ARRIS ARRIVES IN MANILA, SETS US ‘NEW INITIATIVES’

United States Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Sunday night, beginning a 3-day official trip to the Philippines.

This is the first visit to the country by the first Asian-American vice president of the US.

Air Force Two, the vice president’s official plane, landed at 6:52 PM amid heavy security.

Harris flew into Manila from Bangkok, Thailand, where she attended the 29th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting.

She was accompanied by her husband, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, who earlier came to the Philippines as part of the US delegation for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s inaugural.

Harris will launch what the US government described as “New Initiatives” covering climate action, energy security, and sustainable infrastructure to strengthen the alliance between the longtime treaty allies.

“Overall, I would say this visit is about strengthening our bilateral relationship with the Philippines in recognition of our long history as friends, allies, partners,” a senior administration official told reporters in a background briefing on Sunday evening.

She is set to hold bilateral talks with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio at Malacañang on Monday.

According to the US Embassy, Harris was welcomed by US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, US Embassy Philippines Deputy Chief of Mission Heather Variava, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, Pasay Rep. Antonio Calixto, and Reynold Munsayac, spokesperson of Vice President Duterte-Carpio.

Harris will meet with President Marcos Jr. and Duterte-Carpio today and visit Palawan—the Philippine province closest to the territories in the disputed South China Sea—on Tuesday, November 22.

US, PHILIPPINES TO LAUNCH NEGOTIATIONS ON CIVIL NUCLEAR COOPERATION

MANILA — The United States and the Philippines are launching negotiations for a civil nuclear energy cooperation during US Vice President Kamala Harris’ first official trip to Manila.

According to the US Office of the Vice President (VPOTUS), the two countries will be launching the negotiations for the agreement, dubbed the “123 agreement,” to collaborate on zero-emission energy and nonproliferation priorities.

“[The] ‘123 agreement’ is the legal basis that the United States needs to expand civil cooperation and it consists of arrangements to ensure that civil nuclear energy cooperation is protected against nuclear weapons proliferation,” a senior administration official told reporters in a background briefing on Sunday evening.

He added that the agreement is integral before the formal civil cooperation can begin as required under the US National Security Act.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has made it clear that he plans to adopt nuclear power, along with leading the country’s transition to renewable energy, as the country grapples with an energy crisis.

Washington said it aims to assist the country “to increase energy security and deploying advanced nuclear reactor technology as quickly as safety and security conditions permit to meet the Philippines’ dire baseload power needs.”

“Such a deployment would support both energy security and climate goals, as well support workers and businesses in both countries,” the statement from Harris’ office read.

In his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos said the government will comply with rules set out by the International Atomic Energy Agency for nuclear power plants.

He said this plan could be backed by public-private partnerships. Although aside from the US, France has also expressed interest in supporting the Philippines’ goal.

In his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos said the government will comply with rules set out by the International Atomic Energy Agency for nuclear power plants.

He said this plan could be backed by public-private partnerships. Although aside from the US, France has also expressed interest in supporting the Philippines’ goal.

CLIMATE CHANGE TOP OF MIND AT APEC

Climate change was on everyone’s mind at the 29th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Thailand, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Saturday night in arrival remarks at the Villamor Airbase.

“Every discussion that we had—you can talk about the economy, you can talk about geopolitics, you can talk about anything…You talk about fisheries, you talk about governance, you talk about anything—and the subject of climate change will make itself felt,” Marcos said.

“And so again, this is something that we all seem to have realized and we have come together to try to mitigate.”

Marcos said there would be a push by Asia Pacific countries to enforce climate agreements already in place.

Marcos arrived before 11 p.m. with First Lady Liza Marcos, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and some Cabinet members.

Vice President Sara Duterte and other officials welcomed him at Villamor Airbase, where Marcos summarized the highlights of his four-day trip.

Supply chains, food supply, digitalization, and women empowerment were also tackled during the meetings, Marcos said.

He said he found the meetings encouraging because most countries identified similar problems.

“It was a very useful and productive process because as I said, we have now a way forward for all of us members of APEC,” he said.

GMA NOTES ‘VERY IMPRESSIVE’ SUMMIT PRESENCE OF MARCOS

Former President and now Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a “very good impression” in his first participation at the 29th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.

“He certainly made a very good impression on the leaders of the very important economies—and not only the very important economies but also the great economic thinkers of the world,” Mrs. Arroyo said.

The President earlier described Mrs. Arroyo as his “secret weapon” during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bangkok.

He personally invited Mrs. Arroyo to accompany him during the APEC Summit, noting that her experiences and insights were valuable.

“I say secret weapon because I’m the newbie here. I’m the new leader.

That’s why when we started the meeting and they’d see GMA, they’d say,

‘Ah my good friend! My good friend!’ Then it would be easy to start talking to them,” Mr. Marcos said.

Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople described Mr. Marcos’ first APEC as “highly successful.”

OVER 31 MILLION COVID-19 VACCINE DOSES WORTH P15.6 BILLION WASTED - DOH

MANILA — More than 31 million shots of COVID-19 vaccines went to waste in the Philippines, amounting to P15.6 billion, the Department of Health said Monday.

Of the total wasted doses, some 24 million expired due to short shelf life, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire told TeleRadyo.

The remaining 7 million shots went to waste due to temperature excursion, while other vials were opened and unused, she added.

"This 31 million po 'pag tinignan po natin 'yung kabuuan, almost 70 percent po dito ay 'yun pong na-procure ng private sector at saka ng local governments," Vergeire said.

The health official noted that the earlier coronavirus jabs had a shelf life of just 6 months from the date of bottling.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos also increased in the latter part of the year, Vergeire added.

As of Nov. 17, some 73.6 million Filipinos were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, data from the DOH showed.

Only 20.8 million have received their first boosters.

During last week's Senate plenary budget deliberations, Sen. Pia Cayetano disclosed that wasted COVID-19 vaccines only made up 12 percent of the 250 million doses received and procured by the government.

The World Health Organization has set the threshold of vaccine wastage at 10 percent.

But Cayetano noted that WHO found that wastage rates in low and middle income countries went up to 30 percent.

US GIVES ADDITIONAL $5-M COVID FUNDS FOR VACCINE ROLLOUT IN PH

The United States government is giving an additional $5 million (approximately P286 million) in additional COVID-19 funding to accelerate COVID vaccine rollout in the Philippines.

US Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, who is visiting the Philippines with his wife US Vice President Kamala Harris, made the announcement during a visit to Caloocan Monday.

The assistance, funded through the American Rescue Plan, will support vaccine distribution for children and adults in line with the Philippine government’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts to intensify and strengthen the country's wall of immunity.

The US government has provided nearly $50 million in COVID response assistance to the Philippines and donated, in partnership with COVAX, more than 33 million COVID-19 doses since the beginning of the pandemic.

‘GOVERNMENT IS TOP VIOLATOR OF LAWS VS CONTRACTUALS’

MANILA — Regardless of administration, the government is ironically on top when it comes to violating the country’s labor laws, the most common of which is the never-ending issue of contractualization, a senior opposition legislator has disclosed.

“The biggest violator of contractualization is actually the government,” Rep. Bernadette Herrera of party-list Bagong Henerasyon, who is a deputy minority leader in the official minority bloc of the House of Representatives, declared.

Data from the Civil Service Commission showed that in 2017, there were approximately 2.4 million state workers, making the government the biggest employer in the country. Of this number, over 660,000 were hired as casual or contractual workers.

She reiterated her call for government to “lead by example” and fix the problem of contractualization, also known as end-of-contract or endo, in the public sector, as she pushed for approval of House Bill 1387 that she authored.

“Hopefully, HB 1387 will put an end to that. If we want to end endo in the private sector, we have to lead by example in government,” Herrera said of her measure, which seeks to grant civil service eligibility to long-time casual state workers.

Its end goal is to reduce, if not totally eliminate, labor contractualization in government.

Covered under Herrera’s bill are government employees holding casual or contractual positions in the first and second levels, and who have rendered at least five consecutive years of government service.

The measure, on the other hand, provides that these government employees “shall not be entitled to any promotion unless they obtain the appropriate eligibility requirement for that position.”

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HOUSE BILL TO ESTABLISH ONLINE LIBRARY TO DIGITIZING TEXTBOOKS

Tingog party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre have filed a bill seeking to establish the Philippine Online Library that will house digitized copies of all textbooks and reference books necessary for the public education of elementary and secondary students.

House Bill (HB) No. 1582 or the proposed Philippine Online Library Act provides that the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) jointly manage the Online Library.

“This bill seeks to establish the Philippine Online Library and mandate the digitizing of all textbooks necessary for the public education of elementary and secondary students to ensure access to and availability of learning materials and references,” Romualdez and Acidre said on the measure which is now pending before the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has manifested the significance of digital technology, especially in the lives of children, serving as an important tool for their education, socialization, expression, and inclusion. Schools shifted to online learning and offices and workplaces moved to remote work,” they said.

“Thus, digitizing textbooks and references and the creation of this online library will match the pace of emerging technologies. This will enable the students to have an enhanced learning experience, ensure that they are skilled in using computers, and have equal access to the increasingly digitized world.”

Section 4 of the proposed measure requires DepEd to ensure access to the digitized copies of textbooks by providing computers, laptops, orappropriate wherewithal to all primary and secondary public schools nationwide.

Similarly, to ensure access to digitized copies of textbooks, the DICT shall provide fast and reliable internet access to each primary and secondary public school.

Romualdez and Acidre proposed an initial P500 million in funding for the program, while an annual P100 million was proposed to be included in the annual budget of DepEd to make sure that the equipment and internet connection of public schools for the purpose of measure will be maintained.

PNP WARNS PUBLIC OVER RASH OF FAKE PESO BILLS

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday reminded the public to remain vigilant against the proliferation of fake peso bills, especially during this Christmas season.

PNP spokesperson Police Col. Jean Fajardo said crimes against property like theft and robbery, as well as fraud and deceit, usually increase during the holiday season.

“The PNP reminds the public to be careful with their transactions when they shop in markets and malls, especially this time when many overseas Filipinos return home with remittances,” she said.

“Particularly, we remind the public to have their money exchange transaction in authorized money changers,” she added.

Earlier, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas advised people to use the “Feel-Look-Tilt” method to check the security features of the New Generation Currency (NGC) banknotes.

With Christmas Day just around the corner, Fajardo further asked people to buy gifts and supplies as early as now to avoid the holiday shopping rush. She also reminded the people to only buy from legitimate sellers, even in online shops.

“Let’s avoid waiting for the Christmas rush. Shop earlier and don’t get mixed up with the crowd. Money switching usually happens when there are many people,” she said.

BUCOR TO BURY DECEASED BILIBID INMATES FRIDAY

MANILA — An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Sunday called for the proper burial of the remains of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who died inside the New Bilibid Prison.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care Executive Secretary Fr. Nezelle Lirio said deceased inmates should also be given respect and dignity.

“Kasi ‘yung katawan ay pinaglagakan ng kaluluwa na bigay ng Diyos sa atin. At siyempre, nu’ng nilikha tayo ng Diyos, nando’n ‘yung dignity of the human person. Kaya kumbaga, ‘yung paggalang sa buhay ng tao at paggalang din do’n sa kanyang katawan eh dapat nando’n,” Lirio said.

The Bureau of Corrections plans to bury the remains of inmates who died inside the New Bilibid Prison, its officer-in-charge said Monday.

According to BuCor chief Gregorio Catapang, the agency will invite the relatives of the deceased inmates to the funeral.

"I intend to bury some of them this Friday and I'm inviting the relatives," he told ANC's "Headstart".

"I, too, want them to be buried. To give prayers or honor to them," he added.

This comes as an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines called for the proper burial of the Bilibid inmates.

"Kasi ‘yung katawan ay pinaglagakan ng kaluluwa na bigay ng Diyos sa atin. At siyempre, nu’ng nilikha tayo ng Diyos, nando’n ‘yung dignity of the human person. Kaya kumbaga, ‘yung paggalang sa buhay ng tao at paggalang din do’n sa kanyang katawan eh dapat nando’n," CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care Executive Secretary Fr. Nezelle Lirio has said.

BuCor has already buried 10 cadavers within the premises of the state penitentiary while dozens others are stored at a funeral parlor in Muntinlupa City.

The Department of Justice earlier said unclaimed remains that would not undergo autopsy would be buried.

Meanwhile, bodies for autopsy will be kept until the examination is finished, it added.

BEWARE OF UNREGISTERED INSECT REPELLANT – FDA

MANILA — Beware of unregistered insect repellant – FDA The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the public against the purchase and use of unregistered insect repellant spray being sold in the market.

In an advisory, the FDA said the Bench organics Bug Away Mist Natural Insect Repellant spray poses health risks to consumers since it is not registered with the agency.

“Because the pesticide product has not gone through the registration process, the agency cannot assure its efficacy, quality and safety,” the FDA said.

The agency said the use of substandard and adulterated pesticide products may result in adverse reactions such as skin irritation, itchiness, anaphylactic shock, respiratory disorders, endocrine complications, brain damage and organ failure.

SPORTS

NORTHPORT DEF. CONVERGE, 112-97 (PBA) NOVEMBER 20

NorthPort Batang Pier (6-5) defeated import-less Converge FiberXers (8-3), 112-97 to grab their sixth win and snaps FiberXers 7-game winning streak in the 2022-23 PBA Commissioner's Cup on Sunday, November 20 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

William Navarro was one assist shy of a triple double of 29 points (11/14fg, 3/4 3pts, 4/4ft) to go with 17 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal and a block in 38 minutes of play. Robert Bolick Jr. finished with a solid double-double game of 26 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists while Prince Ibeh added 19 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists and 8 blocks.

As per Reuben Terrado of SPIN.ph, Converge coach Aldin Ayo explained Quincy Miller was not fielded in tonight's game after he overextended his birthday celebration. "Actually, he was late (in practice) for an hour and somebody had to wake him up to inform him that we have a practice," Ayo said.

The Scores:

NORTHPORT 112 - Navarro 29, Bolick 26, Ibeh 19, Tolentino 15, Sumang 9, Balanza 7, Ferrer 4, Ayaay 2, Chan 1, Calma 0, Caperal 0.

CONVERGE 97 – Melecio 20, Teng 14, Ahanmisi 11, Ilagan 11, Tratter 9, Arana 8, Stockton 8, Racal 6, Browne 6, Digregorio 2, Bulanadi 2, Ambohot 0.

Quarters: 28-18, 52-49, 88-73, 112-97.

GINEBRA DEF. TNT, 89-85 (PBA) NOVEMBER 20

Barangay Ginebra (7-2) defeated import-less TNT Tropang GIGA (4-6), 89-85 to grab their 7th win and clinch a quarterfinal berth in the 2022-23 PBA Commissioner's Cup on Sunday, November 20 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Justin Brownlee led the GinKings with a near triple-double of 21 points (7/18fg, 2/6 3pts, 5/8ft) to go with 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks in 44 minutes of play. Stanley Pringle Jr. finished with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting including two 3-pointers and a rebound while Scottie Thompson added 10 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and a steal.

The Scores:

GINEBRA 89 - Brownlee 21, Pringle 12, Thompson 10, J Aguilar 9, Tenorio 8, Mariano 8, Malonzo 8, Standhardinger 8, Gray 5, Pinto 0.

TNT 85 – M Williams 20, Pogoy 18, Erram 16, Khobuntin 10, Castro 7, Oftana 6, K Williams 4, Heruela 2, Tungcab 2, Ganuelas-Rosser 0.

Quarters: 34-22, 53-45, 68-71, 89-85.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Ignore the critics. Only mediocrity is safe from ridicule. Dare to be different! - Dita Von Teese