METRO MANILA BACK TO COVID-19 ALERT LEVEL 2 STARTING FEB. 1
MANILA — Restrictions in Metro Manila will be eased starting Tuesday, Feb. 1, as the capital region reverts to COVID-19 Alert Level 2, acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said Sunday.
Home to more than 13 million people, the National Capital Region (NCR) will be placed under Alert Level 2 until Feb. 15, along with 7 other provinces, Nograles said in a statement. The NCR has been placed under Alert Level 3 until Jan. 31.
Alert Level 2 allows the conduct of limited in-person classes and raises the operating capacity of business, which have been battered by the pandemic.
Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran said the "no vaccination, no ride" policy in NCR would no longer take effect once the region deescalates to Alert Level 2.
Minors will also be allowed to leave their homes but this still depends on ordinances implemented by local government units, said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.
Año said the government decided to ease restrictions in NCR based on the improving COVID-19 situation.
But he added the government will continue to monitor the situation to see if there's a need to implement stricter rules.
Nograles said that aside from Metro Manila, the following provinces are also placed under Alert Level 2: Batanes, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Biliran, Southern Leyte, Basilan
US, JAPAN MARITIME STANCE ALIGNS WITH PHILIPPINES INTERESTS – DEL ROSARIO
MANILA — Efforts of the United States and Japan to oppose China’s attempts to advance its illegal claims in the South China Sea are aligned with the interest of the Philippines to preserve sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines’ former top diplomat said.
US President Joseph Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a summit video teleconference last Jan. 21, during which they agreed, among others, to oppose China’s attempts to change the status quo in the South China Sea and its use of economic coercion to achieve its ends.
Both the US and Japan invoked the 2016 Arbitral Ruling against China’s illegal claims in the South China Sea.
“As such, our country should undertake more concrete steps to enforce the 2016 Arbitral Ruling by solidifying the support of the international community,” former foreign affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement.
While the US and Japan are not coastal states in the South China Sea, Del Rosario noted that “they have a real and tangible interest in preserving the Rule of Law in the region.”
P29 billion for AFP modernization
A total of P29 billion has been earmarked for this year’s modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) amid incursions committed by China in the West Philippine Sea.
TAAL’S INCREASED ACTIVITY CONTINUES
MANILA — State volcanologists yesterday warned residents of Batangas and nearby areas to remain alert as Taal Volcano continued to show increased activity.
Pilots were advised to avoid flying their aircraft close to the volcano as Taal is still under Alert Level 2, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Entry to the permanent danger zone, especially at the main crater and Daang Kastila fissures, is strictly prohibited.
Boat-riding activity in Taal Lake is also not allowed.
From 5 a.m. on Saturday until 5 a.m. yesterday, the volcano registered at least nine small phreatomagmatic eruptions lasting 10 seconds to two minutes.
It also registered 31 volcanic earthquakes including 14 tremors that lasted one to three minutes.
Phivolcs said it observed a 2,000-meter-tall voluminous emission steaming or degassing activity at the volcano’s active vent or crater.
The volcano has been releasing an average of 10,036 tons of volcanic sulfur dioxide gas emission per day.
Ground deformation was observed on Taal Volcano Island.
‘NO VACCINATION, NO RIDE’ POLICY TO BE LIFTED UNDER COVID-19 ALERT LEVEL 2: DOTR
MANILA — Commuters in Metro Manila will no longer be required to present proof of their vaccination status to be able to ride public transportation beginning Tuesday, Feb. 1, an official said Sunday.
Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran said the “no vaccination, no ride” policy of the Department of Transportation is lifted once the National Capital Region (NCR) eases to Alert Level 2 status.
“Once we de-escalate to Alert Level 2, the no vaxx, no ride policy shall automatically be lifted,” Libiran told reporters.
ROBREDO-KIKO PROCLAMATION RALLY SET IN CAMARINES SUR
MANILA — Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate Sen. Francis Pangilinan will hold a proclamation rally in Camarines Sur on Feb. 8, kicking off the start of the official campaign period for national candidates.
Camarines Sur is the home province and bailiwick of Robredo.
Lorenzo Tañada lll, campaign manager of the senatorial slate of Team Robredo-Pangilinan (TRoPa), said the 12 senatorial candidates were invited to join the proclamation rally.
“We are really preparing for the big proclamation rally to be held in Camarines Sur on Feb. 8 and on Feb. 9 in various places in the Bicol region. So, all 12 named by our Vice President are invited to attend on Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 activities in Naga and Albay,” Tañada said in an interview on dzXL’s “BISErbisyong Leni” radio program.
He said the team would be in Camarines Sur on Feb. 8 and in Sorsogon and Albay on Feb. 9.
Tañada said the senatorial bets are also expected to take part in the Stationary Caravan around Taal Lake in Batangas.
VILLAR PUSHES AMENDMENTS TO AGRI-AGRA LAW
MANILA — Sen. Cynthia Villar is pushing for amendments to the Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act to help expand financing for farmers and fisherfolk as well as related micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by making it easier for banks to extend low-cost loans.
Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on agriculture and food, sponsored last week the proposed amendments in plenary and urged her colleagues to immediately approve the same.
She said Republic Act 10000 should be amended to make it more effective in reaching the agricultural sector and promote rural development.
Based on data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), banks have paid an average of P2 billion in penalties per year for non-compliance with the law, she said.
The banks have extended a total of P713.6 billion in agri-agra credit as of end-December 2020, she said.
NBI ORDERED TO PROBE ONLINE ‘ASSASSINATION’ THREAT AGAINST MARCOS JR
MANILA — The Department of Justice has ordered law enforcers to investigate a post on the social media platform TikTok threatening to assassinate presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., acting on a tip received by its cybercrime unit.
“If a bomb joke is actionable, so is a threat of assassination, whether true or not,” DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra told reporters.
Charito Zamora, the head of the DOJ’s cybercrime unit, said her office received a “text report” from a concerned citizen on Friday about a TikTok post which said: “We are meeting everyday to prepare to have BBM assassinated. Get ready.”
Zamora said her office has referred the matter to the police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and has requested TikTok to preserve data related to the account while authorities conduct a probe.
Guevarra said “the NBI will give priority attention to any validated information pertaining to a threat to the personal security of any presidential aspirant.”
NCRPO JOINS DEMOLITION IN BILIBID
MANILA — Operatives of the National Capital Region Police Office took part in the demolition of makeshift huts at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP)’s maximum security compound on Friday, the NCRPO reported yesterday.
Metro Manila police chief Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. said the NCRPO and Philippine Coast Guard explosives ordnance disposal and K9 teams cleared the whole East Quadrant of the compound for possible explosives before dismantling the makeshift structures.
Police also deployed six special weapons and tactics personnel and four sniper teams.
Danao said the operation was made in coordination with Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag.
At least 500 bladed weapons and other contraband were recovered during the clearing operation.
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PHILIPPINES CONFIRMS ALMOST 17K NEW COVID-19 CASES
MANILA - The Philippines confirmed 16,953 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the country’s total to 3,545,680.
The positivity rate was also at 31.4 percent, the lowest since Jan. 2 this year.
The Department of Health meanwhile also reported 27,638 new recoveries, pushing the total number of Filipinos who recovered from the disease to 3,288,925.
This means that the country has a total of 202,864 active cases as of 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Twenty new deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the country’s death toll from the disease to 53,891.
The National Capital Region and several other areas are set to ease quarantine restrictions starting in February as the daily rise in cases go down.
PHILIPPINES LIFTS SUSPENSION OF CANADIAN BEEF IMPORTS
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Philippines has lifted its suspension of Canadian beef imports, which it imposed due to detection of a cattle disease last month, Canadian Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said on Saturday.
Canada detected a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in December on an Alberta farm, the country’s first known BSE case in six years.
The Philippines, China and South Korea halted Canadian beef imports as they sought further information. South Korea lifted earlier this month its suspension of beef shipments from Canada, the world’s eighth-largest beef and veal exporter.
Bibeau announced the Philippines‘ decision on Twitter, calling it “great news” for Canadian livestock producers.
BSE is a fatal disease of the nervous system in cattle.
Canada’s latest case is atypical — meaning it is a form of BSE that can occur naturally in older cattle — as opposed to classical BSE, caused by an animal eating contaminated feed.
DAVAO PRIVATE HOSPITALS NOW ACCEPTING COVID-19 PATIENTS
DAVAO CITY — At least four private hospitals in Davao City have been allowed to accept COVID patients after close to 1,000 health workers at the Southern Philippines Medical Center tested positive for the virus.
The SPMC is the main COVID referral hospital in Southern Mindanao as it accepts not only patients from Davao City, but also from other areas.
The four hospitals allowed to treat COVID cases are the Davao Doctors’ Hospital, Brokenshire Hospital, San Pedro Hospital and Metro Davao Medical and Research Center Inc.
PUBLIC WARNED VS TOXIC-LACED LUCKY CHARM BRACELETS
MANILA — Environmental watchdog EcoWaste Coalition has warned the public against lucky charm bracelets containing the cancer-causing chemical cadmium, which are being sold in stalls in Manila in time for the Chinese New Year celebration.
The EcoWaste said its team was able to buy red string and beaded bracelets adorned with a tiger figure from vendors in Binondo and Quiapo for up to P250 each.
The group said its laboratory analysis showed that the sample items contain high levels of cadmium, a metal substance that is harmful to human organs and may cause cancer.
The World Health Organization has listed cadmium among the 10 chemicals of public health concern, along with other metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury.
The EcoWaste said of the nine lucky charm bracelets that its team subjected to advanced X-ray fluorescence analyzer, eight were detected to have “excessive levels” of cadmium.
The group pointed out that the European Union restricts cadmium in the metal parts of jewelry and imitation jewelry at 0.01 percent by weight or around 100 ppm.
EcoWaste’s chemical safety campaigner Thony Dizon said consumers risked being exposed to cadmium through skin contact or ingestion.
PRESYO NG ILANG ISDA SA KAMUNING MARKET BUMABA
MAYNILA—Unti-unti nang bumaba ang presyo ng ilang isda sa Kamuning Market sa Quezon City.
Ayon sa ilang nagtitinda, halos P60 ang natapyas sa presyo ng galunggong nitong Lunes. Ito'y matapos dumami ang suplay ng sariwang galunggong kumpara noong nakaraang linggo.
Bumaba na rin sa P120 per kilo ang tilapia mula sa P150. Nasa P200-P200 per kilo naman ang bangus depende sa laki.
Samantala, kung bagsak presyo ang isda, nananatiling mataas ang presyo ng baboy dito sa merkado.
Ayon sa ilang nagtitinda, nasa P285 per kilo na ang kanilang sabit ulo kaya pumalo na sa P380 per kilo ang laman habang nasa P400 per kilo ang liempo.
Maliliit din ang mga baboy na nakakarating sa kanila mula sa Visayas o Mindanao.
LIST: BANKS SET OPERATING SCHEDULE FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR ON FEB. 1
MANILA - Several banks will be closed while select branches will operate but with shortened hours on Feb. 1, during the Chinese New Year.
Bank schedules are as follows:
BDO Unibank: Select mall branches will be open until 2 p.m. on Feb. 1, full list available on its website
SECURITY BANK: All branches nationwide will be closed on Feb. 1 in observance of Chinese New Year
LA NIÑA TO CONTINUE UNTIL APRIL – PAGASA
MANILA — Almost the entire country will still be experiencing the La Niña weather phenomenon – which increases the likelihood of above normal rainfall – during the next three months, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.
However, the Ilocos region, the Cordilleras, much of Central Luzon, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan are forecast to have below normal and way below normal rainfall during the same period.
PAGASA advised residents in these areas to save water because the reserves in the Ambuklao, Pantabangan and Angat dams will be affected.
But for the rest of the country it forecast a near normal to above normal rainfall because of easterlies and shear line and possible low-pressure areas or tropical cyclones.
At least one tropical cyclone is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility each for February, March and April.
PAGASA said no weather system is expected to enter the country in the next five days but most of the Philippines will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms.
It added that the northeast monsoon or amihan is expected to bring back colder weather in Luzon during the next three days with Metro Manila expected to have temperatures ranging from 23 to 32 °C and Baguio City having 13 to 22°C.
SPORTS
HERSTORY: FILIPINAS OUTLAST CHINESE TAIPEI TO SEIZE HISTORIC WOMEN'S WORLD CUP BERTH
MANILA — The Philippines is through to the FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time ever after beating Chinese Taipei, 1-1 (4-3), in a grueling penalty shootout in the quarterfinals of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in India on Sunday.
Olivia McDaniel made clutch plays for the Philippines in between the goal posts as she forced three consecutive misses for Chinese Taipei during the shootout.
With the World Cup slot on the line, McDaniel also scored a penalty herself to force sudden death.
It was a Sarina Bolden make that officially punched the ticket.
McDaniel's heroics at goal redeemed missed penalties by Jessica Miclat and Hali Long which gave Chinese Taipei windows to put the Philippines away.
The Philippines looked poised to take the historic win at the end of regulation, with the Philippines up, 1-nil, with about 10 minutes to go after Quinley Quezada found the back of the net at the 48th minute.
But Zhou Li-Ping equalized for Chinese Taipei at the 83rd minute to level the score, 1-1.
Both battling to end their respective droughts at the FIFA Women's World Cup, neither team budged as the match remained neck-and-neck.
The Philippines actually created more chances on goal including some close shaves by Bolden and Katrina Guillou but they couldn't get past Cheng Ssu-Yu.
Even during extra time, the Philippines and Chinese Taipei went toe to toe with each other as the game remained in deadlock after 120 minutes of regular play.
With the slot in women's football's top competition already in the bag, the Philippines now sets their sights on the Women's Asian Cup title as they go through to the semifinals for the first time in program history.
They face South Korea on Thursday, February 3.
PBA ACTION RESUMES FEBRUARY 11
MANILA — With Metro Manila reverting back to the less strict Alert Level 2 classification, the PBA has calendared the resumption of the Governors’ Cup on Feb. 11 while lifting the suspension of scrimmages effective tomorrow.
“Since Alert 2 na uli by Feb. 1, start na uli nga scrimmages on that day and then Feb. 11, official games na tayo,” commissioner Willie Marcial told The STAR yesterday after the IATF announced the lowering of the quarantine level.
Marcial said the Smart Araneta Coliseum, which was originally scheduled to host the January matches, will likely remain as the games’ venue.
“Wala munang fans sa Feb. 11, 12 and 13. Pag-aralan muna natin kung ano’ng sitwasyon. Siguro after a week, tignan natin baka pwede na ulit,” he said.
The pro league was forced to halt play and full-contact practices following the imposition of the stricter Alert Level 3 in the capital region amid the COVID-19 surge early January. Full-contact sports are prohibited under this classification.
Last week, with the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) endorsing the games’ Alert Level 3 restart, the PBA board gave its blessing to an early February return.
Prior to the classification downgrade, the PBA has already asked for clearance for the teams to conduct scrimmages despite the Alert Level 3 status. The proposed 5-on-5 training return was endorsed by Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos.
NBA SCORES JAN 29
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Celtics26-25 27 25 26 29 107
Pelicans18-31 15 19 36 27 97
SMOOTHIE KING CENTER, NEW ORLEANS, LA
SCORING LEADERS
J. Tatum BOS
38 PTS 8 REB 7 AST
J. Alvarado NO
19 PTS 4 REB 2 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Pacers18-33 23 37 20 25 105
Mavericks29-21 34 38 32 28 132
AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER, DALLAS, TX
SCORING LEADERS
D. Washington Jr. IND
22 PTS 3 REB 3 AST
L. Doncic DAL
30 PTS 6 REB 12 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Kings18-33 31 30 22 18 101
76ers30-19 27 23 31 22 103
WELLS FARGO CENTER, PHILADELPHIA, PA
SCORING LEADERS
T. Haliburton SAC
38 PTS 3 REB 7 AST
J. Embiid PHI
36 PTS 12 REB 6 AST
FINAL/3OT
1 2 3 4 OT T
Raptors24-23 28 31 26 15 5 124
Heat32-18 27 26 22 25 5 120
FTX ARENA, MIAMI, FL
SCORING LEADERS
G. Trent Jr. TOR
33 PTS 5 REB 1 AST
J. Butler MIA
37 PTS 14 REB 10 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Wizards23-26 15 26 31 23 95
Grizzlies35-17 30 33 24 28 115
FEDEXFORUM, MEMPHIS, TN
SCORING LEADERS
K. Kuzma WAS
30 PTS 8 REB 3 AST
J. Morant MEM
34 PTS 3 REB 2 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Nets29-20 20 27 29 30 106
Warriors37-13 31 23 24 32 110
CHASE CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SCORING LEADERS
K. Irving BKN
32 PTS 7 REB 7 AST
A. Wiggins GS
24 PTS 8 REB 2 AST
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Toleration is not the opposite of intolerance but the counterfeit of it. Both are despotisms: the one assumes to itself the right of withholding liberty of conscience, the other of granting it. - Thomas Paine
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