NORMIN AGENCIES, GROUPS CONTINUE RELIEF OPS FOR ‘ODETTE’ VICTIMS

RELIEF DISTRIBUTION. The team from the Department of Public Works and Highways in Northern Mindanao (DPWH10) unloads relief packs in Surigao City on Tuesday (Jan. 4, 2022). The packs were donated by different groups and organizations from the Northern Mindanao region. (Photo courtesy of DPWH-10) Government agencies and private organizations in the Northern Mindanao Region on Tuesday continued to conduct relief operations in communities affected by Typhoon Odette that hit parts of the Visayas and Mindanao last month.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Department of Public Works and Highways in Northern Mindanao (DPWH10), along with civic organizations, distributed relief packs to 1,145 families in Surigao City. 10 received an instruction from Secretary Roger Mercado to extend immediate assistance to the survivors, which has now been dubbed as “Tabangan ta ‘Kaw Surigao”.

“The relief operations were coordinated with the Barangay Government Units (BGUs) which were greatly affected by the typhoon, particularly, Barangay Rizal and Barangay San Juan in Surigao City. They have lost homes, livelihoods, and other necessities,” the statement said. The agency has pooled its resources through various district engineering offices in Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte.

It also received donations from the District Engineers’ League of the Philippines (DELP), Inc., and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) – Iligan Bay Lanao del Norte Chapters.

Bags of rice

The National Food Authority (NFA-10) also shipped a total of 4,499 bags to NFA-7 to replenish

Each bag weighs 50 kilograms and came from Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, and Lanao del Norte, three of the top “palay” (unhusked rice) procuring areas of NFA-10.

“The transfers were coursed through marine transport; 1,800 bags were shipped from the ports of the cities of Ozamiz and Iligan while 2,700 bags were dispatched from the port of Cagayan de Oro City,” the statement added.

As of Tuesday, the remaining 1,600 bags are scheduled to be shipped as the NFA-10 committed to send a total of 6,100 bags to the typhoon-hit Central Visayas Region.

In this city, Acting Administrator Teodoro Sabuga-a Jr. and City Social Welfare and Development’s executive overseer Michael Christopher Fabello thanked food and beverage giant, Nestle Philippines, represented by Human Resources specialist Christine Maybuena, for its more than PHP1 million worth of donation of goods intended for typhoon survivors. The goods included instant coffee, powdered milk, and powdered chocolate drink.

Proposed law

During his visit to this city last month, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said there was an urgent need for the two houses of Congress to pass legislation that will create the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR).

Zubiri said he filed Senate Bill 1139 or the Department of Disaster Resilience Act in 2019 when Taal Volcano erupted.

Aside from SB 1139, Zubiri has also filed the National Mapping Act, to determine the country’s high-risk areas and danger zones.

The lawmaker said he was dismayed that until now, both Senate and the House of Representatives have not acted on his proposed legislation.

With the DDR, Zubiri said response to calamities will be quicker as there will be a single government agency that will focus on response, rescue, and rehabilitation including the building of disaster-resilient infrastructure. “We need a go-to department where you can

call up one secretary and mobilize the response with haste,” he said.

After going around Visayas and Mindanao to hand out sacks of rice and evacuation tents to displaced residents, Zubiri noted the slow-moving delivery of assistance due to protocols, especially in the release of fuel.

“In times of crisis, there should be no red tape, no unnecessary protocols. Stumbling blocks and bottlenecks should be removed during the time of catastrophe,” he added.

Among the complaints that he received from local officials and residents were the alleged sluggish action of the Department of Public Works and Highways in road-clearing and the Department of Energy on the restoration of power.

To date, Zubiri has donated 2,000 sacks of rice and 1,200 pieces of evacuation tents to displaced residents in Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Bohol, Agusan del Sur, and the cities of Butuan and this city. (PNA/Nef Luczon and Jigger Jerusalem)

NATIONAL NEWS

PCOO, BG party list, Israeli Embassy send aid to Odette victims in Caraga

More help is on the way for residents of Caraga Region who have been affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette, which ravaged most parts of the region on December 16, 2021.

In addition to establishing a communication center in Siargao Island and facilitating the provision of augmentation and various types of assistance, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), in partnership with the neophite party list “Bisaya Gyud,” has extended relief assistance to Siargaonons which arrived Friday, January 7.

Onboard a C130, boxes containing household items, appliances, and even back-up power sources were transported by the Philippine Air Force to Siargao Island, where thousands of families are still coping from the losses sustained from the recent disaster.

The said relief assistance is comprised of two sets of chainsaw with two 5-liter gasoline; one set of water pump; one unit of generator, baking tools and equipment such as 50 pieces of oven sheet trays; one set of Planetary dough mixer with a 15-liter bowl; one rolling pin, and other household items such as the two units of extension cord.

The Israeli Embassy has also chipped in 92 boxes of relief goods and 14 sacks of rice, ready to be repacked and distributed.

With approximately 288,000 families or more than 1.5 million individuals affected

in the region, the PCOO vows to continue assisting and complementing the efforts of the national government to help affected residents.

“This is just several of the many assistance that our office will provide and facilitate help for our affected kababayans. We are doing our best to transport these relief assistance as fast and as consistently as we can because, really, our main goal here is not just to augment but help them recover sustainably,” said PCOO chief Martin Andanar.

“In this scenario, following a whole-ofnation approach is crucial which is why we have international aid coming from the Israeli Embassy and local aid coming from the Bisaya Gyud party list,” he added.

Bisaya Gyud president Victorino Garay also echoed the passion of the communications chief in helping distraught Bisaya kababayans which is why Garay and other members of the party list pooled in resources to contribute to the nationwide relief operations for Odette-hit areas.

“We are most concerned with the welfare of our Bisaya kababayans who are now experiencing a crisis. From where I live, we were lucky enough to be spared from the disaster so we cannot imagine just how difficult all of this is for them especially since they had to spend their holidays not enjoying but coping, trying to find ways to survive,” said Garay.

“We have established our party list mainly because we want to be of service to our people and what better way can we help achieve that mission than by being there for the people of Caraga?” he added.

At the height of the crisis, Secretary Andanar has renewed his call for cooperation among all sectors in light of the disaster aftermath.

“This situation is bigger than any of us. Thousands of our kababayans are literally at the brink of their demise. We have to once again cultivate the spirit of bayanihan and extend help in any way that we can,” said the secretary. ##

Vaccine czar: Gov’t should bolster administration of COVID-19 booster dose

The government should ramp up the administration of COVID-19 booster shots to maintain protection on vaccinated population particularly in major cities in the country, the country’s vaccine czar has said.

“We just have to remind the key cities which have more than 70 percent to 100 percent vaccination coverage,” vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said in his report to President Duterte during the latter’s weekly public address aired on Wednesday.

“We need to revisit the realities that our people’s protection should be further expanded and enhanced through the administration of boosters.”

A December 28 data on the National Capital Region (NCR) showed that the region has 12.6 million eligible population, including those aged five and above. It has 10.4 million fully vaccinated individuals with 6.5 million due for a booster dose.

The statistics also showed that only 30 percent of new eligible population is fully protected against severe illness, hospitalization and death.

“Meaning, dahil nakikita natin na may waning effect po ang ating mga vaccine, 3.8 (million) po ang inaassume natin na ito sa ngayon, ito po ‘yung may malakas pa na tinatawag na antibodies,” he said.

Galvez also enumerated cities and provinces with 70 to 100 percent full vaccination coverage that could strengthen the administration of boosters.

These include the NCR with its 17 cities; Central Luzon, seven cities; Calabarzon, 12 cities; Luzon, 10 cities and provinces; Visayas, 11 cities; and Mindanao, eight cities and provinces. And to counter the rising number of COVID-19 cases, apparently triggered by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, Galvez said the government should focus on key tasks such as finding and vaccinating the unvaccinated, administering booster doses, and expanding the current inoculation drive to cover children five to 11 years old.

Vaccine demand must also be increased to efficiently manage the government’s vaccine administration and prevent unnecessary wastage.

“Kung tayo po’y samasama at mayroon pong disiplina at may bakuna, may laban po tayo sa pandemya,” he said. PND

DILG, PND praised for successful anti-illegal drug campaign

suspected drug offenders surrendered, while a single casualty was recorded during drug operations. “At sa buo pong operation ngayong linggong ito ay nakapagkumpiska tayo ng shabu at marijuana amounting to P143,938,870 worth of shabu and marijuana. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin po ang ating kampanya dito,” he said. Last December, Año reported at least P74.3billion worth of illegal drugs have been confiscated since the Duterte administration launched its war on drugs in 2016. Over 15,000 kilos of shabu, marijuana and Ecstasy tablets were destroyed by the authorities, while 982 dens and 18 clandestine laboratories were dismantled, according to the interior chief. Eliminating illegal drugs, fighting corruption and crime, were President Duterte’s major campaign pledges when he ran for the presidency in 2016. PND

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has lauded the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for their sustained anti-illegal narcotics campaign in the country, as he hopes the police and the DILG to continue their efforts in the coming months.

“It has to be a sustained campaign with no end in sight because nakita mo naman during my watch sa kaistrikto ko sa droga ganoon rin,” President Duterte said during his weekly Talk to the People aired on Wednesday morning. “May mga tao talaga na… It’s always money. So iyan ang magiging problema. But I’d like to congratulate the DILG and the police for the, I said, the fervor that they are nurturing in fighting the drug problem.”

In his report to the President, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said their anti-illegal drug operations continue, manifesting the government’s seriousness in eliminating the drug menace.

Last week, he reported that law enforcers conducted 547 anti-illegal drug operations, resulting in 797 arrests. Some 52

Don’t leave your homes or get jailed, PRRD to vax decliners

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (File photo) President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said those who refused to get vaccinated against Covid-19 should just “stay home” or risk getting jailed and arrested.

Duterte made this statement after Metro Manila mayors agreed to pass local ordinances that will restrict the movements and activities of unvaccinated people amid a steep increase of infections in the region.

“Yung hindi magpabakuna at nalaman ng barangay captain, sabihin na lang nila ‘Huwag kang lumabas’ at kung lumabas ka (If barangay captains know you are unvaccinated, they can just say ‘Don’t leave your homes’ but if you leave), you will be escorted…If you force the issue, the barangay captain can place you under arrest and dalhin ka sa estasyon (bring you to a police station),” he said. their jabs are at higher risk of contracting severe illness, complications, and death.

“Malaki ang tsansa na pag mahawa ka talagang mamatay ka. So, kokonti naman ang namamatay sa awa ng Diyos, hindi masyadong marami. Pero may namamatay pa rin. Sigurado ‘yan walang bakuna (There is a high chance that if you get infected, you will die. So there are few deaths, thank God. But there still are. Perhaps they’re unvaccinated),” he said. Duterte said vaccines are necessary because these provide a defense, no matter how small, against the deadly virus.

He also said it is the only way to avoid more problems from arising.

“Ngayon, kung maghingi kayo ng tulong sa akin, sabihin ko hindi ako tutulong sa iyo kasi hindi ka nagpabakuna. Kung nagpabakuna ka, wala na akong problema tsaka wala ka nang problema. Ngayon kung mamatay ka, bahala ka sa sarili mo (Now, if you ask help from me, I’ll tell you that I won’t help because you didn’t get vaccinated. If you’re vaccinated, I won’t have a problem and you won’t have a problem. Now if you die, you’re on your own),” he said.

On Monday, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Benhur Abalos announced that Metro Manila mayors have agreed to impose stricter measures on individuals who are unvaccinated against Covid-19 after the National Capital Region (NCR) was placed under Alert Level 3 from Jan. 3 to 15.

Under Alert Level 3, Abalos said unvaccinated individuals must remain in their residences at all times except during the procurement of essential goods and services.

The NCR mayors have likewise decided to prohibit the unvaccinated people in indoor and outdoor dining areas, leisure or social trips to malls, hotels, events venues, sports and country clubs, and similar establishments.

Unvaccinated people are also restricted from domestic travel via public transportation except for essential reasons like buying goods and services. (PNA/Azer Parrocha)

PH ready for possible Omicron variant wave: DOH exec

The country is ready for a possible Omicron variant wave which Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said on Monday seems to be upon the Philippines as the Covid-19 infections continue to increase.

“Well, it looks like the Omicron wave is upon us,” Vega, also the country treatment czar, said in an interview with ANC television. Vega said the Philippines has been experiencing a “steady increase” in terms of the Omicron just like what happened across South Africa and Europe.

“Our numbers have doubled and this is the start and we are very sure that this will peak. When it will crest down and decelerate, we don’t know. But what is very important is that we are prepared for this omicron virus,” he said.

For the last two days, the Department of Health (DOH) reported more than 4,000 new daily cases, including 4,600 logged on Sunday, the highest infections since the country’s lowest 168 new cases recorded on Dec. 21, 2021.

While the Omicron variant causes mild symptoms, Vega emphasized its high transmissibility factor may bring a large volume of infected patients.

Health Undersecretary and Treatment Czar Leopoldo Vega (File photo) “We are preparing our health systems capacity, our testing, our isolation so that we are all prepared for another ride in the waves of this Omicron virus,” he said.

He added the government is also preparing its temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs).

“We only have about 115 TTMF beds all over the country. That means if you have an exponential growth in this Omicron, we might have problems in terms of isolation or quarantining these Covidpositive patients,” he said.

Earlier, the DOH said a surge or peak of Omicron infections can be delayed through public health interventions – proper wearing of face masks, social distancing, frequent and proper handwashing, good indoor ventilation, and vaccination.

In a separate online media forum on Monday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reported 11 imported and three local cases of Omicron variant.

She said of the 11 cases, nine are returning overseas Filipinos while none of the cases presented severe symptoms or had resulted to fatality as they were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.

“All reported local Omicron cases – located and traced – have completed the minimum 10-day isolation and have been tagged as recovered prior to the release of the whole genome results,” Vergeire said. (PNA/Ma. Teresa Montemayor)

Nearly 50M Filipinos already fully vaccinated

PROTECTING THE ELDERLY. Medical workers administer Sinovac Covid-19 booster shots to the elderly at a mall in Mandaluyong City on Monday (Jan. 3, 2022). Rising cases prompted the Inter-Agency Task Force to place the National Capital Region under Alert Level 3 until January 15, thus the continued reminder to get vaccinated against the dreaded virus. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon) The Philippines has already administered 108,853,491 doses of the coronavirus vaccines, including second shots for 49,853,264 Filipinos and 1,847,926 booster or additional doses, as of Monday.

The country’s total vaccines doses received stand at 210,633,110, both procured and donated, as of the end of 2021.

National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. warned the country is “not yet out of the woods” as the cases are spiking once again. He reminded of the need to inoculate more Filipinos as much as possible, especially the elderly and those with comorbidities.

“As what we have said, vaccine supply is no longer a concern, as we now have sufficient doses to fully inoculate more than 100 million Filipinos. The greater challenge now is how to get these Covid-19 jabs into the arms of our countrymen as soon as possible,” Galvez said in his year-end message.

The start of the year, according to Galvez, is another chance to encourage the unvaccinated to get jabbed and for the eligible ones to avail of booster shots.

Local government units must also continue to strengthen their preventdetect-isolate-treatreintegrate (PDITR) strategies and impose granular lockdowns if necessary.

“We also need to continuously upgrade our Covid-19 health care facilities throughout the country by adding more beds, oxygen tanks, and Covid-19 medicines,” he added.

Galvez said the NTF is adamant to achieve its target population protection of at least 77 million fully vaccinated Filipinos by the first quarter this year.

“As the Duterte Administration enters its final year, the National Task Force on Covid-19 is committed to fulfilling its mandate of protecting the health of the Filipino people, as we revive our nation’s economy,” he stated. (PNA/ Lade Jean Kabagani)

Executive Editor ABNER M. CAGA

Associate Editor FRYAN E. ABKILAN Managing Editor NORA CL MOLDE Copy Editor VENUS LIM GARCIA Layout Artists RONNIE E. MADANGUIT JOHN CHARLES B. MALAZARTE Contributors JENNIFER P. GAITANO

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DOREEN MARIELLE N. ROSALES

Regional Office

JIGGER JERUSALEM LADE JEAN KABAGANI NEF LUCZON ALEXANDER LOPEZ MA. TERESA MONTEMAYOR AZER PARROCHA DXJS RP-TANDAG PCOO, PNA PND

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