MARCOS INVITES FILIPINOS TO LISTEN TO FIRST SONA

MANILA — President Marcos has invited Filipinos to listen to his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25, where he will discuss his key policies and priorities as the country’s 17th Chief Executive.

“Nalalapit na ang ating pinaka-unang State of the Nation Address (Our first SONA is approaching),” Marcos said in a Facebook post published last Sunday.

“Samahan niyo po ako at pakinggan ang estado ng ating bansa at ang mga plano at mithiin natin bilang isang sambayanan para sa mga susunod na taon (Join me and listen as I talk about the state of our country and our plans and aspirations as a nation in the succeeding years),” he added.

Marcos’ first SONA will be held more than three weeks after he assumed office and on the same day that the 19th Congress will formally open session.

He is expected to enumerate his priority bills and to ask Congress to pass measures that will help his administration carry out its programs.

The President will also present the details of the government’s medium-term fiscal framework, which is aimed at cutting the budget deficit, promoting fiscal sustainability and enabling robust economic growth.

The government also aims to reduce poverty incidence to nine percent by the end of Marcos’ term.

Senators are anticipating the first SONA of Marcos, who they hope will present a clear roadmap on how his administration will address the daunting challenges the country is facing.

MARCOS TACKLES EDUCATION, SOCIAL WELFARE PLANS IN THIRD CABINET MEETING

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presided over his third Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, days after recuperating from his second bout with COVID-19.

The meeting will focus on the briefings of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Marcos said in his opening remarks.

The group shared a few laughs as Marcos tried to find the proper way of addressing Vice President Sara Duterte, who also sits as Education Secretary.

“How do I address you? VP-Secretary? Secretary-VP?” Marcos asked his second-in-command.

“Inday Sara, sir,” Duterte replied, drawing chuckles.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista led the prayer.

The video stream, uploaded on the social media pages of the Radio-Television Malacañang, was cut before substantial portions of the meeting began.

MARCOS RETAINS COVID-19 ALERT LEVELS, WANTS NEW SYSTEM BY MID-AUGUST

MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has decided to keep the current COVID-19 Alert Level System in the country, but wants to have a new health classification scheme by next month, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

The current alert level in the country may be eased if the number of Filipinos with booster shots would increase in the near future, the Palace said, quoting Marcos' earlier discussion with the Department of Health (DOH).

“To avoid confusion, we will retain the alert level system for now. We are however thinking, we are studying very closely, and we’ll come to a decision very soon as to decoupling the restrictions from the alert levels,” Marcos told the DOH.

Since he recuperated from his second bout with COVID-19, the President has been pushing to strengthen the government's campaign to promote COVID-19 booster shots.

The DOH is planning to administer at least 23 million booster shots within President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s first 100 days in office, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an earlier interview with TeleRadyo.

MORE THAN 20,000 TROOPS TO BE DEPLOYED DURING MARCOS SONA

MANILA – More than 20,000 troops will be deployed to secure President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.

“Doon sa official na pinresenta ng (National Capital Region Police Office) at nangangailangan sila ng higit 15,000. Pero kasama na yung force multiplier natin, (Presidential Security Group, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority), atsaka mga…mahigit 20,000,” PNP Director for Operations PMGen Valeriano de Leon told TeleRadyo.

He also said that active disturbance management groups are among those included in the deployment for Marcos Jr.’s first SONA.

De Leon denied accusations by some progressive groups that their plan to deploy some 20,000 troops is “overkill.”

“Baka mamaya, pag may mangyayari, di inaasahan, magtatanong ang kababayan, asaan ang mga pulis?” he said.

Aside from the preparation of security forces, government officials have also identified alternative routes motorists can take on July 25.

IMMEDIATE HOUSE PROBE SOUGHT ON BLOCKING OF RED-TAGGED WEBSITES

MANILA — Lawmakers from the progressive Makabayan bloc are calling on the House of Representatives to immediately launch an investigation into the National Telecommunications Commission’s order to block more than 20 websites identified by former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon to be linked to the armed communist rebellion.

Led by Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers party-list), the three-member group filed Monday House Resolution No. 49 calling on the human rights and public information panels to immediately conduct a probe on the blocking of the red-tagged websites, which include independent news outlets Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly.

Castro, along with Reps. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela party-list) and Raoul Danniel Manuel (Kabataan party-list), stressed that neither Esperon nor the NTC provided any evidence to back up the claim that these websites are affiliated with the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army or the National Democratic Front.

They added that the websites which were blocked were not given notice nor were heard in a trial or any other proceeding by the NTC and the National Security Council.

“What the NTC and NSC did is blatant red-tagging — linking these organizations to the communist movement. This is also disinformation, given that Esperon and the agencies are maliciously misrepresenting progressives, the media, even the religious, are part of supporting and related to the armed struggle,” the lawmakers said.

The Makabayan bloc also said that the blocking of websites “has no legal basis and therefore illegal,” noting that nothing in the charter and enabling laws of the NTC allows it or any other agency to block access to websites, especially without a court order.

They added that Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and Republic Act No. 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 also do not give the Anti-Terrorism Council or the NTC powers to block websites.

TULFO: P1.7 BILLION SAP RETURNED TO TREASURY

MANILA — Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said that as much as P1.7 billion in Social Amelioration Program (SAP) funds in 2020 that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was unable to distribute to eligible beneficiaries has been returned to the Bureau of Treasury.

In his Monday morning flag ceremony address to DSWD employees, Tulfo said that state auditors have informed him that the P1.7 billion in SAP funds allotted for their Field Office (FO) National Capital Region and FO-Region 6 have been returned to the treasury, due to the lapse of a period allowed for the DSWD to distribute the funds for their stated purpose.

Tulfo said he was disclosing the information to allow DSWD to answer queries or complaints regarding the failure of some families to receive the cash dole-out.

“The COA (Commission on Audit) said... the P1.7-billion SAP funds were not distributed, particularly in Field Office NCR and Region 6. I’m sure we will be asked, there will be questions, just tell them it was already returned to the Bureau of Treasury,” Tulfo said in Filipino.

“The funds here have expired. So we have to return that to the Bureau of Treasury. There are no more SAP, we already returned it, the P1.7 billion. I don’t know what happened, I can’t answer for now but I will look into it,” Tulfo added.

The DSWD chief expressed his reluctance to look into the failure of the previous DSWD leadership to distribute the cash aid.

“Because, I really don’t want to deal with the past. Rather, I want to focus on the current situation and the future. That is what President Marcos said,” Tulfo said.

“Let us not dwell on the past anymore, it’s already done. Let’s focus our minds, our actions, our thoughts on the present and future,” Tulfo added.

‘NO BOOSTER, NO ENTRY’

BACOLOD CITY — The city government of La Carlota in Negros Occidental has prohibited people who have not received their COVID booster shots from entering the city hall.

Mayor Rex Jalando-on said the policy would be enforced at the La Carlota City Hall as well as at the two adjacent main buildings.

Jalando-on, a medical doctor by profession, said he wanted to protect his constituents against COVID.

He urged people who want to be vaccinated against COVID or avail themselves of the booster, to go to the city health office.

“It is not that I just want to impose my authority or whims. It is for the good of the people of La Carlota,” Jalando-on said.

The “no booster, no entry” policy is contained in an executive order recently issued by Jalando-on, which took effect on July 1.

VICE GOVERNORS URGED TO ENACT PRO-GOVERNMENT POLICIES

MANILA — Vice governors have been urged to enact policies that are aligned with the programs and priorities of the national government.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos made the statement during the 88th League of Vice Governors of the Philippines national assembly at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay from July 13 to 15.

In his speech, Abalos said as presiding officers of the provincial board, the vice governors should oversee the passage of policies that are aligned with the government’s priorities and beneficial to the people.

Abalos also called for renewed cooperation between the national and local governments, which was marred by a “rift” between Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and former interior secretary Eduardo Año on the mandatory wearing of face masks.

MARCOS URGED TO SAFEGUARD MARINE PROTECTED AREAS FROM PLASTIC POLLUTION

MANILA — An ocean advocacy organization called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address plastic pollution and prevent the country’s marine ecosystems from becoming rubbish dumps.

In a release Tuesday, Oceana urged the Marcos administration to “do what previous administrations failed to do”—implement Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, and ban single-use plastics.

Marcos, in his inaugural speech, said the Philippines has to play its part in tackling the plastic problem. How he plans to do that remains unclear.

“Our marine ecosystems hold immense potential in the efforts to curb the impact of the global food crisis, but the threat of destruction and losses is becoming more pronounced as plastic wastes make its way to marine protected areas in different parts of the country,” said Gloria Estenzo Ramos, vice president of Oceana Philippines.

Oceana’s Ramos also said their team found coral reefs in Southern Leyte’s Panaon Island wrapped in plastics.

“Though marine pollution in Panaon is less prevalent than in other parts of the Philippines, it serves as a stark reminder that even seemingly pristine and remote habitats cannot escape the scourge of plastics,” Ramos said.

“Make no mistake, the scourge of plastic affects us all. Right now, it is slowly but surely creeping into our marine protected areas and in no time, it will suffocate not only our environment but our very own bodies,” she added.

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PHILIPPINES LOGS 14,640 COVID CASES IN PAST WEEK

MANILA - The Philippines recorded 14,640 new COVID-19 cases in the previous week, reflecting about a 40-percent increase from a week before, the Department of Health said Monday.

The country logged an average of 2,091 per day from July 11 to 17, according to the DOH's latest bulletin.

This is the first time in 21 weeks that the daily average cases reached 2,000, the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group said. The last time was in the week of Feb. 14-20, when the daily average cases hit 2,065, the group added.

A total of 589 or 8.7 percent of COVID-19 patients in hospitals were in severe and critical condition. The figure is 6 percent higher than the previous week's 555 severe and critical patients, but comprised the same ratio (8.7 percent) of COVID-19 hospital admissions at the time.

There is an upward trend seen in the utilization rate for COVID-19 ICU beds in the last 5 weeks or from June 13 to July 17, the research group added.

SENATOR SEES GROWING DISSATISFACTION WITH K-12

MANILA — The growing dissatisfaction of the people over the K-12 education system indicates the urgency of conducting a review and formulating reforms, according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.

Gatchalian filed Proposed Senate Resolution 5 seeking a Senate inquiry on the status of the implementation of Republic Act 10533 – the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or K-12 Law – exactly 10 years from the time the enhanced curriculum for K-12 was initially implemented in school year 2012-2013.

“It is clear in the voices of our countrymen that they are not satisfied with the K-12 programs. This is because its promises are not being fulfilled, and it has only become an additional burden on our parents and students,” Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate committee on basic education, arts and culture, said.

Commissioned by Gatchalian, a Pulse Asia survey conducted on June 24-27 with 1,200 respondents revealed that 44 percent of adult respondents are dissatisfied with the program.

COMELEC TO CONGRESS: DECIDE ON BARANGAY, SK POLLS

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is asking Congress to resolve the question on whether the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will push through on Dec. 5.

Acting Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco asked the question during a recent virtual forum hosted by Stratbase ADR Institute.

Comelec is hoping that Congress will decide on the elections immediately because there are only less than five months before the scheduled polls.

“We are just hoping and praying that, if indeed, an RA (Republic Act) will come out, it should come out the soonest possible time,” Laudiangco said, pointing out that this could immediately determine if the poll body should proceed with procurements in preparation for the elections.

“This is so that we can postpone any other procurement that we have not yet concluded,” he added.

The goods and services being procured can be used on a later date to be set by a law postponing the elections, according to Laudiangco.

“Thus, there is no wastage in our ongoing preparations for the barangay and SK elections,” he said.

Aside from conducting procurement activities, the Comelec official mentioned that they would just continue with other aspects of their preparations until a law is passed postponing the electoral exercise.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

PHILIPPINES FINISHES IN TOP 20 OF MR. SUPRANATIONAL 2022

MANILA — The Philippines' bet RaÉd Fernandez Al-Zghayér finished his Mister Supranational 2022 journey in the Top 20 at the coronation night held in Nowy Sacz, Poland last Sunday.

RaÉd was among the Top 10 for the Top Model event.

Cuba's Luis Daniel Gálvez won the Mister Supranational 2022 crown.

Indonesia's Matthew Gilbert Wibowo is the first runner-up while Greece's Leonidas Amfilochios is the 2nd runner-up followed by Mexico's Moises Peñaloza and Puerto Rico's Heriberto Rivera as among the final five.

The Philippines is yet win the Mister Supranational title since it started in 2016.

The Miss World Philippines organization appointed RaÉd last year to join Mister Supranational 2022.

STAR-STUDDED ‘LYRIC AND BEAT’ SCREENING

MANILA — Andrea Brillantes and Seth Fedelin led the stars of “Lyric and Beat” who graced the special screening of the upcoming TV musical Monday night.

The iWantTFC title held its red-carpet screening in Quezon City, ahead of its August 10 premiere on the streaming platform.

The main cast of “Lyric and Beat” was out in full force. Joining Brillantes and Fedelin were Darren Espanto, AC Bonifacio, Kyle Echarri, Sheena Belarmino, Awra Briguela, Jeremy G, and Angela Ken.

Director-writer Dolly Dulu and ABS-CBN Music’s creative director Jonathan Manalo were also all-smiles at the event, which gathered showbiz colleagues as well as family and friends.

“Lyric and Beat” is a musical series woven from songs written by Manalo, in celebration of his 20th year in the industry. Tunes like “Tara Tena” and “Kabataang Pinoy” have so far been heard in trailers for the series.

Celebrities who attended the screening on Monday include Manalo’s long-time collaborators, such as Angeline Quinto and Erik Santos, and upcoming singers under ABS-CBN Music.

SPORTS

MERALCO DEF. SAN MIGUEL, 89-86 (PBA 2022) JULY 17

Meralco Bolts (6-4) escapes past San Miguel Beermen (9-2), 89-86 to grab their sixth victory in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday, July 17 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Allein Maliksi led the Bolts in scoring with 18 points (5/17 fg, 4/14 3pts) along with 8 rebounds and 2 steals to halt the Beermen's 6-game winning streak. Chris Newsome with another solid game of 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal while Aaron Black finished with fifteen points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The Scores:

MERALCO 89 – Maliksi 18, Newsome 16, Black 15, Hodge 9, Almazan 8, Banchero 7, Jose 6, Quinto 4, Hugnatan 4, Pascual 2, Baclao 0.

SAN MIGUEL 86 – Fajardo 21, Perez 14, Lassiter 12, Manuel 12, Enciso 11, Tautuaa 9, Pessumal 5, Zamar 2, Canete 0, Faundo 0.

Quarters: 19-26, 40-37, 70-67, 89-86.

GINEBRA DEF. NORTHPORT, 100-93 (PBA 2022) JULY 17

Barangay Ginebra (7-3) defeated NorthPort Batang Pier (3-7), 100-93 to grab their seventh win in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday, July 17 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. [Buy Ginebra Jersey]

Scottie Thompson was two assists shy of a triple double of 23 points (11-of-16 fg), along with game-high 15 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks in 42 minutes of play. Nards Pinto with a solid game of 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting including four 3-pointers to go with six rebounds, three assists and a steal while Japeth Aguilar added 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block.

Robert Bolick paced the Batang Pier with game-high 29 points (8-of-14 3pts), 5 rebounds and 4 assists while Jamie Malonzo added 18 points (4/8 3pts), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and a block.

The Scores:

GINEBRA 100 – Thompson 23, Pinto 18, J. Aguilar 14, Tenorio 13, Chan 11, Standhardinger 9, Pringle 8, Mariano 4, Dillinger 0.

NORTHPORT 93 – Bolick 29, Malonzo 19, Santos 14, Ferrer 13, Balanza 6, Taha 6, Sumang 4, Calma 2, Dela Cruz Jr 0, Ayaay 0.

Quarters: 20-26, 47-42, 80-60, 100-93.

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. - Vince Lombardi