AT LEAST 6 REPORTED DEAD IN LUZON EARTHQUAKE: NDRRMC

MANILA  — At least 6 were reported dead following the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck northern Luzon this week, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Friday.

Five people have been confirmed dead, while authorities are verifying another fatality, according to NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal.

The temblor that jolted Abra province and was felt in parts of Metro Manila left 136 injured and 4 missing, he said.

A total of 79,263 persons were affected, with 1,622 families still in 26 evacuation centers while 1,512 persons are camped outside their homes, Timbal added.

"Power supply has largely been restored in affected areas except those that sustained major damage," he told ANC's Headstart, adding that water service was interrupted in 1 town.

Some 1,500 houses were damaged, while infrastructure in affected areas took an estimated P48.3-million damage, Timbal said. Local disaster offices have advised residents not to return to their homes until the structural integrity has been assessed, he added.

The cost of agricultural and irrigation damage was around P2.8 million and P4.5 million, respectively, according to Timbal.

The NDRRMC's priority is to provide food, water and other necessities to affected persons, Timbal said. It has so far released P400,000 worth of assistance, he said.

"Our government has signified there are standby funds ready to be provided to local government units in case they would need augmented funding," he said.

ABRA IN STATE OF CALAMITY

A state of calamity was declared in the province of Abra on Thursday after a magnitude 7 earthquake caused massive damage in northern Luzon the day before.

In a resolution, the provincial board of Abra declared the entire province in a state of calamity. Governor Dominic Valera approved the measure.

In a separate advisory, the disaster management council of Abra said the suspension of government work and classes in the province is extended until today, July 29. “Work and classes will resume on Monday, August 1, 2022,” it said.

An initial report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) said the damage caused by the earthquake affected 80 percent of the total population, or about 200,000 people, and major infrastructure in the province.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered the relevant national agencies to coordinate with local government units (LGUs) to ensure an immediate emergency response to areas damaged by the earthquake.

Marcos issued the directive at a briefing in Bangued, Abra, near the epicenter of the powerful quake.

The President earlier said there was no need to declare a state of national calamity yet, noting that it could only happen if three regions are heavily affected.

Locals should brace for more aftershocks, which already reached 887 as of Thursday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Thursday said.

Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said aftershocks are expected to continue in the next several weeks.

MARCOS NIXES CREATION OF DISASTER RESILIENCE DEPARTMENT

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday poured cold water on a legislative push to create a Department of Disaster Resilience, saying such a body should be under the Office of the President.

At a briefing in Abra, the epicenter of Wednesday’s powerful earthquake, the President said the government must disabuse itself of the idea of creating new departments despite a congressional push to pass a law on its creation.

He said he agreed with his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, that a disaster response body should be under the OP.

He said this was preferable to a full-blown department whose budget would be eaten up by salaries for undersecretaries and assistant secretaries.

“I did not ever understand the concept of a full… department. I don’t think we need that because you don’t really have to form policy,” Marcos said.“It is just an implementation of a rescue mission or search and rescue mission,” he added, citing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the United States as a “good model.”

“There are many models, but the good model I’ve seen is FEMA in the United States and that’s only an adjunct of the… Department of the Interior,” the President said.

Senator Marcos said creating a disaster body under the OP would save the government a lot of money.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who was present at the briefing, vowed support for Senator Marcos’ suggestion.

Although Congress has supported the creation of a DDR, Romualdez said legislators would stand behind the administration’s rightsizing policy.

ASEAN, CHINA TACKLE DETAILS OF SCS CODE PACT

The Philippines, other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and China have started deliberations on several details regarding the proposed Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

Foreign Affairs for ASEAN Assistant Sec. Daniel Espiritu revealed that “there is already a sort of agreement” among countries in the region and China on how to address certain situations in the disputed waters to avoid escalation of tensions.

“It’s more on specific situations that may happen in the South China Sea. [It’s] not exactly rights, but let’s say unexpected encounters: What if two naval vessels meet each other? What if a coast guard vessel goes near a certain feature?” Espiritu told a press conference.

“These are now microcosmic issues that are no longer covered by UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)—still covered by UNCLOS but not specifically,” the DFA official stressed.

According to Espiritu, this development was a breakthrough considering that efforts to craft a Code of Conduct have been around for almost two decades.

“Whatever slow progress we’re making right now is already quite a significant progress,” he observed.

Starting July 30, representatives from all the ASEAN nations as well as from some “external” countries will be meeting in Cambodia for the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Although concerns on the South China Sea are expected to be discussed, negotiations have already started and “are continuing.”

MARCOS MEETS LEGAL TEAM ON ICC ISSUE

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has met with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra to discuss the government’s stand regarding the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) move to resume its investigation of the Duterte administration’s drug war.

“We discussed the government’s position on the ICC investigation,” Guevarra said in a text message to reporters, referring to their meeting on Wednesday.

“But I’d rather leave it to the President to make any disclosure at this time,” Guevarra added.

Remulla confirmed he was also present in the meeting but declined to disclose details of what was discussed, saying Malacanang would be the one who would announce its details.

“We had a meeting with former Secretary Menardo Guevarra who is now the Solicitor General. We met with the Executive Secretary (Vic Rodriguez), the Chief Legal Counsel (Juan Ponce Enrile), myself… and of course [the] President to speak about our concerns about the ICC issue, which of course you’ll find out in the next few days …” Remulla said.

“Wait for Malacañang for the announcement on our drift in the ICC,” he added.

NUMBER OF SCHOOLS DAMAGED BY LUZON EARTHQUAKE RISES TO 164: DEPED

MANILA — The number of schools that sustained damage due to the magnitude 7 earthquake that rocked Luzon rose to 164, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Thursday.

The figure, reported by DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa in a TeleRadyo interview, was significantly higher than the 35 reported earlier by the agency.

He did not specify the areas of the damaged schools, although the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had indicated in its initial report that such were recorded in Regions 1, 2, 3 and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

The cost for repairs of the damaged schools jumped to P940 million from P228.5 million, Poa said.

According to him, the DepEd has yet to decide if it would postpone the Aug. 22 opening of School Year 2022-2023 in areas affected by the major quake.

MAKATI GETS HIGHEST COA RATING ANEW

MANILA — For the fifth straight year, the city government of Makati has earned an “unmodified opinion” from the Commission on Audit (COA), Mayor Abby Binay reported yesterday.

“I am pleased with the results of the recent audit report. Makati earned its first unmodified opinion in 2017, a year after I assumed office. This achievement is a rare feat and a strong validation of our efforts in ensuring honest and transparent governance,” Binay said in a statement.

In a letter addressed to the mayor dated June 29, the COA-National Capital Region said Makati received an unmodified opinion or the highest audit rating due to its “fairness in presenting the city’s financial statements in 2021.”

The audit body gives an unmodified or unqualified opinion to local government units when the auditor “concludes that the financial statements are prepared in all material respects, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.”

Binay, whose administration enacted reforms to promote transparency, accountability and efficient services at city hall, said she hopes that the unmodified opinion would bring more trust and confidence in the financial system of the city.

“This recognition proves that even with the pandemic restrictions, we have remained on track in following financial reporting and auditing standards,” Binay said.

One of the initiatives Binay launched to prevent fixers is the business one-stop shop, which allows for fast processing and issuance of licenses, clearances and permits.

During the pandemic, Makati implemented online tax payments to decongest city hall and prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

Last year, the city government opened its first Makatizen hub, a satellite office at SM Makati where residents, workers and employers can get business permits and health certificates, pay real property and business taxes, apply for a Makatizen card and obtain digital vaccination certificate for residents going abroad.

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PH REPORTS 3,858 NEW COVID CASES; ACTIVE INFECTIONS TOP 29,000

MANILA — The Philippines recorded 3,858 new COVID-19 cases, data from the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday showed.

This is the highest daily tally in more than five months, or since Feb. 10, ABS-CBN Data Analytics Team head Edson Guido said.

The number of people currently positive for the coronavirus stood at 29,897, the highest since April 8, Guido added.

The country's total confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed to 3,764,346. The first infection was recorded on Jan. 30, 2020 in a Chinese woman who arrived from Wuhan City, China where the disease is believed to have first emerged.

Of the additional cases reported during the day, 1,223 were from Metro Manila, the DOH said.

The positivity rate for July 24 to 27 is at 15.6 percent, Guido said.

FATHER OF GUNMAN IN ATENEO SHOOTING SHOT DEAD IN BASILAN

MANILA –  The father of Ateneo shooting suspect Chao Tiao Yumol was shot dead outside his home in Basilan early Friday, police said.

Rolando Yumol was killed by unidentified assassins in front of his house in Brgy. Maganda, Lamitan City, Basilan, said police spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo.

As of posting time, no arrests have been made, Fajardo said.

The younger Yumol, currently detained in Quezon City, was arrested on Sunday following a shooting incident at the Ateneo de Manila University that left three people dead and one injured.

Former Lamitan Mayor Rose Furigay, her aide Victor Capistrano, and security guard Jeneven Bandiala perished in the incident. Furigay's daughter Hannah, who was supposed to graduate on Sunday is still recuperating at a hospital.

Suspect Yumol was a disgruntled doctor who had a years-long grudge against the former local chief executive, the Furigay family’s lawyer said.

"This all started when he was operating an infirmary clinic," lawyer Quirino Esguerra told ABS-CBN News.

"The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) issued a cease and desist order. Because Lamitan City is included in BARMM, it was [then] Mayor Rose Furigay who implemented it," he said.

"When she implemented that order from BARMM, doon nagalit itong si Dr. Chao-Tiao Yumol," he said.

As early as 2018, Yumol has been posting baseless accusations against Furigay, prompting the politician to file at least 70 cyber libel cases against him, Esguerra said.

A hearing for those cases was scheduled on June 25 in Davao City, he said.

During the police's presentation of Yumol to the media, the suspect meanwhile insisted that the slain former mayor was involved in drugs, an accusation the family repeatedly denied.

PH DENGUE CASES DOUBLE TO 73,909

The country’s dengue cases have nearly doubled to 73,909 infections so far this year, the Department of Health said Thursday.

This is 96 percent higher than some 37,000 cases reported during the same period last year, according to Health Undersecretary Beverly Ho.

Most of the cases were from Central Luzon, Central Visayas, and Metro Manila, she said.

Eleven of 17 regions exceeded the epidemic threshold in the past four weeks or from June 12 to July 19, Ho said. The figure is down from 13 regions during the period of June 5 to July 2.

A total of 299 dengue-related deaths have so far been reported this year, according to Ho.

The DOH is looking into procuring dengue vaccines as cases rise, its officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said.

ROBREDO TO RECEIVE HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM ATENEO

MANILA — Former vice president Leni Robredo will be conferred an honorary doctorage degree by the Ateneo de Manila University for her contributions during her tenure as the second highest official of the land.

The Ateneo de Manila Board of Trustees resolved to confer on Robredo the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Economics, honoris causa, university president Roberto Yap said on Wednesday.

The conferment will take place on Aug. 27.

According to Yap, honorary degrees are conferred upon those who have been recognized for making notable and invaluable advancements in their field.

Yap said Robredo made remarkable contributions toward poverty alleviation despite having limited government funding.

She was able to do this through programs implemented with a vast network partners, both local and international, the Ateneo president said.

“Her responses to the pandemic, natural and man-made disasters as well as violations against human rights and the Philippines’ national sovereignty demonstrate a leadership that is both strategic and compassionate, qualities which we hope to form in our students, graduates and employees,” Yap said.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

LIZA SOBERANO ADMITS LOOKING FOR WORK IN SOUTH KOREA

MANILA — Kapamilya actress Liza Soberano made waves in South Korea and continues to bond with K-pop stars in the Philippines.

Liza recently appeared in the Korean show "Not Hocance But Scance." The variety show is produced by Box Media and hosted by K-drama actress Ye Ji Won and SISTAR member Soyou.

Liza shared in her Instagram story screenshots of her guesting.

"Had my first ever Korean show guesting tonight on MBN’s Not Hocance But Scance," she wrote.

In the show, Liza was asked if she was in South Korea for a vacation.

“I am here for a kind of vacation, kind of work. I’m just exploring Seoul. And I’m a huge fan of K-pop and K-drama so I want to, like, find work here," Liza answered.

Apart from the TV guesting, Liza was also featured in WINNER's HOONY's TikTok, sparking a rumored collaboration.

Liza was also seen in IKON's DK's TikTok video.

She was also seen with Jay Park, doing the dance challenge for his song “Need To Know.”

Liza also did the "Dear Cupid" challenge with IVE‘s Yujin. She was most recently spotted hanging out with James Reid and BamBam, before the latter's Philippine fan meet later today.

SHARON CUNETA SAYS ‘SICK AND BALDADO’ IN US AFTER CONCERT SERIES

Cuneta, 56, shared her situation through an Instagram post, where she expressed affection for her fellow music icon Regine Velasquez. The two recently wrapped their “Iconic” concert tour in the US.

“My Nana is flying back to Manila ahead of me,” she wrote, using her term of endearment for Velasquez. “And because I’ve been sick and baldado (haven’t gotten out of bed since we arrived in L.A. July 25) - bumigay na rin my body - we haven’t really had the chance to go out and just relax together.”

“I miss her and will miss her so much more when she leaves… I love you, my Nana,” Cuneta added.

The screen veteran did not give specific details about her health condition.

In a subsequent update, Cuneta posted a selfie with Velasquez inside what appears to be a vehicle.

She addressed her co-performer in the caption, writing: "Goodnight, my Nana… Praying for your safe and restful flight home. I miss you and love you very much. Thank you for a wonderful and extremely happy concert tour!”

Cuneta earlier expressed her love for Velasquez, with whom she formed a deeper relationship during their stay in the US for the concert. While they originally staged “Iconic” in 2019, their tour allowed them to bond and get to know each other better, Cuneta said.

SPORTS

PBA TO HOLD ONLY 2 CONFERENCES NEXT SEASON IN SUPPORT OF GILAS

The PBA will limit its season to just 2 conference next year to support Gilas Pilipinas as the national team prepares for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

This will allow to free up potential Gilas players to join the national team in preparation of the tournament that will be co-hosted by the Philippines from August 25 to September 10, 2023.

"All-out ang support natin para sa Gilas," league commissioner Willie Marcial said in the PBA website after the league's board meeting on Thursday.

Marcial said Season 48 will open in September next year, after the global meet which will be hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

"Okay na sa board na two conferences lang tayo next season. Tinitignan namin by September next year ang start after the World Cup, most likely All-Filipino then may isang import conference."

Gilas coach Chot Reyes wants to put up a formidable lineup for the FIBA World Cup and the league remains a major source of talent for the pool.

"Magbibigay tayo ng one conference para sa Gilas at suportado ito ng lahat ng team owners kaya naman nagpapasalamat ako sa team owners sa tuloy-tuloy na suporta nila," said Marcial.

The PBA chief also assured they will be lending PBA players to Gilas for the next window of the World Cup Asian qualifiers this August.

"Okay din ang board na kumuha si coach Chot sa 10 teams na wala sa finals for this coming window," he said.

Gilas will go up against Lebanon on August 25 and Saudi Arabia on August 29.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits. - Thomas Edison