
The Philippine Navy had become run down in recent decades — even featuring US craft from World War II — until President Rodrigo Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino, began a modest modernization program in 2010.
Tuesday's P28 billion ($556 million) deal with the South Korean shipbuilding giant comes five years after the firm also won a contract to build two new frigates for the Philippine Navy.
Corvettes and frigates are small, fast warships mainly used to protect other vessels from attack.
"This project will give the Philippine Navy two modern corvettes that are capable of anti-ship, anti-submarine and anti-air warfare missions," Lorenzana said in a speech at the signing ceremony in Manila.
US DONATES ADDITIONAL P50 MILLION TO 'ODETTE' DISASTER RESPONSE
MANILA — The United States on Monday announced that it would provide P50 million to support communities affected by Super Typhoon Odette.
"In partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the new funding from [the US Agency for International Development] will provide logistics and emergency telecommunications support in typhoon-affected areas," the US Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement.
US DONATES ANOTHER P950M TO ‘ODETTE’ RESPONSE:
The United States will be allocating an additional P950 million to humanitarian assistance for Super Typhoon Odette survivors, its embassy in the Philippines announced Wednesday.
This brings the total amount of Washington's support for response to the typhoon to P1.01 billion.
The donation, coursed through the US Agency for International Development, will provide food, aid, water, sanitation and hygiene programs. It will also fund shelter assistance that will meet emergency needs, as well as help affected communities start rebuilding their homes.
“We stand steadfast with our longstanding friend, partner, and ally in helping support communities devastated by the typhoon,” the embassy's chargé d’affaires ad interim Heather Variava is quoted as saying in the statement. The US is also a former colonizer of the Philippines.
"This additional assistance will help deliver food and hygiene supplies, and provide life-saving support to those most in need."
BSP: NATIONAL ID PRINTING TO CONTINUE EVEN ON HOLIDAYS
MANILA—The printing of national ID cards will continue even during the holiday season, the central bank said on Wednesday.
According to R.A. No. 11055, a national ID is a valid proof of identity and must be accepted in all government and private sector transactions.
The BSP has mandated financial institutions and other firms to accept the national ID as "sufficient proof" of identification.
"In line with its commitment of providing citizens with a nationally-recognized identification document, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will continue printing Philippine Identification (PhilID) cards during the holiday season," the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said in a statement.
"The sustained production of PhilID cards is aligned with the national government’s broader initiatives to promote financial inclusion and inclusive economic growth," it added.
Economic managers of the current administration have been pushing for the acceleration of the registration and ID-card distribution under the Philippine National ID System (PhilSys) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having a unified ID will speed up the distribution of cash aid, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua earlier said.
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PHILIPPINES CONFIRMS 421 NEW COVID-19 CASES; 2 MORE DEATHS DUE TO LATE REPORTING
MANILA — The Philippines on Tuesday reported 421 more COVID-19 cases, raising the country's total to 2,839,111 even as it remains on guard against the more transmissible omicron variant.
This is the 5th straight day that the number of new cases is over 300, ABS-CBN Data Analytics head Edson Guido said.
Based on the health department's 4 p.m. bulletin, the country has 9,750 active infections, accounting for 0.3 percent of the total case count. Of those still battling the disease, 374 are in critical condition and 1,778 are severely ill.
The number of active cases is considered the highest since Dec. 18, Guido noted.
Intensive case unit beds are 21 percent used up in Metro Manila, and 18 percent across the country, the Department of Health said.
The positivity rate is at 2.6 percent, derived from test results of samples from 18,122 individuals on Sunday.
Guido also pointed out that that the 2.6 percent positivity rate is the highest in more than a month or since Nov. 23. The World Health Organization's (WHO) bench mark is 5 percent or lower for at least 2 weeks.
There were two more patients who died due to the respiratory disease, bringing the death toll to 51,213.
DBP LAUNCHES LOAN PROGRAM FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS
MANILA - The Development Bank of the Philippines said it launched a new loan program to support solar power developers in the country.
DBP's Solar Merchant Power Plant Financing Program seeks to support funding for power developers who intend to sell electricity through the wholesale electricity spot market, DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel G. Herbosa said in a statement.
The loan facility has a longer tenor of up to 12 years with a one year grace period on principal payment, the state-run lender said.
“DBP is ready to provide financing to viable solar power developers for their capital expenditures such as the construction or expansion of their infrastructure facilities, acquisition of machineries and equipment, among others,” Herbosa said.
Qualified borrowers are entitled to a maximum loanable amount of up to 60 percent of the total project cost for projects located in Luzon and up to 50 percent for projects in the Visayas, DBP said.
Reimbursements can also be availed by eligible solar merchant power projects provided that the completed project does not exceed one year from the date of completion, it added.
Herbosa said this would boost the government's goal of increasing solar photovoltaic capacity in the country from 2.16 Gigawatts in 2020 to 15.39 GW in 2030.
The Department of Energy aims for renewable energy to account for 35 percent of the country's total power mix by 2030.
PHAPI HOSPITALS PLAN FOR ‘PHILHEALTH HOLIDAY’ SUSPENDED
The plan for a so-called "PhilHealth holiday" has been suspended, Dr. Jose de Grano, president of the Private Hospitals Association Philippines (PHAPI), announced on Wednesday.
De Grano cited citizens' and patient groups' request to be "informed well and advised on what to do during the holiday."
The PHAPI on Monday said that it was encouraging its members to not accept PhilHealth deductions for their services on January 1-5, 2022.
NDRRMC: 19 MORE DEAD FROM TYPHOON ODETTE, TOTAL AT 397
MANILA—Nineteen more people were reported to have died from Typhoon Odette, raising the tally to 397, the state disaster response agency said Tuesday.
The number of typhoon-related injuries also climbed to 1,147, according to an updated toll from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Some 83 people are reported missing.
Odette, the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, displaced over 561,000 people. More than 300,000 people remain in evacuation camps, with more than 200,000 others sheltering in the homes of relatives or friends.
According to the latest NDRRMC bulletin, some 341,000 houses were damaged while 167,000 others were destroyed, with an estimated cost of P28 million.
Damage to infrastructure was estimated at P16.7 billion while losses to crops, livestock, poultry and agricultural equipment was pegged at P5.3 billion.
Civil defense officials said more than 4 million people were receiving typhoon aid in 430 cities and towns.
As the government rushed to bring food, water and clothing to devastated areas, a new threat appeared in recent days with at least 140 people falling ill from suspected contaminated water.
Eighty people were taken ill with acute gastroenteritis in the southern province of Dinagat Islands, while 54 people are being treated for diarrhea in hospital on the neighboring tourist island of Siargao, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
Meanwhile, Cebu City reported 16 diarrhea cases, she told reporters.
"We all know these areas suffered water interruption. Some areas still have tap water but pipes have been damaged and so there is a possibility of contamination," Vergeire said.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
‘LOVE AT FIRST STREAM’ HOLDS BLUE-CARPET SCREENING AFTER 6 MMFF NOMINATIONS
MANILA — The stars of “Love At First Stream” gathered Tuesday for a blue-carpet screening of the romantic comedy movie, which hauled six nominations at the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
Lead stars Daniela Stranner, Anthony Jennings, and Jeremiah Lisbo joined their fans at the special screening, which was held by co-producer Kumu.
Kaori Oinuma, who also stars in the Cathy Garcia-Molina movie, was unable to attend due to a prior commitment.
The event was also attended by popular streamers on Kumu, the social platform that features prominently in the film.
The Star Cinema co-production follows the love stories of Vilma (Stranner) and Tupe (Jennings), and Megumi (Oinuma) and Gino (Lisbo), and the pursuit of their dreams.
“Love At First Stream” earned six nods the night prior on Monday at the 47th MMFF Gabi ng Parangal.
It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress (Daniela Stranner), Best Editing (Marya Ignacio,) Best Production Design (Norico Santos), Best Original Theme Song (“No Stopping You” by SB19), and Best Visual Effects (Nickl Entertainment Corp.).
SPORTS
ATHLETICS CHIEF DECLARED 'PERSONA NON GRATA' OVER OBIENA TREATMENT
From now on, athletics chief Philip “Popoy” Ella Juico will be barred from attending all Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) functions.
But the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) president couldn’t care less.
The local Olympic body on Tuesday declared Juico persona non grata as a result of the harassment complaint filed by national pole vault ace Ernest John Obiena against him.
POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said the POC executive board approved the recommendation of its ethics committee where Obiena’s case against the Patafa head was heard.
“We are not removing him (Juico) as president of Patafa, and neither are we suspending him. We just don’t recognize him as Patafa president,” said Tolentino.
Juico, meanwhile, said that he is not worried at what had just developed on the case that started when he and his association asked Obiena to return 85,000 euros (over P4.8 million) in salaries that the athlete did not pay his Ukranian coach, Vitaly Petrov, on time.
“I am more amazed at how people can just ignore objective facts and truth,” Juico told the Inquirer through a text message. “No, [I am] not worried.”
Tolentino said that not recognizing Juico doesn’t mean that the POC will not acknowledge the Patafa.
“We do recognize the Patafa as an NSA (national sports association) under the POC. Patafa can still do its daily businesses with the POC,” added Tolentino, who beat Juico and his group for the POC presidency.
The POC ethics committee chaired by rowing president Pato Gregorio signed the decision recommending that Juico be declared persona non grata and therefore not to be recognized as Patafa president until a new track and field head has been duly elected.
Tolentino also basically opened the doors for Obiena to compete again internationally, declaring that “If Patafa won’t endorse him, which I doubt they would, then we (POC) will.”
NBA SCORES DEC 27
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Rockets10-24 29 21 20 29 99
Hornets18-17 33 31 32 27 123
SPECTRUM CENTER, CHARLOTTE, NC
SCORING LEADERS
T. Queen HOU
17 PTS 6 REBT. Rozier CHA
27 PTS 4 REB 5 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Bulls21-10 31 38 29 32 130
Hawks15-18 36 27 24 31 118
STATE FARM ARENA, ATLANTA, GA
SCORING LEADERS
D. DeRozan CHI
35 PTS 5 REB 10 AST
C. Reddish ATL
33 PTS 4 REB
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Celtics16-18 29 27 23 24 103
Timberwolves16-17 23 22 29 34 108
TARGET CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
SCORING LEADERS
J. Brown BOS
26 PTS 10 REB 4 AST
J. Nowell MIN
29 PTS 6 REB 3 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Jazz24-9 34 19 29 28 110
Spurs14-19 27 16 27 34 104
AT&T CENTER, SAN ANTONIO, TX
SCORING LEADERS
J. Clarkson UTA
23 PTS 8 REB 5 AST
D. White SA
21 PTS 2 REB 8 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Grizzlies21-14 25 35 29 25 114
Suns26-7 24 24 27 38 113
FOOTPRINT CENTER, PHOENIX, AZ
SCORING LEADERS
J. Morant MEM
33 PTS 4 REB 4 AST
D. Booker PHO
30 PTS 2 REB 4 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Mavericks16-17 34 38 34 26 132
Trail Blazers13-20 29 24 31 33 117
MODA CENTER AT THE ROSE QUARTER, PORTLAND, OR
SCORING LEADERS
K. Porzingis DAL
34 PTS 9 REB 5 AST
D. Lillard POR
26 PTS 2 REB 5 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Nets23-9 38 33 30 23 124
Clippers17-17 33 22 26 27 108
CRYPTO.COM ARENA, LOS ANGELES, CA
SCORING LEADERS
J. Harden BKN
39 PTS 8 REB 15 AST
M. Morris LAC
24 PTS 5 REB 6 AST
INDICATORS
FOREX $1 = P 50.46
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
To love means not to impose your own powers on your fellow man but offer him your help. And if he refuses it, to be proud that he can do it on his own strength. - Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
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