PHILSYS CENTER OPENS IN BISLIG CITY

PhilSys center opens in Bislig City By Nida Grace P. Barcena

The Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Registration Center of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)- Surigao del Sur is now open to serve Bisliganons as it officially opened on February 1, 2022.

The newly established Center is located at the 2nd floor, ABC Building., Montero St., Poblacion, Bislig City. posted by the City Information Office in their official Facebook page, the Registration Center caters applicants/registrants by appointment only and will accommodate a maximum of 180 per day.

In the early phases of the operation, the center will accommodate the following applicants on the following dates: • February 1 - Teachers • February 2-5 - LGU employees, PNP, BFP, TMG, and LTO personnel • February 7-9 - BDH and CHO staffs, COAFC, DENR, Philippine Postal Corp., COMELEC, BIR, and CEEDO personnel.

Schedule for barangay/ district will be posted soon in the CIO’s Facebook page, and official information will be disseminated to all the concerned local officials for them to inform their constituents under their area of responsibility. Walk-in clients or applicants will not be entertained.

All the applicants/ registrants are encouraged to bring their own pen, wear appropriate attire, and follow the health protocols.

According to PSASurigao del Sur chief Ruel Dres, the operation of the Registration Center will last until they finish registering all the residents of the City. (PIASurigao del Sur)

NATIONAL NEWS

BG Partylist inks partnership with one criminology Philippines to push legislative agenda

The BG Partylist on Monday has high hopes that its partnership with safety and security advocate One Criminology Philippines will fortify legislative platforms geared for the welfare of Bisayas alike.

A ceremonial signing of the manifestation of support of One Criminology Philippines to the national campaign of 108 BG Party-List was done in the presence of both organizations.

According to the partylist such a decision seeks “to formalize the spirit of cooperation and solidarity between the two organizations,” rcoginzing that both has mutual advocacies on education, livelihood, and security.

The partylist’s President, Victorino Garay, stressed ensuring peace and order is a vital component in the successful delivery of programs and services of the government, which in turn will bring growth to target communities.

“Our event here today is the fruit of two organizations sharing the same advocacies that draw their drive from the same place of charity, service and compassion to improve the lives of their countrymen. All these to exert our fullest efforts in providing security and livelihood to our stakeholders,” he said.

“There is still much to be done in the service to our countrymen, and we couldn’t have chosen a better partner for this task,” Garay said.

The OCP delegate was headed by National Chairman Gerry Cano.

Palace thanks public for PRRD’s very good net satisfaction rating

Malacañang on Tuesday thanked the public for giving President Rodrigo Roa Duterte a “very good” net satisfaction rating of +60 based on the December 2021 survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

“Lubos po kaming nagpapasalamat sa sambayanang Pilipino sa patuloy ninyong suporta at tiwala sa liderato ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte (We are very grateful to the Filipino people for your continued support and trust in the leadership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte),” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, also acting presidential spokesperson, said in a Palace press briefing.

Nograles assured that Duterte would continue serving the country to the best of his ability until his term ends in June.

“Asahan po ninyo na patuloy na gagawin ng Pangulo kung ano ang ikakabuti ng mas nakakarami hanggang sa huling araw ng kanyang panunungkulan (Do expect the President to continue to do what is best for the majority until the last day of his term),” he added.

According to the SWS survey, Duterte has continued to enjoy the highest net satisfaction rate among the country’ top officials His +60 net satisfaction rating is 8 percent higher than his rating in September 2021 but 19 percent lower than in November 2020.

Duterte’s high net satisfaction rating is due to his strong base of support, his perceived decisiveness, and his administration’s actions in addressing poverty and the drug war, according to SWS president and chief executive officer Linda Luz Guerrero.

In a prerecorded public address aired Monday night, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Jacinto Paras bared that many local officials continue to have “full support” in the Duterte administration’s handling of the prevailing health crisis.

Duterte, in response, said he thinks he does not deserve his popularity, saying the real stars in the country’s Covid-19 response are his Cabinet members. without bringing in the entire entourage who has helped me in my work as President,” Duterte said in a prerecorded public address.

He said he is “lucky” to have a “good team” who are committed to their jobs, even though the Philippines lacked resources at the beginning of the pandemic and relied on other countries for assistance.

“Ako (Me), I do not think that I deserve that popularity. I would rather share it with all of the department secretaries and the directors doing the job promptly and as fast and the number one exhibit thanks to Secretary Dizon, Secretary Galvez, Secretary Año, Secretary Lorenzana. Nakikita mo ang resulta ng trabaho (We can see the result of their work). And to think that we had nothing at the start,” he added. (PNA/Azer Parrocha)

Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (File photo)

Gov’t eyes 70M Filipinos fully vaxxed by March 31

The government targets to complete the administration of two Covid-19 primary doses to at least 70 million Filipinos by March 31.

Dr. Ted Herbosa, the special medical adviser of the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19, said fully vaccinating at least 70 million individuals is crucial to achieving population protection in the entire country, complementing the government’s exit plan to the pandemic.

“So very important maabot natin by March 31 iyong 70 million or 70 percent ng ating population para fully vaccinated (It is very important to fully vaccinate 70 million or 70 percent of our total population),” Herbosa said in a virtual interview over the Laging Handa briefing aired over staterun PTV news channel.

The government on Thursday started the third “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” massive vaccination drive to simultaneously inoculate at least five million Filipinos nationwide, until Friday.

Herbosa reiterated that the initiative aims to

(PNA File photo) capacitate the local government units (LGUs) that are still lagging in their vaccination drive, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Caraga region, Mimaropa, Soccsargen, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Eastern Visayas, the Bicol Region, and Central Visayas have likewise vaccinated below 70 percent of their total population, based on the data from the National Vaccination Operations Center, as of January 23.

So far, a total of 59,899,717 Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, including those who received single-dose Janssen vaccine and Sputnik Light jabs. Of the total fully vaccinated individuals, 8,011,994 of them got booster doses. (PNA/ Lade Jean Kabagani)

Gov’t to develop ‘new normal’ roadmap vs. Covid-19 pandemic

Presidential adviser on Covid-19 response Vince Dizon (PPD photo) Presidential adviser on Covid-19 response, Vince Dizon, said the government mulls the development of a strategic roadmap to the new normal so that the country can start “beating” the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

During the Talk to the People of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night, Dizon said they are now discussing with key officials of the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19, including NTF chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, and NTF chairperson Delfin Lorenzana, about the crafting of the new normal roadmap, a way forward to dealing with the dreaded virus, and finally exit to the pandemic.

Dizon said the NTF targets to lessen the active cases to pre-Omicron levels of recording less than 1,000 infections daily for this month.

“We strive to bring down cases, especially within this month. While we are doing that, we will also start to develop and mapping out a road to the new normal,” he said.

As the government targets to reduce the number of Covid-19active cases in the country, Dizon said they will also continue to ramp up the massive vaccination drive across the country. the data, that vaccination is our really the ultimate solution to turn the page and close hopefully soon the chapter.

So far, he said, more than 60 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Dizon said the government targets to provide complete doses to at least 90 million Filipinos by the end of Duterte’s term in June this year.

“We will continue to pursue innovative ways to bring the vaccines closer to the Filipinos,” he said, adding that more pharmacies nationwide will start participating in the government’s ‘Resbakuna sa Botika’ vaccination drive.

The government will also open vaccination soon in various clinics, schools, and other private establishments, he added.

The Covid-19 vaccination program is now being expanded to a much younger segment of the country’s population. (PNA/Lade Jean Kabagani)

Gov’t preparing for endemic Covid-19 scenario in PH

Government officials on Friday laid out new plans for the country’s transition to a ‘new normal’ and the possible shift from a pandemic to endemic approach to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

In a virtual press briefing in Malacañang, acting presidential spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the government is currently formulating the National Action Plan (NAP) Phase V that would include shifts in protocols and policies on how the country would deal with Covid-19.

He noted that the alert level system and minimum health protocols will likely stay in the near future and vaccination will continue to ensure the protection of the public against Covid-19.

National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said the NAP Phase 5 will have the “same organization, organization structure” as the government’s previous NAP and is meant to guide the country into the transition to the new normal.

“Ang gusto kasi namin is maempower iyong bawat Filipino, bawat mamamayan natin kung paano ang pagbasa nitong mga information na ‘to at paano sila dapat—how they will act accordingly para magtuluy-tuloy na talaga itong ating, as you say, iyong

(File photo)

pagbalik natin sa new normal (What we want is to empower every Filipino on how to read this information and how to act accordingly during the transition to the new normal),” Edillon said.

Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, meanwhile, said the country is now transitioning to the NAP Phase V that will prepare the country to cope with the possibility of Covid-19 being endemic in the country. She explained that an endemic state is when cases of a disease are “stable,” “constant,” or “predictable” but it does not equate to a milder form of the disease.

“There is that equilibrium between the level of transmission and the level of immunity of an area. So, having said that, ibig sabihin po ng endemic state natin, best example iyong atin pong sakit na tigdas (What endemic state means, its best example is the measles),” Vergeire said.

She said Filipino children are regularly vaccinated against measles until the country reaches a point where only a few cases of the disease occur, but outbreaks still do happen when the immunity of a portion of the population begins to wane. “With the NAP Phase 5, we are now transitioning. Piniprepare na po natin iyong ating sistema para pagdating po nung point na talaga ang state is endemic na (We are preparing our system so that when the time comes that we’re at an endemic state), we will be able to cope and we are resilient and we are prepared,” Vergeire said.

Earlier, the government has allowed the entry of foreign nationals into the country for business and tourism purposes as the Covid-19 situation in the country and the international stage continues to improve.

To date, Metro Manila, Batanes, Bulacan, Cavite, Biliran, Southern Leyte, and Basilan have been put under Alert Level 2 as the number of new and active cases continues to drop as well as a declining number of hospitalized individuals due to Covid-19. (PNA/Raymond Carl Dela Cruz)

Regional Office

Jose Rosales Avenue, Butuan City piacaraga@gmail.com; pia_caraga@yahoo.com.ph (085) 341-5285; (085) 815-1991 Philippine Information Agency Caraga @PIACaraga

Information Centers

AGUSAN DEL NORTE

Jose Rosales Avenue, Butuan City (085) 815-1991 pia.northagusan@gmail.com PIA Agusan del Norte

AGUSAN DEL SUR

Provincial Government Center, Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur 0917-723-3455 pia.agusandelsur@yahoo.com.ph PIA Agusan del Sur

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SURIGAO DEL SUR

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