'INDISPUTABLE’: PHILIPPINES COMMEMORATES 6TH ANNIVERSARY OF HAGUE RULING

MANILA — The Philippines commemorates the 6th anniversary of the historic 2016 Hague ruling that “upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction” over the West Philippine Sea.

The Hague-based international tribunal invalidated China’s so-called nine-dash claims over the disputed waters and ruled that it is under the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

“These findings are no longer within the reach of denial and rebuttal, and are conclusive as they are indisputable,” Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We firmly reject attempts to undermine it; nay, even erase it from law, history and our collective memories.”

Manalo also said that the Philippines welcomes the support of more countries backing Manila in asserting its rights over the waters.

Manalo maintained that the tribunal award together with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea allow the Philippines to assert its rights over the West Philippine Sea.

“Compliance with UNCLOS, which represents a delicate balance of the rights and obligations of all State Parties, in its entirety is key to ensuring global and regional peace and the fair and sustainable use of the oceans,” Manalo said.

Meanwhile, a youth coalition has called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as he supposedly promised during his campaign.

The West Philippine Sea Coalition (WPSC) is urging the country’s new leaders to “not sail in the same direction as the previous administration” when it comes to dealing with West Philippine Sea issues with China.

“The Filipino youth will hold President Marcos Jr. to his promises,” WPSC Spokesperson Nathalie Walker said in a press conference held Monday.

US BACKS PHILIPPINES ON WPS, WARNS THAT WASHINGTON WILL BACK MANILA SHOULD THERE BE ARMED ATTACKS

MANILA — On the 6th anniversary of the 2016 Hague ruling, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to the Philippines and warns that it will back Manila should there be armed attacks.

“We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke the U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a press statement dated July 11.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration, a United Nations-backed tribunal, ruled in 2016 that China’s claims over the South China Sea is invalid as the claims already exceeds Beijing’s maritime entitlements.

It also ruled that some of the areas are already within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

“We call again on the PRC to abide by its obligations under international law and cease its provocative behavior.  We will continue to work with allies and partners, as well as regional institutions like ASEAN, to protect and preserve the rules-based order,” Blinken said.

23 BILLS CERTIFIED URGENT BY DUTERTE PASSED INTO LAW

MANILA — Out of the 27 measures certified as urgent by the Duterte administration, 23 have become laws, data from the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) showed.

Nearly all of the bills certified as urgent by former president Rodrigo Duterte have been passed by Congress but only 36 of his 75 priority measures, proclamations and international agreements were enacted into law or have secured the concurrence of lawmakers, according to the PLLO.

If the President certifies a measure as urgent, Congress may approve it on second and third reading on the same day.

As of June 27, three urgent measures that have not been enacted into law are the bill strengthening the financing system for agriculture, fisheries and rural development in the Philippines; amendments to Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016; and the proposed act institutionalizing anti-drug abuse councils in every local government unit.

One of the items certified as urgent by Duterte was the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade agreement among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. The agreement has to be ratified by the Senate before it takes effect in the Philippines.

MARCOS 'ON HIS WAY TO COMPLETE RECOVERY' AFTER 2ND BOUT WITH COVID-19: DOCTOR

MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is "is on his way to complete recovery" about 3 days after he tested positive for COVID-19, Malacañang said on Monday.

The President's "vital signs are all were within normal limits and exemplary," said Dr. Samuel Zacate, Marcos' lead physician.

"He is still with no fever and body malaise. His cough disappeared but still with very mild nasal stuffiness and nasal itchiness, therefore additional medication were given to address his concern and all other medicines were advised to be continued," Zacate said in a medical bulletin.

"He doesn't experience any additional signs and symptoms. His throat still has no noticeable inflammation and no signs of respiratory compromise," he said.

The 64-year-old President's "fast recovery is expected from a fully vaccinated individual with a good health status," the doctor said.

Marcos has been in isolation since Friday after an antigen test showed that he contracted the virus. An RT-PCR test later confirmed that the President is infected with the disease.

The President earlier had slight fever, but was otherwise doing well in isolation, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a press conference last week.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier advised Marcos to stay in isolation for 7 days after all symptoms of COVID-19 subside.

This is the second time Marcos was infected with COVID-19.

ROMUALDEZ REFILES BILL CREATING US-TYPE CDC

MANILA — Incoming speaker Martin Romualdez has refiled the bill previously passed by the House of Representatives seeking to create a United States-type Center for Disease Control (CDC) medical facility to better prepare the country for future pandemics.

“We hope that with the opening of the 19th Congress, this important measure will again be prioritized by our chamber and finally be passed into law, so that the country will be better equipped should another pandemic hit us,” Romualdez said.

“We have learned our lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and this measure will ensure our stronger response and preparedness to any public health emergency,” he added.

Among the reelected Leyte congressman’s co-authors in House Bill No. 9 are his wife Yedda Marie and neophyte Jude Acidre, who both represent Tingog party-list.

The proposed “Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control Act” is a consolidation of 13 House bills establishing the CDC that were referred to the House committee on health during the previous 18th Congress (July 2019-June 2022).

Romualdez, the majority leader in the previous Congress, said the proposed measure would better prepare the country against public health emergencies, through health modernization and institutional reforms.

PH TRADE DEFICIT WIDENS TO $5.68 BILLION IN MAY

The country’s trade deficit widened in May as the growth in imports outpaced exports, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority released Tuesday showed.

The trade deficit widened to $5.68 billion in May from $4.77 billion in April, data from the PSA said.

May’s trade gap is 78.6 percent higher year-on-year.

Imports or external trade for May hit $18.30 billion or a 21.5 percent annual growth rate, data showed.

Meanwhile, total exports sales in May amounted to $6.31 billion or 6.2 percent higher than the previous month.

By commodity group, electronic products remain the country’s top export in May, while manufactured goods held the biggest share in total exports in terms of type of goods, the PSA said.

United States contributed the highest export value followed by Japan, Hong Kong, China and Singapore, data showed.

DOH LAUNCHES HERBAL MEDICINE PROGRAM

MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH), through the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC), recently launched a program on herbal medicine that is set to benefit close to 20,000 households.

According to PITAHC director-general Dr. Annabelle Pabiona-de Guzman, the Herbal Medicine Access Program (HerbMAP) aims to reach at least 19,500 households from the marginalized and underserved population and reduce their out-of-pocket expenses by providing safe, effective and quality herbal medicines and products.

PITAHC is the governing body for traditional and complementary medicine in the Philippines. It is a government-owned and controlled corporation attached to the DOH.

“This program will be able to reach out and help more Filipino families so that somehow, they will not have to worry about the rising cost of medicines. PITAHC also assures the public that the herbal medicines and products that will be covered by Malacañang is safe and effective,” De Guzman said.

MERALCO CUTS JULY RATES BY 71¢/KWH

MANILA — Rates of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) went down by P0.71 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) this month, reversing all increases in the overall power rates since the start of the year, as distribution-related refund was able to offset increase in generation charge.

At a briefing yesterday, Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga said the overall rate for a typical household declined by P0.7067 per kWh to P9.7545 per kWh from P10.4612 per kWh last month.

This is equivalent to a decrease of around P141 in the total bill of a residential customer consuming 200 kWh, P212 for 300 kWh, P283 for 400 kWh and P353 for 500 kWh.

Zaldarriaga said the rate reduction for this month was due to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)’s decision ordering Meralco to refund its customers P21.8 billion covering the period from July 2015 to June 2022.

As such, residential customers starting this month will receive a refund of P0.8656 per kWh which will appear in their power bills as a separate line item called “Dist True-up 4.”

The refund will run for a period of 12 months or until the amount is fully refunded.

DEPED SEEKS NBI PROBE INTO CLAIMS OF ABUSE IN PHSA

MANILA — The Department of Education said Tuesday it is working with authorities to investigate alleged abuses in the Philippine High School for the Arts, one of its attached agencies.

Vice President Sara Duterte, also education chief, requested the National Bureau of Investigation to provide a comprehensive report on the allegations of emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse by PHSA teachers and staff as soon as possible.

PHSA, the country’s premier high school for young artists, has been under fire following the release of a report by Vice World News on the abuses endured by students at the hands of teachers and staff.

The story also reported that allegations of the students have been ignored by school authorities.

DepEd also tapped its Child Protection Unit and Child Rights in Education Desk to conduct a similar probe in relation with the department’s child protection policy.

It encouraged those who have concerns related to such abuses in PHSA to submit their complaints to the school’s committee on decorum and investigation for proper actions.

“The department would like to reiterate that the agency does not tolerate abuses in any form,” it said, adding the Duterte-led DepEd will continue to promote a “healthy and safe environment” for learners and teachers.

SY 2022-2023 TO BEGIN ON AUGUST 22: DEPED

MANILA — The Department of Education has set the opening of the next school year (SY) on August 22.

In a July 11 order made public on Tuesday, the agency said SY 2022-2023 would have 203 school days, with classes scheduled to start on August 22 – the date proposed by the previous DepEd leadership – and end on July 7, 2023.

Enrollment for the upcoming SY starts on July 25, according to the order.

The latest announcement rejects a recent appeal by an educators’ group to open the next SY in mid-September and October.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said his government was planning to bring back in-person classes at full capacity by November.

LOTILLA NOMINATED AS ENERGY SECRETARY, ANGELES CLARIFIES

MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has chosen former Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla to head the Department of Energy (DOE), the Palace said on Monday.

Malacañang said Lotilla occupied the same post from 2005 to 2007, under former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Lotilla is listed as a lead independent director of Abotiz Power, which identifies itself has the Philippines' "leading renewable energy provider."

The chairperson of Abotiz Power's Board is Sabin Aboitiz, Marcos Jr.'s long-time friend and now head of the President's Private Sector Advisory Council.

Lotilla is also an independent director of the First Metro Investment Corporation.

Lotilla previously worked as deputy director general of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) from 1996 to 2004, "where he pushed measures supportive of clean technologies and sustainable livelihoods, among other sustainable development advocacies," according to his profile from the DOE's website.

He also aided legislators in crafting the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA).

Meanwhile, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, in a separate statement Monday night, clarified that Lotilla's designation is currently a nomination, pending clarification of his employment status.

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PH DETECTS 79 MORE CASES OF OMICRON SUBVARIANTS: HEALTH DEPT

MANILA - The Philippines has detected 79 more cases of highly transmissible omicron subvariants, the Department of Health said Tuesday.

Government found an additional 60 cases of the omicron BA.5, 17 more cases of the BA2.12.1, and 2 more cases of the BA.4 in the latest whole genome sequencing conducted from July 7 to 11, according to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

The latest figures raise the country's total to 293 BA.5 cases, 87 BA.2.12.1 cases, and 12 BA.4 cases, Vergeire said.

Of the 60 new BA.5 cases, 58 were from Western Visayas and 1 each was from Davao region and Soccksargen. One patient experienced mild symptoms while the status of the others was still being verified.

Forty-three have recovered while 14 are still undergoing isolation and the outcome of the remaining patients are still being verified, Vergeire said.

DOCTORS PUSH FOR BOOSTER SHOTS AS COVID CASES KEEP RISING

MANILA – Doctors on Tuesday encouraged Filipinos to get their COVID-19 booster shots amid the rise in new daily COVID cases in the country.

The Philippines last week recorded 10,271 new COVID-19 cases, while the number of severe and critical patients slightly increased, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed Monday.

Despite this, the percentage of admitted severe and critical cases to the total COVID admissions was still below 9 percent, according to the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group.

In a TeleRadyo interview, Dr. Minguita Padilla noted that those admitted in hospitals for severe COVID-19 are those who have not yet received their booster shots.

“Lately, recently daw, marami nang, may mga pumapasok na rin na mga pasyente na nangangailangan na ng oxygen, na yung tinatawag na high-flow nasal cannula,” she said.

“So this is again, parang, oops, it’s a sign. May babala na dapat kumilos tayo. So tinanong ko, itong mga pasyente na ‘to, first of all nasa NCR ito. Itong mga pasyenteng ito, anong mga characteristics nila na, itong mga tao na’to that we’re seeing? Lahat daw sila na ganoon ay may mga high-risk patients at, nabakunahan pero walang booster,” she noted.

DOH data showed that not a single region in the country has given boosters to 50 percent of its eligible population.

“So ang advise naming lahat, para hindi mangyari yung bangungot at the time of delta, remember nagkaubusan ng kama, nagkaubusan ng hospital beds, may nangamatay sa mga, hopefully hindi mangyayari ito kasi meron na tayong mga partial immunity, pero magpabooster ho tayo,” Padilla said.

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante, meanwhile, said boosters have to be given to people before face mask mandates are lifted.

BSP SAYS FOLDED POLYMER BANKNOTES STILL VALID FOR PAYMENT

MANILA — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has clarified that folded polymer banknotes can still be circulated and used for payment amid posts on social media about some business establishments refusing to accept crimped notes.

"The BSP informs the public that folded banknotes, whether paper or polymer, can still be circulated and accepted for payment. As such, retailers and banks should accept them for day-to-day payment transactions," the central bank said in a statement sent out Monday evening.

The central bank issued guidelines in past weeks on how the public could best take care of these newly-issued P1,000 bills in a bid to "safeguard their integrity and prolong their lifespan."

The BSP undertook an information offensive to defend its decision to transition from abaca-based paper money to polymer, which the regulator said was “more durable and therefore more cost-effective than paper banknotes.”

The old P1,000 paper bill is still in circulation.

The BSP advised the public to use a bi-fold wallet, which they say is ideal for the note's storage, and even listed down tips on how to clean it, which raised brows on social media in past weeks.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

ANNE CURTIS TO RELEASE A DOCUMENTARY ON HER COMEBACK

MANILA -- Actress Anne Curtis is set to release a documentary about her comeback concert "LuvAnne," which was held last June 11 at the Resorts World Manila.

The documentary entitled "LuvAnne: The Comeback" will give viewers a glimpse into Curtis's preparations for the concert.

On Instagram, Curtis posted a preview of the documentary, which is set to be released on July 16.

"Sharing a little piece of my heart and soul," she wrote.

"It's the beginning of Anne coming back. ... We've had so much time before I decided to come back to work. The pressure can be a good thing. It gives me that determination to really prove that I can still do this now that I'm a mother,” Curtis said in the video.

"But I also understand that for mothers, you shouldn't let the flame for your passions die. One thing I want Dahlia to know is that her mother was a pursuer of dreams," she added, referring to her firstborn with husband Erwan Heussaff, who was born in March 2020.

Weeks before the concert, Curtis also returned to host ABS-CBN's noontime show "It's Showtime, after going on hiatus for more than two years, or since December 2019, when she went on leave as an expectant mother.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing. - Blaise Pascal