PHILIPPINES MULLS REDEFINITION OF FULLY VAXXED VALIDITY, PUSH BOOSTERS

MANILA - The Department of Health is considering to redefine the validity of fully inoculated individuals' vaccination cards, its spokesperson said Monday.

The private sector and some members of the vaccine expert panel have recommended that government redefine the meaning of full vaccination due to low booster shot uptake.

"We are set to redefine these fully vaccinated individuals. But right now we’re still onto discussing this with our experts as to how we’re going to have this validity for our vaccination cards so we can be able to improve further our booster vaccination," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergere told ANC's Headstart.

Vergeire reiterated that vaccination is voluntary in the Philippines after proposals that booster shot cards be required in establishments.

"What our public should be informed of would be the importance of booster shots. Restrictions would be like incentivizing and disincentivizing those that are being vaccinated and government is already doing that," she said.

"We need to be able to discuss this further. Like when we redefine our fully vaccinated, this means that this will be the ones adopted by our establishments as to disincentives that those without boosters will be doing."

BONGBONG GETS BACKING OF MORE GOVERNORS, MARCOS JR CAMP CLAIMS

MANILA - The camp of presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Sunday claimed that another batch of provincial governors have pledged to support his candidacy, and that a large majority of the local executives have vowed to give him a landslide victory in Halalan 2022.

Fresh from his campaign sorties in Leyte, presidential frontrunner, Marcos Jr., met with governors from across the country tonight at his campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong City for the consolidation of command votes for the BBM-Sara UniTeam.

Marcos' camp claimed that 73 of the 81 governors in the country are now “fully supporting" his candidacy.

The governors reportedly vowed to give him a landslide victory in the May 9 polls.

Marcos’ chief of staff and spokesman and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas executive VP, Atty. Vic Rodriguez, was also present in the meeting.

This is Marcos’ 2nd meeting with local chief executives for command vote consolidation.

Last week, he also met with 10 governors who expressed support for his presidential bid.

Since filing his certificate of candidacy in October, Marcos continues to dominate presidential surveys, registering majority voter preference over his competitors.

But the latest voter Pulse Asia survey also showed Marcos' closest rival, Vice President Leni Robredo gaining ground.

COMELEC SEEKS INCREASE IN NUMBER OF HONG KONG POLLING PRECINCTS

MANILA - The Commission on Elections en banc will seek to increase the number of polling precincts in Hong Kong following the high turnout of voters over the weekend, an official said Monday.

The Comelec's post in Hong Kong was given the discretion whether to increase the number of precincts and chose to establish only five, according to commissioner George Garcia.

"By tomorrow we’ll have our en banc meeting and surely it will be discussed and we’ll push for an increase in the number of precincts in order to allow more Filipino voters to vote," he told ANC's Headstart.

"And number 2 not offend the sensitivities of Hong Kong authorities especially since we're fully aware of the COVID situation in the territory. That's why hopefully we'll be able to increase by 8 or even by 10 the number of precincts available in Hong Kong."

Meantime, the packets for mail-in voting will "be received by today or tomorrow," Garcia said.

"We still have until the 15th of April for them to return the packets of the ballots to the post," he said.

Overseas Filipinos have 29 more days before voting closes and the period can be extended until May 9, Garcia added.

"We are given flexibility by law. We’re affording the (overseas) Filipinos 1 month to vote. Hopefully after the initial rundown, maayos na po natin sa susunod na araw (we'll be able to fix it in the coming days)," he said.

There are some 1.697 million overseas Filipino voters and the Comelec has 92 posts abroad, half of which run automated election systems with the other half conducting mail-in voting, according to Garcia.

HEALTH AUTHORITIES SEEKING FDA NOD FOR 12-17 Y.O. BOOSTER COVID-19 JABS

MANILA - The Department of Health has sought amendments for the emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines so teens aged 12 to 17 could have their boosters, authorities said.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the same process is underway for a possible 4th dose. They were just waiting for the regulatory body to release the amendments.

"Tayo po ay nagsumite na ng request for the EUAs to be amended for this 4th dose at saka ito pong ating booster shots for 12 to 17 years old. Atin lang pong inaantay ang FDA na maglabas ng amended EUA," Vergeire told reporters on Friday.

"Kapag lumabas po ito, isusumite naman natin ito sa Health Technology Assessment Council para sa kanilang pagsusuri ukol sa mga sektor na ito," she added.

Once the amendments get released, she said the DOH will issue guidelines and implement the 4th dose and the booster shots for ages 12 to 17 population.

In a statement on Sunday, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. said the health department sought to amend Moderna and Pfizer's virus jabs.

"Nag-submit na ang DOH ng EUA amendment para magkaroon na rin ng booster ang 12-17 years old, at fourth booster naman para sa seniors at selected frontliners para madagdagan ang ating proteksyon [laban sa COVID-19],” said Galvez, who is also chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19.

“Hinihiling po namin sa inyo na kapag nag-open na ang ating fourth dose, at nag-open na rin ang boosters sa 12-17 years old, magpabakuna tayo. Hangga’t maaga, magpabakuna na,” he added.

DOE TELLS POWER SECTOR TO ENSURE SUFFICIENT POWER FOR ELECTIONS

MANILA — The Department of Energy (DOE) ordered all generation companies (gencos), the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), and distribution utilities (DUs) to ensure adequate power during the critical elections period.

Stable power is required to transmit polling data.

The DOE posted on its website three separate advisories last week telling members of the energy sector to undertake several actions in the weeks leading up to elections. The advisories were signed by the Secretary Alfonso Cusi and issued on March 30.

The agency also told gencos and DUs to ensure enough power during the testing and sealing of vote counting machines (VCMs) which will take place over a five-day period ending May 7.

In its first advisory, DOE instructed gencos must make sure that their power plants are providing enough energy to meet the demand and required reserves to the power grid.

The Energy department also said that gencos must hold off from conducting preventive maintenance and testing activities one week before and after the elections.

PACQUIAO CONFIDENT ‘TRUE CHRISTIANS,’ POOREST WILL VOTE FOR HIM

MANILA — Sen. Manny Pacquiao is banking on “true Christians” and Filipinos in social classes D and E to deliver for him the votes he needs to win the presidency.

“I am very sure that we all have the same faith, and the same spirit is distributed among us. So I am sure that we will be helping each other, and that we are one with our brethren,” Pacquiao, a devout Christian of the Evangelical Protestant church, said in his campaign sortie in Nasugbu, Batangas over the weekend.

Buoyed by an outpouring of support from various denominations of the Christian faith throughout the country, he said: “If you really are a true Christian, you will support a (fellow) Christian, you will support your brother.”

The Promdi Party standard-bearer stressed that he shows the same solid support for a fellow Christian who seeks public office to contribute to improving the condition of poor Filipinos.

If elected, the boxing icon-turned-politician will be the second non-Catholic president to rule the country after former president Fidel Ramos, a Protestant.

Pacquiao feels so strongly about his faith that he declared two weeks ago that if he receives a sign through Divine Intervention against his candidacy, he would withdraw from the presidential derby.

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PHILIPPINES EXCEEDS 200K FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS

MANILA — The Department of Tourism on Friday announced that the country breached 200,000 foreign tourist arrivals.

As of April 7, 2022, the Philippines logged 202,700 foreign tourist arrivals.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat welcomed this development, nearly two months since the country eased travel restrictions to international travelers.

"The sustained influx of tourists in the Philippines is a good measure of the industry’s success in its preparations to welcome foreign tourists in the new normal. Our high vaccination rate among tourism workers and reportedly low cases around the country have helped restore the confidence of travelers to visit the Philippines during the summer season," Puyat said

"This continued growth shall aid our stakeholders, as well as the economy, in recovering from the effects caused by the pandemic," she added.

The DOT chief said Philippines “still has one of the simplest and most relaxed travel restrictions.” This was after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases' (IATF-EID) approved a resolution allowing the use of rapid antigen tests as entry requirements for travelers; on the condition that this should be administered and certified by a healthcare professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishments for purposes of entry, testing, and quarantine protocols.

SC ORDERS SANDIGAN TO DROP MIKE ARROYO FROM GRAFT CASE OVER PNP HELICOPTER DEAL

MANILA — A special division of the Supreme Court has ordered the Sandiganbayan to drop former first gentleman Mike Arroyo from the graft case over the alleged anomalous purchase of second-hand helicopters in 2009 and 2010.

The Special Third Division of the high court voted 4-1 to grant Arroyo’s Motion for Reconsideration that assailed the same division’s decision that dismissed his Petition for Certiorari.

“The Sandiganbayan is ordered to drop Jose Miguel T. Arroyo from the Information filed in the criminal case docketed as SB-12-CRM-10164 at any stage of the proceedings,” the 19-page ruling read.

The ruling, penned by now-retired Associate Justice Rosmari Carandang, is dated Dec. 1, 2021, but was uploaded only on the SC website on April 10.

HOLY WEEK 2022: GO ON A VISITA IGLESIA WALKING TOUR

MANILA -- Tired of visiting churches through your screen? Here's another safe way to take part in the Visita Iglesia tradition this Holy Week.

JP Ordona of Manilakad (combining Manila and "lakad," which means "to walk" in Filipino) is offering two Visita Iglesia walking tours: one in Quezon City on Holy Tuesday (April 12), and another in Manila on Maundy Thursday (April 14).

Each tour includes at least seven walkable churches, with Ordona sharing their historical significance and other interesting details. There will also be food stops, but these will not be covered by the tour fee of P1,000 per person.

Since it is an outdoor activity, participants are advised to wear comfortable shoes and clothes and bring water, an umbrella, and a fan.

"Walking tours are primarily safe because they are done outdoors with social distancing," he told ABS-CBN News in an online interview.

"I think the appeal of walking tours is it genuineness. You are not herded in an aircon bus and made unaware of your surroundings. Walking tours are authentic, personalized, and flexible," he added.

This year will mark the first time that Ordona will do a Visita Iglesia walking tour in Quezon City. He saw the potential of the City of Stars after realizing that New Manila "was like a mini Tagaytay with many churches, seminaries, and convents."

MMDA SUSPENDS NUMBER CODING FROM HOLY TUESDAY TO GOOD FRIDAY

MANILA — The implementation of the Modified Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or the number coding scheme will be suspended during Holy Week from Holy Tuesday to Good Friday, the Metro Manila Development Authority announced Monday morning.

The suspension will run from Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the latter of which are both regular holidays.

"The modified number coding scheme is automatically lifted during holidays," the MMDA said in Filipino on its official Twitter page.

It added that the suspension was meant "to give the public the opportunity to travel earlier due to the influx of people returning to the provinces at the terminals and ports."

To recall, the scheme was brought back to help ease vehicular traffic during the afternoon rush hour amid the coronavirus pandemic. It is typically implemented from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and according to the MMDA, reduces traffic by up to 20 percent.

MAGUINDANAO BOMB ATTACK FOILED

AMPATUAN, Maguindanao — Soldiers thwarted an attempt by a local terror group to stage a bomb attack following the discovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Cotabato-Isulan Highway in this town on Saturday.

The IED, fashioned out of a mortar projectile with a blasting contraption that can be set off from a distance, was found by patrolling soldiers in Sitio Masalay in Barangay Matagobong.

Bomb experts from the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade deactivated the IED that was believed planted by the lawless group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

The group, which pledged allegiance to international terror organization Islamic State, has been tagged in all deadly bombings in central Mindanao since 2014.

The attempt was reportedly meant to show that the force of the BIFF was not diminished by the surrender of over a hundred of its members in the past 12 months.

AGATON WEAKENS, STORM SIGNAL 1 UP IN SEVERAL AREAS

MANILA — Agaton has weakened into a tropical depression, but will continue to bring rains in large swaths of the country on Monday, state weather bureau PAGASA said.

In an 8 a.m. tropical cyclone advisory, PAGASA said Agaton was spotted over waters off Tanauan, Leyte. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and 75 kph gusts.

PAGASA said moderate to heavy and at times intense rains may lash Eastern Visayas, Masbate, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, and the northern and central portions of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will be experienced over Dinagat Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Quezon, and the rest of Bicol Region and Visayas.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC) spokesperson Mark Timbal said more than 45,000 people have been affected by Agaton's onslaught.

The NDRRMC is verifying reports of fatalities due to the storm, Timbal said in an interview on ANC's "Rundown".

"Currently po, we have received a report and this is undergoing validation, the death of one person d'yan po sa (there in) Mindanao area as a result of a drowning incident due to the flooding situations encountered po," the official said.

"We also have 2 reports of injuries in Mindanao due to the flooding situation. There are some reports po na this morning may additional daw po tayong kababayan na nasawi but we’re still waiting for the official head count and reports coming from our regional counterparts po," he added.

Agaton has left nearly P900,000 in damage to homes and agriculture, Timbal said.

The Philippine Coast Guard said some 2,973 persons were stranded in ports across the country due to rough waters.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

BROOKLYN BECKHAM, NICOLA PELTZ ARE NOW MARRIED

It’s official! Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz have tied the knot.

The two exchanged vows in an elaborate wedding ceremony on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) held at the Peltz family estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Peltz looked absolutely gorgeous in her Valentino wedding gown, which Beckham showed off on his Instagram page.

“My beautiful bride,” wrote the 23-year-old groom.

Peltz, for her part, shared a photo of them holding hands post-ceremony, labeling the picture as Mr. & Mrs. Peltz Beckham.

Among the attendees were Beckham’s famous parents David and Victoria Beckham, and his siblings Romeo, Cruz and Harper.

People reported that Peltz’s whole family was also there including her seven siblings.

In an interview with Hello Magazine back in November, Beckham said they would have married earlier if it weren't for the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We've been engaged for a year and if COVID wasn't a thing we’d have liked to have been married already, and it has been a bit difficult," said Beckham at that time.

SPORTS

MERALCO DEF. GINEBRA, 83-74 (PBA FINALS GAME 3) APRIL 10

Meralco Bolts uses strong second half to beat Barangay Ginebra, 83-74 in game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-7 series of the 2021-2022 PBA Governors' Cup Finals on Sunday in front of 16,104 crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Tony Bishop led the Bolts with a huge double-double performance of 30 points on 11-of-25 shooting along with 16 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist and a block in 44 minutes of play. Chris Newsome with a solid game of 20 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists while Allein Maliksi added 10 points (4/10 FG, 2/8 3PT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.

Justin Brownlee paced Ginebra with 19 points (8/21 FG, 1/10 3PTS), 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 blocks and 1 steal while Christian Standhardinger added 17 points and 6 rebounds.

Ginebra committed 16 turnovers (MER - 10to) in the contest, only shot 28/70 (40%) from the field including 4-of-32 shooting from downtown (MER - 31/88 fg, 8/25 3pts) and went 14-of-22 from the free throw line (MER - 13/14 ft). The Bolts outrebounded BGK, 55-45.

Finals Game 4 is on Wednesday, April 13 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The Scores:

MERALCO 83 – Bishop 30, Newsome 10, Maliksi 10, Black 8, Almazan 6, Quinto 3, Banchero 2, Hugnatan 2, Baclao 2, Hodge 0.

GINEBRA 74 – Brownlee 19, Standhardinger 17, Thompson 11, Tenorio 11, Chan 9, Pinto 5, Devance 2, Tolentino 0, Mariano 0.

Quarters: 22-27, 40-48, 62-61, 83-74.

NBA SCORES APR 9

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Pacers25-56     23        31        36        30        120

76ers50-31       37        29        34        33        133

WELLS FARGO CENTER, PHILADELPHIA, PA

SCORING LEADERS

O. Brissett IND

20 PTS 7 REB 1 AST

J. Embiid PHI

41 PTS 20 REB 4 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Pelicans36-45   18        29        33        34        114

Grizzlies56-25   30        34        55        22        141

FEDEXFORUM, MEMPHIS, TN

SCORING LEADERS

C. McCollum NO

16 PTS 1 REB 4 AST

D. Brooks MEM

23 PTS 3 REB 5 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Warriors52-29   23        31        24        22        100

Spurs34-47       21        23        27        23        94

AT&T CENTER, SAN ANTONIO, TX

SCORING LEADERS

J. Kuminga GS

18 PTS 4 REB 2 AST

L. Walker IV SA

24 PTS 5 REB 2 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Kings29-52       16        29        26        27        98

Clippers41-40    31        28        33        25        117

CRYPTO.COM ARENA, LOS ANGELES, CA

SCORING LEADERS

            D. Mitchell SAC

22 PTS 1 REB 7 AST

            P. George LAC

23 PTS 8 REB 12 AST

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves. - Will and Ariel Durant