1SAMBAYAN BARES INITIAL SENATE BETS
MANILA — Opposition coalition 1Sambayan on Wednesday named the first seven senatorial candidates that it would endorse in the upcoming elections.
In a statement, 1Sambayan said the following personalities would get its support in the May 9, 2022 polls:
Alex Lacson
Chel Diokno
Jose Sonny Matula
Leila de Lima
Risa Hontiveros
Sonny Trillanes
Teddy Baguilat
The group, which also called itself a "pro-democracy coalition," said it would announce its full senatorial slate at a proclamation event on Jan. 28.
"The lineup is still open to accommodate more candidates," said 1Sambayan convener Howie Calleja.
The proclamation event will also feature "from various known pink celebrities, messages of solidarity, and the formal announcement of 1Sambayan’s support" for the tandem of Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who are running for the presidency and vice presidency, respectively.
WORLD TOURISM WON’T RETURN TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS UNTIL 2024, SAYS UN
Tourism arrivals around the world are not expected to return to their pre-pandemic levels until 2024 at the earliest, the World Tourism Organization said Tuesday.
The highly contagious omicron variant, though mild, will "disrupt the recovery" in early 2022 after last year saw 4% growth over 2020, according to the Madrid-based UN agency's World Tourism Barometer.
Tourism revenue in 2020 was 72% down on the previous year, which closed with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
"The pace of recovery remains slow and uneven across world regions due to varying degrees of mobility restrictions, vaccination rates and traveller confidence," the UNWTO said in a press release.
The statement said tourism professionals "see better prospects" for this year after turbulence in the early months because of the omicron wave.
The agency predicts a 30% to 78% rise in international arrivals this year over 2021, while remaining far below 2019 levels.
Most experts say they do not foresee a return to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2024, it said.
DUTERTE APPROVES DEPED'S PROPOSAL ON EXPANDED FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the Department of Education's (DepEd) proposal to expand in-person classes, subject to the safety measures to be set by the health department and the concurrence of local governments and parents.
Acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said the DepEd has recommended the expansion of face-to-face classes in Alert Level 2 areas but it should be supported by local governments, parents and other stakeholders.
"The president has no objection to that and after the presentation of (DepEd) Sec. (Leonor) Briones, then they can continue their classes. Again, it will be the DepEd and the DOH (Department of Health) combined who will be assessing the expansion or pilot implementation ng face-to-face classes," Nograles said at a press briefing Tuesday.
DILG: NO VAX EXEMPTION CARDS
MANILA — There is no such thing as COVID-19 vaccination exemption cards, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) warned the public yesterday.
The DILG said it has received reports on the proliferation of such cards as the government started fully enforcing its ”no vaccine, no ride” and ”no vaccine, no entry” policy to limit the movement of unvaccinated people.
Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said vaccination exemption cards are reportedly being sold online, with sellers claiming these are recognized in lieu of those issued by local government units (LGUs).
He said the card is similar to those issued by some LGUs.
“The public is warned that there is no such thing as vaccination exemption card. This is not authorized, issued, nor recognized by the government,” Malaya said.
OCTA: VIRUS GROWTH RATE ‘ACCELERATING’ IN CITIES OUTSIDE 'NCR PLUS'
MANILA — The growth rate of COVID-19 cases slowed down in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, but the spread of virus continued to accelerate in other highly urbanized cities, OCTA Research said.
“While growth rates have slowed in NCR Plus, they are still accelerating in many highly urbanized cities outside NCR Plus,” OCTA Research fellow David said, referring to Metro Manila and neighboring provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Cavite.
According to David, the capital region recorded a 10% growth rate of cases from January 12 to 18. Metro Manila’s reproduction rate—or the number of people an individual positive for COVID-19 can infect—was at 2.07.
Based on OCTA Research’s data, the cities with the highest growth rates from January 12 to 18 were Tacloban City (469%), Cebu City (378%), Davao City (305%), Iloilo City (281%) and Baguio City (269%).
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Tuesday that the Philippines remained at critical risk from COVID-19 even if the increase in cases was slowing down.
OCTA’s David also reported that the downward trend in the City of Manila is “now clear.”
The seven-day average of new cases in the capital city decreased by 23% from 2,152 to 1,658, and the reproduction number also went down to 1.5.
Daily cases in the Philippines have reached record highs in January as an Omicron-driven surge in infections rips through Metro Manila and surrounding provinces.
The Department of Health reported Tuesday 28,471 additional infections. There are currently 284,458 active cases.
FACT CHECK: WHO AUTHORED THE BILLS FOR THE PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGIC BASELINES LAW?
MANILA — A claim that presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. authored the bill that became a landmark law on defining the country’s territorial sea made rounds on social media last week.
CLAIM: Marcos’ website claims that he "authored landmark laws such as the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines law." The former chairperson of the Duterte's Build, Build, Build program parroted this in her column in a daily newspaper.
RATING: This is false.
FACTS:
What the posts say
Marcos’ official website said as a legislator, he authored Republic Act 9522 or the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law. "With the ongoing international disputes, this crucial piece of legislation defines what constitutes the Philippine territorial sea."
His biography on the Senate website claims that while at the House of Representatives in 2007, Marcos authored "one of the important pieces of legislation", which is RA 9522.
Former Build, Build, Build chairperson Anna Mae Lamentillo parroted on her “Night Owl” opinion column dated January 12 the same claim. A quote card on Lamentillo’s claim also circulated on social media.
What the posts left out
RA 9522 was enacted on March 10, 2009, during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The law is a consolidation of Senate Bill 2699 and House Bill 3216.
Based on the House of Representatives website, Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City) filed House Bill 3216. A check on the Senate website meanwhile showed that Senate Bill 2699 was filed by Sens. Antonio Trillanes IV, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Edgardo Angara, Rodolfo Biazon, Juan Ponce Enrile and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
A Marcos did file a version of the Baselines bill, according to the House legislative information system. That was in 2004, when then Rep. Imee Marcos filed House Bill No. 214 during the 13th Congress.
University of the Philippines law professor and maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal in a Facebook post also refuted the claim.
He added that he was present during the Bicameral Committee where the two versions of the House of Representatives and Senate proposal were harmonized.
Although Marcos is listed as a member of the House contingent, Batongbacal said the lawmaker was not there. "I know because I was there and I would have noticed," he also said.
SENATE BILL SEEKS TO PROTECT REST HOURS, PREVENT 'UNLI-WORK FROM HOME'
MANILA — Sen. Francis Tolentino has filed a bill proposing penalties on employers who intrude on workers' "rest hours" to prevent tasks and meetings from bleeding into personal time as many shift to work-from-home arrangements.
In the explanatory note to Senate Bill No. 2475, Tolentino said that remote work arrangements have helped work to continue amid precautions against the pandemic. He said, however, that "sometimes, technology and work-from-home arrangements distort the idea of work and home from the point of view of the employees."
He said that technology and the internet have made workers "virtually always at the beck and call of their employers" even beyond official work hours.
"The power of control of employers now overreaches beyond working hours through the use of phone and email," he said.
Rest Hours
The bill defines rest hours as any period other than the hours of work rendered by the employee. Under labor laws, normal work hours must not exceed eight hours a day.
Under the bill, an employee may not be compelled to deliver overtime work, unless allowed by labor laws, or unless they give their written consent.
"Any waiver of the right to rest hours or any advance consent to perform overtime work...shall be void," the bill reads.
If passed into law, the bill will cover workers in "all establishments and undertakings whether for profit or not."
It does not cover, however, field personnel, domestic helpers, output-based workers, and those in the personal service of another.
THE REST
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7 NABBED FOR P2 MILLION ANTIGEN TESTS, FAKE MEDS
MANILA — At least seven persons were arrested for allegedly selling over P2 million worth of unauthorized COVID-19 antigen rapid test kits and counterfeit medicines in Quezon City since Monday afternoon.
Irene Alvarado, 30; Elgin Alvarado, 32; and Aurelio Agustin, 52, were caught in a sting in Barangay Krus na Ligas at around 2:10 p.m. yesterday by the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Around 300 boxes of test kits valued at P1.2 million, a Ford Everest and a cell phone were confiscated from them.
Col. Randy Glenn Silvio, CIDG National Capital Region field office chief, said the suspects belong to a criminal gang based in Sta. Cruz, Manila involved in the illegal sale of COVID-19 Clungene test kits, and used social media platform Facebook for their transactions.
In Barangay Sta. Mesa Heights, CIDG operatives confiscated around 200 boxes of Clungene rapid test kits with a street value of P800,000 from Erwin Baluyot, 39, and Rocky Victoring, 35, in a sting around 4:50 p.m. on Monday.
All five suspects, said to belong to the same gang, face charges of violating Republic Act 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act.
EMPLOYERS URGED TO GIVE COVID-STRICKEN WORKERS MORE PAID LEAVES
MANILA - The Department of Labor and Employment on Wednesday urged employers to give their COVID-stricken workers more paid leave credits.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello made the appeal as some 11,500 workers were displaced after Metro Manila was escalated to Alert Level 3 until the end of the month to curb virus infections.
Some 20,000 other workers are earning less because of shortened work hours or arrangements to lessen working days, Bello added.
"Pakiusap, (we're) urging them to be more compassionate and give their workers additional paid leaves," he told ANC's Headstart.
"Our labor advisory is only urging employers to give their workers additional paid leaves. Di namin sila inuutusan (we did not order them)."
The labor chief reiterated that employers cannot terminate workers who refuse to get vaccinated.
"There’s no legal basis," he said.
CEBU’S GWEN GARCIA REFUSES TO IMPLEMENT ‘NO VAXX, NO RIDE’ POLICY, CALLS IT ANTI-POOR
Gov. Gwen Garcia announced on Tuesday she will not adapt in Cebu the transportation department’s "no vaccine, no ride" policy, which requires commuters to show a vaccination card before using public transport.
“That is anti-poor. How can you require everyone to present their vaccination card for them to avail of public transport? As I have always said, vaccination is a matter of choice. Give that respect to the individual,” Garcia said.
Instead, she has ordered the police to set up border checkpoints to make sure there was no overloading of public vehicles and health protocols were in place. Garcia also mentioned an air purifier requirement for drivers.
“If you choose not to be vaccinated, you should not be ostracized. Why? It’s in the law itself. Why this discrimination against the vaccinated, when even the vaccinated are not considered immune and may be carriers as well? In the province of Cebu, we will not discriminate,” Garcia added.
Buses plying provincial roads will be required to secure a trip ticket from the terminals for easy police tracking and verification.
BREAKTHROUGH COVID INFECTION HAS NATURAL BOOSTING RESPONSE: VACCINE EXPERT
MANILA - Getting infected with COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated gives a "natural boosting response," the chairperson of the country's vaccine expert panel said Wednesday.
The booster depends on the severity of the illness, according to Dr. Nina Gloriani.
"After breakthrough infection meron kayong natural boosting response
that can stay, depende sa tao pero nabu-boost pa rin. Kung severe at gumaling, mas mataas ang level of immunity," she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.
Taking antibody tests to check one's immunity is recommended only to "moderately to severe immunocompromised" individuals, Gloriani said. These individuals must be medically stable before inoculated, she added.
Those who suspect they have COVID-19 during their vaccination can still get immunity later on, according to the jab expert.
"Lahat ng bakuna natin ay safe at 'di magko-cause ng COVID at kung nagka-COVID hindi dahil dun, di naman magiging worse yun," she said.
"Hindi yan buhay na virus, actually baka magsama ang dalawa, magkakaroon siya ng immunity later."
It is also normal that some individuals do not experience side effects after getting vaccinated, Gloriani added.
BYSTANDER INMATE SHOT IN BILIBID PRISON BREAK DIES; HUNT FOR 2 FUGITIVES CONTINUES
MANILA — A Person Deprived of Liberty wounded in a prison break earlier this week has passed away, Bureau of Corrections spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag said Wednesday as he warned the public against the two "armed and dangerous" escapees who are still at large.
In an interview with CNN Philippines’ "The Source", Chaclag said the escapees shot another inmate when they were fleeing.
"We received news yesterday that the PDL they shot expired and that [inmate] was supposed to be freed this month," he added, partly in Filipino.
Chaclag then warned the public that this is how dangerous the remaining two inmates still at large are. "So the public should be careful, if they see someone suspicious-looking, they should inform the police and the numbers we published," he added.
Thee BuCor duty guards were also shot in the incident and were brought to the Ospital ng Muntinlupa for treatment.
Authorities are still on the hunt for Candas Ablas and Drakilou Falcon. Ablas is serving a sentence for robbery with homicide and illegal possession of firearms while Falcon was convicted of robbery and homicide.
The two other PDLs who escaped, Pacifico Adlawan and Arwin Bio, were killed in a pursuit operation on Monday.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
MUSIC'S GRAMMY AWARDS MOVED TO APRIL 3 IN LAS VEGAS
LOS ANGELES-The Grammy Awards ceremony honoring top performances in music has been rescheduled for April 3 in Las Vegas, the Recording Academy and broadcaster CBS said in a statement on Tuesday.
The awards had been set to take place on Jan. 31 in downtown Los Angeles, but organizers scrapped that date as the Omicron variant sparked a new wave of COVID-19 infections.
Comedian Trevor Noah will host the ceremony, which will be televised and streamed live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Nominations for the 2022 Grammys were announced in November here. Pianist and bandleader Jon Batiste led a field that ranged from rap to jazz music and embraced newcomers from teen pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo to veteran crooner Tony Bennett, 95, who won his first Grammy in 1963.
The 2021 Grammy Awards also were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony was staged in March instead of January and included a mix of pre-recorded and live segments in front of a small, socially distanced audience.
Organizers provided few details about 2022 show beyond the new date and location.
The new Grammys date forced a switch for CMT Music Awards for country music, which had been scheduled for April 3. They will now take place later in April, CBS said.
SPORTS
NBA SCORES JAN 17
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Pelicans16-28 29 17 23 23 92
Celtics23-22 18 21 32 33 104
TD GARDEN , BOSTON, MA
SCORING LEADERS
J. Valanciunas NO
22 PTS 14 REB 4 AST
J. Tatum BOS
27 PTS 8 REB 3 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Hornets24-20 34 28 24 11 97
Knicks22-22 23 21 23 20 87
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK, NY
SCORING LEADERS
M. Bridges CHA
38 PTS 12 REB 5 AST
R. Barrett NY
18 PTS 12 REB 5 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
76ers25-18 29 26 28 15 98
Wizards23-21 38 23 30 26 117
CAPITAL ONE ARENA, WASHINGTON, DC
SCORING LEADERS
J. Embiid PHI
32 PTS 8 REB 1 AST
M. Harrell WAS
18 PTS 7 REB 1 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Nets27-16 31 28 29 19 107
Cavaliers27-18 30 35 22 27 114
ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE, CLEVELAND, OH
SCORING LEADERS
K. Irving BKN
27 PTS 7 REB 9 AST
D. Garland CLE
22 PTS 6 REB 12 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Bulls27-15 20 25 27 34 106
Grizzlies31-15 20 38 34 27 119
FEDEXFORUM, MEMPHIS, TN
SCORING LEADERS
D. DeRozan CHI
24 PTS 5 AST
J. Morant MEM
25 PTS 4 REB 3 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Pacers15-29 27 32 31 43 133
Clippers22-23 40 28 36 35 139
CRYPTO.COM ARENA, LOS ANGELES, CA
SCORING LEADERS
C. LeVert IND
26 PTS 9 REB 4 AST
N. Batum LAC
32 PTS 5 REB 3 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Bucks27-19 26 36 26 26 114
Hawks18-25 17 33 33 38 121
STATE FARM ARENA, ATLANTA, GA
SCORING LEADERS
K. Middleton MIL
34 PTS 7 REB 4 AST
T. Young ATL
30 PTS 4 REB 11 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Trail Blazers18-25 22 32 27 17 98
Magic8-37 17 23 21 27 88
AMWAY CENTER, ORLANDO, FL
SCORING LEADERS
J. Nurkic POR
21 PTS 22 REB 2 AST
F. Wagner ORL
14 PTS 5 REB 2 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Raptors21-20 30 21 24 24 99
Heat28-16 27 31 22 24 104
FTX ARENA, MIAMI, FL
SCORING LEADERS
C. Boucher TOR
23 PTS 10 REB
T. Herro MIA
23 PTS 4 REB 3 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Thunder14-29 24 18 30 30 102
Mavericks25-19 33 20 24 27 104
AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER, DALLAS, TX
SCORING LEADERS
S. Gilgeous-Alexander OKC
34 PTS 6 REB 5 AST
L. Doncic DAL
20 PTS 11 REB 12 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Suns34-9 32 27 28 34 121
Spurs16-28 29 27 35 16 107
AT&T CENTER, SAN ANTONIO, TX
SCORING LEADERS
D. Booker PHO
48 PTS 5 REB 6 AST
J. Poeltl SA
23 PTS 14 REB 4 AST
FINAL
1 2 3 4 T
Jazz29-15 25 21 32 17 95
Lakers22-22 24 28 20 29 101
CRYPTO.COM ARENA, LOS ANGELES, CA
SCORING LEADERS
M. Conley UTA
20 PTS 1 REB 4 AST
L. James LAL
25 PTS 7 REB 7 AST
INDICATORS
FOREX $1 = P 51.48
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The universe doesn’t give you what you ask for with your thoughts; it gives you what you demand with your actions. - Steve Maraboli
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