Daily deaths of Pinoys in ‘21 highest in 10 yrs, says PSA

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

Region (NCR) with 105,178 at 12 percent. “ The combined share of these three regions was 40.5 percent of the total registered deaths in 2021,” PSA said.

Meanwhile, the three regions with the least number of registered deaths were the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with 6,662 or 0.8 percent of the total.

Syria taps PHL Red Cross for earthquake donations

T he month of December had the lowest number of deaths registered per day at 1,813 or equivalent to 76 deaths per hour.

D aily index refers to the increase/decrease from the overall daily average of event occurrences. The months of July to October surpassed the national daily index of 100 in 2021.

THE Syrian Arab Republic has tapped the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) as official collection site for donations as another earthquake hit Northern Syria anew.

T he data showed a total of

879,429 Filipinos died in 2021, a growth of 43.2 percent from the 613,936 who died in 2020.

T his translated to 2,409 deaths per day or 100 deaths per hour. The PSA said two Filipinos died per minute in 2021.

This is equivalent to a crude death rate of 8, or eight deaths per 1,000 population in 2021,” PSA said.

The number of registered deaths from 2012 to 2021 has

E fforts to further digitalization, Medalla said, are under way. InstaPay and PESONet are “great successes” and more people are now using QRs to make payments.

L ast week, the BSP launched the use of Paleng-QR Ph Plus in LapuLapu City to allow market vendors trended upward except in the years 2017 and 2020. The increase during the 10-year period was 70.8 percent, from 514,745 in 2012 to 879,429 in 2021,” explained T he data showed the highest number of registered deaths by usual residence occurred in Calabarzon with 138,298 which represented 15.7 percent of total deaths in 2021.

T his was followed by Central Luzon with 113,127 or 12.9 percent of the total and National Capital there to accept digital payments from their customers.

T he Paleng-QR Ph Plus is a nationwide initiative that promotes digital payments in public markets, transportation hubs, and other business establishments.

“ We have done great work there (digitalization). The share of digital transactions in total payments has been growing steadily,” Medalla said. “But we should not sit on our laurels. We should achieve more, and we must make digitalization more inclusive.”

C ordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 13,241 or 1.5 percent of all deaths while Mimaropa Region with 22,934 posted a 2.6-percent share.

PSA said these regions accounted for only 4.9 percent of the overall registered deaths in the Philippines in 2021.

I n 2021, PSA data showed the average number of deaths registered per day was the highest in September at 3,992 or about 166 deaths per hour.

Focus on cybersecurity

MEDALLA also assured the public that the BSP is boosting its cybersecurity to address emerging risks and maintain public trust in the digital financial ecosystem.

He said this is why it is important to address complaints very quickly in case there are unpleasant events that get reported. Part of the BSP’s efforts is the cybersecurity awareness campaign dubbed Check, Protect, and Report (CPR).

Data on deaths were obtained from the Certificates of Death (Municipal Form No. 103) that were registered at the Office of the City/Municipal Civil Registrars all throughout the country and forwarded to the PSA.

T his release shows an overview of the registered deaths which occurred from January to December 2021, including the 10 leading causes of death.

Deaths of Filipinos that occurred abroad which were reported to the Philippine Foreign Service Posts are presented in a separate report.

T he BSP recently partnered with the BAP and the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP) to fight cybercrime through the CPR information drive to foster cyber hygiene among Filipinos.

T he “Check” is about being careful when sharing information as legitimate banks and financial institutions (FIs) will only ask for personal data when they are contacted by their clients. (Full story: https:// businessmirror .com.ph/2023/01/03/bsptaps-bankers-to-promote-cybersecurity/)

The World Economic Forum (WEF) said over 93 percent of cybersecurity experts and 86 percent of business leaders believe “a farreaching, catastrophic cyber event is likely in the next two years” and there is a critical skills gap that is threatening societies and key infrastructure.

T he report highlighted the need to address the shortage of talent and skilled experts. Some 34 percent of cybersecurity experts said they lacked some skills in their team, with 14 percent saying they lacked critical skills.

W EF said the problem is more pronounced in key sectors such as energy utilities, where nearly 25 percent of cybersecurity experts said they lacked the necessary critical skills to protect their organizations’ operations.

Jeepney...

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Salceda instead said the House tax panel will try to revive the proposed updating of the Road Users’ Tax, which have not been changed since 2004, “to more evenly distribute the burdens of congestion and pollution to everyone who uses vehicles, instead of charging a P21,000 per month tax on PUJs for 7 years.”

S alceda authored House Bill No. 376, which also includes earmarking 45 percent of incremental revenues from the higher rates towards the PUJ modernization program.

“ We should take the PUJ modernization push as an opportunity to reshape the public transport sector. But let’s not pauperize an already struggling sector to get that done. And frankly, keeping the PUJ sector largely private will eventually create the same problems that we are trying to address right now —bad road behavior, irrational routes, and depressed incomes for PUJ workers,” he said.

Fifteen days after a devastating earthquake hit Turkiye and Syria, claiming the lives of more than 46,000, another big earthquake hit both countries, with Northern Syria bearing the brunt of a magnitude 6.5 earthquake on February 20, 2023.

It may be recalled that on February 15, the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey also asked the PRC to assist in the donation efforts.

I n the midst of this terrible catastrophe, the PRC through the leadership of its Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon, with the PRC’s volunteers and staff, has been designated to receive all contributions for and on behalf of the suffering people of Syria.

As the devastation continues with yet another big earth - quake, we send our thoughts and support to those affected. PRC is in communication with the Honorable Consulate General of the Syrian Arab Republic and we will be opening our doors to be collection sites for donations to help our Syrian brothers and sisters who are in dire need of help,” said Gordon.

T he Syrian Embassy has asked local charitable foundations, NGOs, companies, and organizations to direct donations to PRC’s National Headquarters at the Philippine Red Cross Logistics and Multipurpose Center along Apo Street in Mandaluyong City.

Syrian authorities are appealing for in-kind donations of all kinds of medicines, winter blankets, winter clothing and tents.

PRC also sent US $100,000 each to Turkey and Syria through their respective National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Remulla son wins special polls in Cavite 7th district

DESPITE a low voter turnout that dismayed the Commission on Elections chief, the Comelec on Sunday proclaimed the son of Justice Secretary Jesus “Boying” Remulla as the winner in the special elections held to fill the post of 7th District Representative that he vacated when he assumed the DOJ top post.

C rispin Diego “Ping” Remulla won by landslide Saturday’s special elections, handily beating his closest rival, former Trece Martires City Mayor Melencio de Sagun Jr., with his 98,474 votes versus Sagun’s 46,530.

T he older Remulla was appointed in 2022 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the Department of Justice.

A sked about his priority agenda in Congress, the new congressman replied, according to CNN

Philippines’s report “Price adjustment sa [for] minimum wage sa aming [in our] province because the expenses here are very close to the ones in Metro Manila, but minimum wage here is actually lower.”

C NN Philippines, meanwhile, quoted Comelec Chairman George Garcia as ruing the low turnout: “To a certain extent, nakakapanghinayang ‘yung nagagastos na pondo ng taongbayan tapos ang boboto lang ay kakaunti [it is regrettable that our people’s funds are being spent but only few will vote],” he said.

O nly 149,581 or only 42.11 percent of the 355,184 registered voters in the 7th legislative district took part in the special elections, per Comelec.

T he municipalities of Amadeo, Indang and Tanza and Trece Martires City comprise the 7th District.

Immigration...

A fter going from Cebu to Zamboanga, they travelled to Jolo, Brunei, Jakarta, and Thailand before reaching Cambodia.

T he two who left via NAIA on the other hand, presented themselves as tourists.

O ne presented herself as an officer in a local company, while one of them traveled from Bangkok to Cambodia with his girlfriend.

T hey claimed to be on vacation, but both ended up as workers in the scamming syndicate.

T he girlfriend was reportedly able to return early due to the demise of a family member, but her boyfriend was threatened that he would be made to pay for breach of contract.

T he victims were rescued from their company through the help of

Continued from A1 the Philippine Embassy and Senator Risa Hontiveros. E arlier, the BI managed to prevent six suspected victims of a crypto trafficking syndicate from leaving the country.

T hree of the victims were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 last January 20, after attempting to fly out via an Air Asia flight to Bangkok.

L ast January 31, officers at the Clark International Airport intercepted three male victims who attempted to fly to Thailand via a Scoot airlines flight.

T hey admitted that they were recruited to work as encoders and e-games staff and were offered a salary of US$1000 by an agent they only met through a social messaging application.

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M ore foreign direct investments into the country would mean infusion of new capital, establishment of new businesses, as well as additional employment and business opportunities for Filipinos, according to Romualdez.

T he Speaker has also described as “highly successful” and “very productive” the state visits of the President to Indonesia and Singapore, which, he said, produced more than $15 billion worth of foreign investment pledges for the Philippines.