FULL SALARIES, BUT NO EARLY RELEASE OF 13TH MONTH PAY FOR GOV'T WORKERS —  DBMMANILA — The country's biggest employer, the national government, is takingthe lead on sustaining its workers as business got essentially shut off themain Luzon island under a month-long community quarantine."All national government employees are receiving their full salaries even ifthey are working from their homes," Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said ina text message to Philstar.com.Contractors and casuals covered by job orders will also get paid asscheduled, he added.The assurance from the budget chief to more than 1.36 million state workersas of May 2019 is a welcome reprieve to employees wary about the potentialrepercussions the lockdown brings to their source of income.The relief is more felt by 159,935 casuals and contractors who according todata from the Civil Service Commission typically receive fixed payments,depending on work done, but whose job is currently halted by the lockdown.Government offices are currently working on skeletal force, meaning noteveryone are required to report to their offices, as a social distancingmeasure meant to prevent the further spread of coronavirus disease- 2019(COVID-19).13th month payUnlike some private companies like PLDT Inc. and Manila Electric Co.however, Avisado said "there is no directive from the President yet" torelease the 13th month pay of state workers way ahead schedule.In a related development, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines said in astatement it would also release half of the 13th month pay of its employeesand legal clerks by April 15. Meanwhile, state employees are only scheduledto receive half of their 13th month pay by May 15."There is no directive since our workers are even able to save money becausethey do not need to commute everyday to their offices because work issuspended, and most importantly, they are with their families," Avisado saidin Filipino."The focus of the government now is to help our poor families that arehand-to-mouth existence, the daily wage earners," he added.DOH LAUNCHES HOTLINES FOR COVID-19 QUESTIONS, ASSISTANCEMANILA — The Department of Health on Tuesday launched dedicated hotlines forCOVID-19 where Filipinos can direct questions or ask for assistance anytimefor free.“Callers can ask questions if they suspect they are infected with COVID-19,or request assistance if they have symptoms and/or known exposure toconfirmed cases or patients under investigation,” the department said in itsTuesday release.“The information collected from emergency calls is transmitted to theCOVID-19 Emergency Operations Center and other relevant agencies forimmediate facilitation and response.”The emergency hotlines are 02-894-COVID (02-894-26843) and 1555.Free 24/7 services will be available through the 02-894-COVID hotline.BIR KEEPS APRIL 15 TAX FILING DEADLINE DESPITE COVID-19 LOCKDOWNMANILA -- The Bureau of Internal Revenue rejected Wednesday calls to extendthe April 15 deadline for filing of income tax returns (ITRs), which willcome just days after the end of the COVID-19 lockdown in Luzon.The public can file their ITRs through the agency's website and pay theirtaxes through online channels like PayMaya and GCash before the April 15deadline, said BIR Deputy Commissioner for Operations Arnel Guballa.The Luzon-wide quarantine, which restricted millions to their homes and shutmost of public transport, is scheduled to end on April 13."Hindi po kami magbibigay ng extension, April 15 pa rin," he told DZMM."Ang tax po kasi, lifeblood po iyan... Mabobokya naman po ang gobyerno natin[kung ililipat ang deadline], kailangan natin ng pondo," he added.Taxpayers may opt to pay only a partial amount before April 15, and settlethe rest of their liabilities and submit documents like certificates fromaccountants before June 15, said the official."Kahit magkano lang po muna ang pansamantala, basta makakolekta lang pokami... Saka na po tayo magtuos," Guballa said.Those who fail to meet the tax filing deadline will pay a 25-percentsurcharge, on top of a 12-percent annual interest, the BIR earlier said.The Philippines has confirmed 187 cases of the novel coronavirus, including14 deaths and 6 patients who recovered as of Tuesday, said the healthdepartment.STATE OF CALAMITY IN PHILIPPINES FOR 6 MONTHSMANILA — President Duterte has declared a nationwide state of calamity forsix months to address the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) in the country.The declaration will allow the President to tap, among others, thegovernment’s calamity funds, which were earlier reported to amount to P16billion under the 2020 national budget.It will also allow local government units (LGUs) to speedily access specialfunds to assist their constituencies during the public health emergency.“There is hereby declared a State of Calamity throughout the Philippines fora period of six months, unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstancemay warrant,” Duterte said in Proclamation No. 929 signed last Monday.In Proclamation 929, Duterte noted that COVID-19 cases continue to riserapidly, which has prompted the Department of Health (DOH) and theInter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) to raise thealert level to CODE Sublevel 2, indicating there are already recorded casesof community transmission.“Despite government interventions, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19continues to rise,” the President said.The President added that the declaration will “afford the NationalGovernment, as well as the Local Government Units, ample latitude to utilizeappropriate funds including the Quick Response Fund, in their disasterpreparedness and response efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, and tocontinue to provide basic services to the affected population.”Duterte declared the state of calamity on the same day he imposed anEnhanced Community Quarantine throughout Luzon starting March 17 to April 12as part of the government’s intensified efforts to contain the spread of thevirus.“All government agencies and LGUs are enjoined to render full assistance toand cooperation with each other and mobilize the necessary resources toundertake critical, urgent and appropriate disaster response and measures intimely manner to curtail and eliminate the threat of COVID-19,” thePresident said.LUZON LOCKDOWN: GOV'T DEPLOYS BUSES TO FERRY HEALTH WORKERS FOR FREEMANILA - Health workers can avail of free bus rides starting Wednesday asthe Luzon-wide COVID-19 lockdown shuttered public transport, the Departmentof Transportation said.Ten buses were deployed at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX)and BFCT East Metro Transport Terminal in Marikina City at 7 a.m. Wednesday,according to the DOTr.The buses will ply the following routes, subject to change depending on thedata and requests from the Department of Health, the DOTr said.The bus service will comply with containment protocols such as socialdistancing, body temperature checks, and regular disinfecting of vehicles,the DOTr said.Grab Philippines also committed to help government transport health workersto hospitals free of charge but details have yet to be announced, it said.The Office of the Vice President has also launched free shuttle service tohealth workers.PNP EYES 'SPECIAL LANE' FOR HEALTH WORKERS AT LUZON CHECKPOINTSMANILA - The Philippine National Police will consider setting up a "speciallane" for health workers at Luzon checkpoints after the region was placed onlockdown due to COVID-19, the PNP chief said Wednesday.Health workers are among those exempted from travel restriction during the“enhanced community quarantine” set to end on April 13.The PNP will "do its best" to ensure faster movement of vehicles atcheckpoints, Director General Archie Gamboa said."Ang premise sana (should be) everybody should stay home. The PNP wouldalways scrutinize on the exemptions. If we keep adding exemptions, bakalahat na (maybe everyone will be included). I hope the public willunderstand this," he told radio DZMM."Kung gagawin natin magkaroon ng lane kunyari sa medical, sasabihin ng foodsa amin din. Kung ganyan, lahat na special lane. The PNP will be formulatingpolicies sa checkpoint para maibsan (ang traffic)."The PNP will discuss Thursday the creation of the special lane withgovernment's inter-agency task force on emerging infectious diseases, Gamboasaid.OFWS, FOREIGNERS CAN LEAVE PHILIPPINES DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN, GOV'T SAYSHotels, other lodging allowed to accommodate existing bookingsMANILA (UPDATE) - Filipino migrant workers and foreigners can travel abroadfrom Luzon during the "enhanced community quarantine" in the area, CabinetSecretary Karlo Nograles said Tuesday."OFWs and foreign nationals leaving for abroad shall be allowed to leave thePhilippines anytime for the duration of the enhanced community quarantine,provided that proof of international travel itinerary scheduled within 24hours must be presented," Nograles said in a press briefing.Only one person is allowed to accompany a traveler bound for abroad,Nograles said. The driver should carry with him/her a copy of the airlineticket of the passenger as proof of conveyance, according to the Departmentof Transportation.Filipino migrant workers also should be ferried to their respective airportsand seaports by transport vehicles provided by the Overseas Workers WelfareAdministration (OWWA), Nograles said.Passengers from Italy and Iran are required to present medical certificatesof good health to be validated by their respective embassies, the DOTr said.Non-essential travel from any port of Luzon is suspended. Outbound movementto countries where travel restrictions are imposed due to the coronavirusdisease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, is also prohibited during the quarantine.Hotels, hostels and similar establishments meanwhile are not allowed tooperate during the quarantine, except those accommodating existing bookingsas of Tuesday, March 17.EMPTY METRO MANILA STREETS DUE TO LUZON LOCKDOWNAs cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country continuedto rise, President Rodrigo Duterte announced an enhanced communityquarantine in Luzon in efforts to stop the spread of the virus, which has sofar claimed 14 lives.On Monday night, government announced a stricter lockdown of the entireLuzon, halting public transport, mass gatherings, school and work, save forfrontline services in a bid to contain the outbreak.On the first day of the enhanced community quarantine, Metro Manila waspractically empty, with the usual hustle and bustle absent in centralbusiness districts.Only a few cars, if any, were plying the roads as workers either cycled orwalked to their destinations.With the lockdown expected to last a month, it seems that this will be thenew normal for Metro Manila.FILIPINO DIPLOMAT INFECTED WITH COVID-19 SHOWING SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENTThe Philippine Consulate General in New York continued its 14-day mandatorylockdown after one of its employees tested positive for the coronavirusdisease 2019 (COVID-19) last March 12.Deputy Consul General Kerwin Tate said all consulate employees wereinstructed to self-isolate in their own homes including the unnamed COVID-19positive employee."With regard to our colleague who got infected, I am glad to state that shehas shown signs of improvement. Thank goodness, (she’s taking her medicines,and is in constant contact with her doctor). We expect her hopefully to makea fully recovery from her infection," Tate said.According the online U.N. directory of diplomatic staff, there are about 12diplomats at the Filipino mission, which is on 5th Avenue in MidtownManhattan. The sick diplomat represented the Philippines in the U.N. GeneralAssembly's legal affairs committees.The deputy consul general said the state of New York is no longer conductingcontact tracing. The consulate's clients must now presume that they havebeen exposed to the virus, and conduct themselves accordingly -- observingsanitation and social distancing procedures.ALLEGED HOARDER'S NEAR-P1M GROCERY BILL, SOCIALITE'S 'ANTI-POOR' VIDEO GOVIRAL AMID LUZON QUARANTINEMANILA — "Mga hampaslupa! Wala kayong pambili," an Internet user joked ascaption for a viral photo of a bill showing almost a million pesos worth ofgroceries amid panic buying due to the Metro Manila and Luzon quarantineimposed to suppress the spread of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Social media users were on a roll on Twitter and the tag “EAT THE RICH”became a trending topic on Tuesday when a Twitter user posted photos ofjam-packed grocery carts and an alleged almost P1-million-peso grocery bill.“Very good my yayas and chef! Need to stock up!” said the caption of onephoto.The other photo showed a bill allegedly issued by grocery store in Alabang.The bill said the groceries totalled to P950,636 or almost P50,000 short ofP1 million.“From one of the titas in the gym viber GC. woahh baka naman may fordonation sa frontliners? Hahaha eto yung panic na panic,” the text in thephoto said.One Twitter user accused that the first photo was from a businessman’s wife.“Word from the tita vibers haha... wife decided to brag about her hoardingthe shit out of supplies. Oh sige po ma'am ito na po ung publicity na gustomo,” the Twitter user wrote.Internet users couldn’t help themselves but to react on the viral photoswhile voicing out their anger to the two alleged rich hoarders.“Eat the rich. Eat them. Who the hell needs almost 1 million pesos worth ofgroceries?? While yung mahihirap walang mabili, itong mga bruhang tonag-impak ng for 20 years?? PRIVILEGE IS SUCH A DISGUSTING WORD. I hope theyrot in hell and get reincarnated as cockroaches,” a Twitter user wrote.“And here i am thinking spending 1k+ on emergency food for a month isalready hoarding. Eat the rich talaga,” another user commented.“Almost 1M for groceries???? Wtf. Whole new level of fckup. I hope they werehoarding to donate some of that to the less fortunate,” another user said.ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLEPACQUIAO DONATES 600,000 FACE MASKS TO COVID-19 FRONT-LINERSMANILA - Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday donated some 600,000 face masks tofront-liners fighting against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)pandemic.Some 100,000 face masks were handed out to the Philippine National Police(PNP), 50,000 to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), 75,000 to theResearch Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), 75,000 to the Department ofHealth (DOH), 75,000 to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)and some 50,000 to other medical workers.Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, deputy director for operations of thePhilippine National Police (PNP), said the lawmaker's donations are avaluable assistance to the police who are manning security throughout themetro.Alibaba founder Jack Ma's foundation had also teamed up with Pacquiao'sgroup to donate 50,000 COVID-19 testing kits to the Philippines."With everything that’s happening around the world today, there is no bettertime to unite and do whatever we can to help each other," he said.As of Tuesday, the Philippines has recorded 187 cases of the novelcoronavirus, with 14 fatalities and 6 recoveries.ACTOR CHRISTOPHER DE LEON TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19MANILA — (UPDATED) Screen veteran Christopher de Leon said Tuesday he testedpositive for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), amid a pandemic thathas put the Philippines under a state of calamity.On Instagram, the "Love Thy Woman" actor shared a statement addressed to hisfamily and friends, including those in the entertainment industry."Today, our doctor confirmed that I have COVID-19. I've had no recent travelhistory outside of the Philippines and no known contact with anyone who ispositive to have the virus. However, due to the nature of my work in theentertainment business, I have interacted with many people," he wrote.De Leon, 63, asked those who have "come in contact me within the last weekor two to observe stringent self-quarantine, observe for symptoms and followthe triage procedures published by the DOH, whether asymptomatic or not.""Please cooperate with the authorities in their contact tracing efforts," headded.De Leon is currently part of the ABS-CBN afternoon drama "Love Thy Woman".While the series continues to air episodes it has so far taped, it is one ofthe ABS-CBN programs that have indefinitely halted production due toCOVID-19.Kim Chiu, de Leon's co-star in "Love Thy Woman", was among the first to wishhim a swift recovery. In Instagram Stories, she wrote: "Get well soon, TitoBo! Let's all include Tito Bo sa prayers natin!"De Leon's wife, fellow actor Sandy Andolong, their daughter Mica, as well astheir household helpers are practicing self-quarantine at home, he said."In this time of trial, we ask for your prayers and we continue to praiseand thank the Lord for His goodness in our lives," he said.Quoting a verse from the Bible, de Leon further wrote: "Rejoice always, praywithout ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will ofGod in Christ Jesus for you."De Leon is the second Filipino personality to announce he has testedpositive for the disease, following Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.As of Tuesday afternoon, the Philippines has recorded 187 cases of COVID-19,including 12 deaths. It's unclear whether that latest tally from theDepartment of Health included Zubiri or de Leon.SPORTSTENNIS: WIMBLEDON STILL PLANNING FOR PLAY DESPITE VIRUS MAYHEMLONDON -- Wimbledon organizers are still planning to play the Grand Slamthis year, despite the coronavirus chaos that led the French Open to bepushed back until September.Wimbledon is scheduled to run from June 29 to July 12, but All England Clubchiefs are aware the sporting schedule has been decimated by the deadlypandemic.French Open bosses on Tuesday revealed the clay-court event will move fromits scheduled spring slot to September.The year's second Grand Slam was due to begin on May 24, but will now runfrom September 20 to October 4.A roof has been installed over Roland Garros' centre court, PhilippeChatrier, with floodlights on the three other main courts, enabling play togo on later.Wimbledon remain hopeful that play at the grass-court tournament will beable to go ahead if the spread of the virus is slowed.But Richard Lewis, chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis andCroquet Club, insisted they would put public safety first."While we continue to plan for The Championships at this time, it remains acontinuously evolving situation and we will act responsibly, in the bestinterests of wider society" Lewis said.INDICATORSFOREX $1 = P 51.50THOUGHT FOR THE DAYI did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better. -Maya Angelou