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Longer ECQ approved THE ENHANCED community quarantine, or ECQ, has been extended up to May 15 following the recommendation of the Inter-agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases, or IATF-EID, according to Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque. Roque said the enhanced community quarantine is extended the
National Capital Region, Region III, Region IV-A and all other high-risk areas such as Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro. And also Albay, Catanduanes, Benguet, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales which may change by
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April 27-May 3, 2020
President Rodrigo Duterte. (PCOO)
April 30. In the Visayas, the IAFT considered Antique, Iloilo, Cebu and Cebu City high-risk, all subject to recheck, Aklan and Capiz, which are both subject to ECQ. In Mindanao, Davao del Norte and Davao City are considered high-risk, while Davao de Oro is Continue on page 7
Zamboanga now has Covid-19 testing lab
‘Benefits Region 9, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi’
A
GOVERNMENT laboratory in Zamboanga City used for avian influenza diagnosis in 2008 has been converted to test the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, after it passed a strict compliance set by the World Health Organization, or WHO. Continue on page 3
6 suspected Covid deaths in Sulu
Mayor Beng Climaco turns over to City Health Officer Dr. Dulce Miravite various Biosite medical instruments that include 200 pieces specimen collection swabs and 200 pieces disposable virus sampling tube sent over by St. Luke’s Medical Center. (City Hall Photo)
SULU - The provincial government has reported a total of 6 suspected deaths in recent weeks amid the strict general home quarantine to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19. The Sulu Task Forces Covid-19, headed by Governor Sakur Tan, said 2 more patients suspect-
ed of having the deadly virus are now in quarantine. He appealed anew to residents to stay at home and practise social distancing and maintain cleanliness to minimize risk of infection. “Please follow our quarantine guidelines and let us help each other fight the spread of this Continue on page 3
Zamboanga Task Force Covid-19 rescues sick old man A SICKLY old man living alone on a village in Zamboanga City was rescued recently by health authorities and brought to hospital after neighbors sought help from the local government. The septuagenarian, who is a resident of Barangay Santa Maria, was initially aided by a nurse assigned at the rural health center after receiving information about the man suffering from emphysema. “I rushed to the man’s house after receiving the
report and checked on his health condition. He is suffering from emphysema and I quickly coordinated with the concerned authorities because no one is able to look after him. He is living alone, but operates a boarding house,” the nurse - who was off-duty at that time - told the Zamboanga Post newspaper. She said the house caretaker has told her that she noticed the old man having difficulties breathing and lately would only asked for a glass of cold water.
The man’s sister, also a senior citizen, was not allowed to accompany her brother, but the Zamboanga Task Force Covid-19 immediately coordinated with the Zamboanga Health Office and the Zamboanga City Medical Center and other local government agencies and brought the patient to hospital. Neighbors were not able to help the old man for fear he could be infected with the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19. (Zamboanga Post)
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The Zamboanga Post
April 27-May 3, 2020
Troops pursue Abu Sayyaf
A military photo released to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner shows the bodies of the slain Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu’s Patikul town. SECURITY FORCES continue offensive against the Abu Sayyaf following a recent fighting that killed at least 6 terrorists and wounded 8 soldiers in Sulu province . Troops engaged the gunmen in a battle in Latih village in Patikul town, a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region. Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, commander of the anti-terror Joint Task Force-Sulu, said they recovered 3 bodies and he identified them as Guro Khalid, Udal Muhamadar Said, and Budah. “Based on reports, three more enemies were killed and
many others were wounded in the fighting that lasted over half an hour,” he said, adding, an all-out offensive was launched to contain the Abu Sayyaf in the province. “The armed confrontation further resulted in the wounding of eight soldiers who were immediately extricated from the encounter site and evacuated to Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital and onward to Camp Navarro General Hospital (in Zamboanga City) for medical attention,” Vinluan said. Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, chief of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, asked Filipinos to pray for the safety of sol-
diers fighting the terrorist group, whose leaders have pledged allegiance to ISIS. “We are sustaining our focused military operations in Sulu to finish off the Abu Sayyaf group and bring about peace in the province. Please continue to pray for the safety of our soldiers while rendering unselfish service to win the peace as we equally worship for our protection against the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said. Just late last month, Abu Sayyaf gunmen killed 12 soldiers and wounded 13 more in fierce battle in Patikul town. The Abu Sayyaf is fighting for the establishment of a caliphate in the troubled region. (Zamboanga Post)
Landbank backs national identification program LAND BANK of the Philippines said it supporting the implementation of the national ID system which will greatly ease the distribution of emergency cash subsidy to beneficiaries. Landbank President Cecilia Borromeo explained they were able to disburse P16.3 billion worth of cash grants to some 3.7 million beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in just three days after they got the funds from the national government. “We were able to disburse it fast because the CCT (conditional cash transfer) beneficiaries already have cash cards even before the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease) crisis,” she said. Borromeo said the same situation was observed in the distribution of the financial support to the beneficiaries under the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP), which is targeted for more than 250,000 workers from the private
sector. She said the cash grants went to the workers who have bank accounts. “This is different from our experience when we distributed the cash grants to the drivers who want to be helped by the DOTr (Department of Transportation) and LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board), where we have to distribute the cash grants over the counter of Landbank because they do not have bank accounts or cash card,” she said. Borromeo said they will coordinate with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and NEDA to optimize and hasten the distribution of the national ID, which she hopes can be used also as bank and transactional accounts. The government is scheduled to pilot-test the national ID system in May or June this year to about 14 to 15 million Filipinos and to roll it out by July 2021 to cover about 50 million persons. Republic Act 11055, otherwise known as the Philippine Identification
System Act, mandates that all Filipinos as well as resident aliens in the country be issued a national ID that will have basic information to be sourced from PSA data. The cards will be given for free. In October 2019, the PSA and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that tasked the latter to produce within three years 116 million blank cards for the PhilSys that will have security features, which officials said are better than those used in making passports. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the government-to-government pact is better than involving the private sector to address any issue that usually arises when losing bidders question the final decision on a contract. The national ID program costs about P30 billion. Diokno said costs of production for what he called foundational ID will be about P3.4 billion, or around P30 per card. (Joann Villanueva)
NPA rebels unfazed by Duterte’s threat PAGADIAN CITY – Communist insurgents continue their attacks on military targets despite President Rodrigo Duterte warning that he will declare martial law if the killings do not stop or spread across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. Last Friday, rebel forces killed a government soldier in a firefight in Zamboanga del Sur’s Bayog town. The attack occurred the same day that Duterte threatened to declare martial law. Duterte said he will also run after all communist legal fronts in the country. Lt. Col. Manaros Boransing, commander of the 97th Infantry Battalion, said patrolling troops clashed with New People’s Army gunmen in the village of Balukbahan. “One trooper paid the ultimate sacrifice in an encounter
with the communist NPA terrorist group,” he said. Boransing said soldiers were still pursuing the rebels in the town. “Pursuit operation is conducted to neutralize the fleeing rebels,” he said. Maj. Gen. Generoso Ponio, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, also ordered troops to sustain the offensive and destroy the rebel group as he condoled with the family of the slain soldier. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and friends of our soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice in protecting our people against the terrorist group. Their sacrifices were borne out of their dedication to protect the constituents of Zamboanga del Sur in pursuit of peace and development” he said. The fighting was the second this week after sol-
diers also clashed with the same group in the village where troops recovered an automatic rifle and improvised explosive left behind by fleeing rebels. On Wednesday, NPA rebels ambushed a military truck and wounded 2 soldiers in Davao City, the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte, in eastern Mindanao. The attack, which occurred in Malabog village in Paquibato district, targeted members of the 16th Infantry Battalion. The ambush sparked a brief firefight and it was unknown whether any of the communist rebels were wounded or killed in the clash. The NPA has been waging a violent campaign for many decades now for the establishment of a communist state in the country. (Zamboanga Post)
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The Zamboanga Post
April 27-May 3, 2020
Zamboanga now has Covid-19 testing lab ‘Benefits Region 9, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi’ Continued from page 1 The Department of Agriculture, or DA, here announced the laboratory is now ready to conduct Covid-19 testing of patients in Zamboanga Peninsula composed of Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte provinces - and also from the neighboring island-provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in the Muslim autonomous region. “We express our support in this endeavor knowing that we have the facility and the equipment to possibly qualify to test Covid-19. Utilizing it is in our utmost agenda right now apart from ensuring the continuous food supply in the region to help in this Covid-19 crisis,” said Agriculture regional director Rad Donn Cedeño. Cedeño said aside from
WHO, the laboratory is now officially accredited as a Covid-19 testing center by the Department of Health, of DOH, and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, or RITM. It has undergone five stages during which necessary assessments, validations, trainings and tests upon its accreditation. And among the qualifications considered by the certifying body were the proprietorship of a Biosafety Level 2 Molecular Laboratory and the vital Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), both of which are present in the laboratory. The DOH through the Zamboanga City Medical Center will man the laboratory from its clinical and engineering operations to the certification of equipment to ensure that standard operating procedures and the External Quality As-
surance System set by RITM are strictly followed. “The collaboration of DOH and DA in setting up this Covid-19 testing laboratory is very timely and important not only in identifying positive cases, but also in preventing even worse scenarios such as community transmissions from happening in Region 9,” said Dr. Maryrose Rendon, head of the DOH Infectious Disease Cluster. On its initial operations, the laboratory will process samples on weekdays with the results available in a minimum of 48 hours depending on the number of specimen received per day. “We will also be accepting samples from the region’s neighboring provinces such as Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi,” Rendon said. The operation of the Covid-19 testing center will
6 suspected Covid deaths in Sulu Continued from page 1 Covid-19 disease. We urge to public to continue taking preventive measures to stay safe,” he said. The provincial government continues to roll out relief assistance to families in all 19 municipalities in an effort to help local chief executives feed the poor while assisting social workers in the distribution of emergency cash subsidy to all those affected by the pandemic. Tan has extended the general home quarantine until end of the month and this could prolong further if the spread of the virus does not slow down or stop. He said the Sulu State College Hostel which has been identified as one of the quarantine facilities in the capital town of Jolo, is also ready to accept probable Covid-19 patients following the completion of 12 isolation rooms. He previously appealed to the regional government and the national health authorities for medical support, but received little. The regional government only sent 2,500 face masks and bottles of alcohol, al-
though it claimed to have released P155 million to all 5 provinces under it to support efforts to combat the virus. The regional has nearly 4 million population. Tan said the provincial and municipal hospitals still lack medical equipment to support the campaign in combatting the spread of Covid-19. He said the provincial government has been asking medical support from the regional government and national agencies, but received nothing. “Because of the absence of testing kits, the incapacity of our hospitals, lack of ventilators and shortage of sufficient medical personnel to attend to a sudden surge of Covid, our only viable course of action is prevention through a province-wide general community quarantine. We cannot afford to take any chances of putting at risk the lives of our people as a consequence of relaxing our quarantine procedures,” he said. “Prevention is the only available option at our disposal at the moment, considering that we
are not equipped medically and still denied of even the most basic of testing kits and other related equipment, either from the regional government or national agencies. For reasons aforementioned, it would be grossly unfair if our local initiatives would be measured by the same yardstick used in other better equipped provinces and regions in the country,” he added. Tan said being remotely located and poorly equipped, “we took the cudgels of facing this plague on our own through gutsy determination and optimizing our meager resources.” “May we, as your fellow Filipinos, further entreat our regional and national government to focus your attention and provide for our needs for testing kits, ventilators and other essential resources as equally as you do the other provinces. In spite of our sparse resources, we are one with our country in helping and contributing in whatever way we can in fighting and defeating Covid-19,” he said. (Zamboanga Post)
The Covid-19 testing laboratory of the Department of Agriculture. (DA Photo) only run for the duration of the pandemic until such time the region is declared free from the deadly virus or when interventions from DOH will require its inactivity. The animal disease diagnostic laboratory was established 12 years ago - with the support of the Japan Special Trust Fund Program, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Bureau of Animal Industry - for avian influenza diagnosis or disease caused by infection with bird flu Type A viruses which occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species, but do not normally infect humans. Maria Melba Wee, the DA regional technical director, said the laboratory is secured with limited access to unauthorized people because it is a fenced and separate building within the complex. “It is modern and built to purpose. It has a 3-suite configuration for PCR with proper workflow from clean to dirty, and with certified Class II-A biosafety cabinet with calibrated equipment,” she said, adding, the old RT-PCR machine has been replaced with the latest machine in 2017. Mayor Beng Climaco earlier appealed for med-
ical support and Covid-19 rapid test kits following the mounting number of infections the past weeks. She said the local government is willing to purchase Covid-19 rapid test kits because it takes too long for RITM to release test results of patients and many of them had died even before test results could come out. She said Zamboanga City had at least 30 suspected Covid-19 deaths. “What we are appealing from the local government unit of Zamboanga, on behalf of Region 9 - Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi - is that if we have this tests available in Zamboanga City that’s approved by the so we will be able to easily test our suspected patients at para ma-loan natin sa ating mga hospital facilities sapagkat napakatagal tayong makakuha ng results and sometimes yun pasyente natin paglabas na positive siya eh matagal na natin namo-monitor sa ospital,” Climaco explained. “Ano po ang maibibigay na solution (ng DOH) para sa amin because not everyone that is swabbed is being tested (because) meron po silang very strict criteria with the RESU (Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit) and that is where our backlog is kasi ang sinasabi ng mga local government
units kung mabigyan kami ng access ng DOH to test as many possible suspects as we can, it will really ease the burden on our hospitals, it will ease the burden on the local government units so we are asking and appealing from DOH to help us rapidly, positively test these cases if they are positive in a way we will be able to ensure that health services will be provided at the earliest possible time,” Climaco said. “Wala (hindi) po kami nabigyan ng test kits sa Zamboanga City and the only process we are observing is the DOH swabbing so ang sinasabi namin ay may kakayahan ang mga local government units to buy the test kits, but the question is maa-aprubahan ba ito ng DOH although this is FDA-approved pero dadaan at dadaan pa rin ito sa RITM and that is why in order to help fight Covid-19 outside of Metro Manila kami po dito sa Mindanao ay wala pong natatanggap na rapid test kits, but we do not want to burden the national government because we have over 5,000 cases and we have the finances to purchase these test kits,” she added. With the latest development, Climaco welcomed the accreditation of the DA’s laboratory as a Covid-19 testing facility in Zamboanga. (Zamboanga Post)
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Zamboanga Pictures in the News Local government of Zamboanga City at work. This is where your taxes go. (Photos by Bong Serondo, and Jojo Abdusalam)
April 27-May 3, 2020
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Across : 1. “You there!” 4. Cheerleader’s shout 7. Epsom ___ 12. Bride’s vow (2 wds.) 13. Get by 14. Farewell, to Pierre 15. Motorcycle adjunct 17. Lugged 18. Gaze steadily 19. Pet 20. 747, e.g. 23. ___ moment’s notice (2 wds.) 26. Physical discomfort 27. Humorist ___ Barry 30. Neither’s partner 31. Laid bathroom flooring 33. Paving goo 34. Entrance 36. Identical 37. Vane letters 38. Treat with drugs 41. Sailor 43. Hen’s perch 47. Singer ___ John 48. Grove products 50. Upper crust 51. NBC’s rival 52. Track circuit 53. Marathons, e.g. 54. First-aid ___ 55. Raised railways
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Longer ECQ approved Continued from page 1 subject to ECQ and subject to recheck, Roque said. “High-risk areas will be under ECQ until May 15, subject for further evaluation. Moderate-risk areas meanwhile will be under general community quarantine until May 15, also subject for further evaluation. Low-risk areas will fall under general community quarantine, or GCQ, until May 15, and if there is no deterioration, General community quarantine will be relaxed leading to normalization,” he said. The IATF likewise recommended a minimum health standard to be implemented starting April 27. The Department of Health, the Department
of Transportation, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will prepare the guidelines. Roque said areas previously under ECQ, but remain under GCQ will allow workers to go out and work in phases. Young people, senior citizens and high health risk would stay at home. And for GCQ areas, restricted mall opening covering non-leisure shops would be allowed. There will be mandatory temperature check, mandatory wearing of masks, mandatory alcohol use. Limited number of people, particularly those with age 21 to 59, with
ID and not looking sickly, would be allowed to go inside. “Priority and essential construction projects would likewise be allowed to resume, subject to minimum health standards, physical distancing, and barracks for workers. Public transport modes would likewise be allowed to operate at reduced capacity. Local government units would enforce curfew at night for non-workers. The decision on ECQ and GCQ were based on the risk of outbreak. Areas under ECQ would again undergo evaluation if the decision can be relaxed starting May 16,” Roque said. (With reports from the Zamboanga Post and the Mindanao Examiner.)
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Beng warns profiteers anew
Z
AMBOANGA CITY Mayor Beng Climaco warned anew profiteers to stop their nefarious activities and ordered authorities to crack down on erring traders.
“We will not tolerate profiteering and we are warning all those who taking advantage of this crisis – we are going to run after you,” she said. She also urged the public to report to the City Hall and Department of Trade and Industry any person selling overpriced disinfectants, or other medical products, including face masks. Just last week, local police arrested a woman selling overpriced isopropyl alcohol following a sting operation. The38-year old Maria Riza Edem Nonong was accused by the police of violating Republic Act 11469 (Bayanihan To Heal As One Act) and the Price Act. The Price Act ensures the availability of ba-
sic necessities and prime commodities at reasonable prices at all times without denying legitimate business a fair return on investment, as well as the policy to provide effective and sufficient protection to consumers against hoarding, profiteering and cartels with respect to the supply, distribution, marketing and pricing of said goods, especially during periods of calamity, emergency, widespread illegal price manipulation and other similar situations. The operation was mounted by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the Zamboanga City Police Station 5, the 904th Company of the Police Regional Mobile Force 9 and personnel of the Department of Trade and Industry and Mindan-
ao West Cluster – Food and Drugs Administration. Maj. Helen Galvez, a regional police spokeswoman, said police seized 32 gallons of 70% solution isopropyl alcohol which the woman was selling at P1,200 each gallon, but the suggested retail price of the alcohol is only P520 a gallon. She said Brig. Gen. Froilan Quidilla, the regional police chief, lauded the operation that led to the arrest of the woman. Quidilla also warned profiteers and hoarders of disinfectants and other essential commodities amid the coronavirus pandemic that authorities will run after them. “Please do not take advantage of the situation amid this pandemic we are facing,” he said. In March, police in Ba-
Zamboanga City government photo shows Mayor Beng Climaco delivering relief assistance to policemen as a show of gratitude and appreciation for their hard work and dedication in performing their mandated task amid the coronavirus pandemic. rangay San Roque also arrested 3 people accused of profiteering. The trio was
selling 250ml bottle alcohol from P100 to P200 after stocks ran out in supermar-
kets and groceries due to panic buying by residents. ( Zamboanga Post)
Swift Covid-19 vaccine within reach, say Swiss scientists A TEAM of researchers at the University of Bern is hoping to be the first to produce a vaccine against Covid-19 and inoculate the entire Swiss population in October. “We have a realistic chance of being successful,” said Martin Bachmann, head of immunology at the Swiss university via a web conference with ACANU, the United Nations press association. “Switzerland has a history of being pragmatic and is more interested in finding a compromise to get the vaccine faster.” Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak and its designation by the World Health Organization
as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) at the end of January, most international health experts and authorities have said a vaccine should not be expected for about a year to 18 months - at the earliest. Unique approach Bachmann, who is also professor of vaccinology at the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, said his accelerated timing could be partially explained by potential ease of production, where the equivalent of 200 litres of bacterial bio ferment, which is needed for the jabs, could produce 10-20 million doses. “The vaccine is unique because of the huge scalability. It has the ability to
produce billions of doses in a short time frame,” Bachmann said. The vaccine under development by the Swiss team takes a different approach than other labs by using socalled virus-like particles, which are not infectious unlike when using the virus itself - and which provide good immunity response. A prototype was developed in February, just weeks after the new coronavirus was identified in China, and proved successful in tests on laboratory mice, when the serum neutralised the virus. Gary Jennings, CEO of Saiba Biotech, link which is working with the University of Bern, said the Swiss
authorities are aware of the importance of approving the vaccine’s development. “We can do this if the Swiss government and the regulators want to do it. If they want to see this vaccine made available to the public in this timeframe, then it will be done.” Getting approval Swissmedic, the national authority responsible for approving and supervising therapeutics, confirmed that it has already been offering scientific advice to the project and is aware of how the research is progressing. Spokesperson Lukas Jaggi told swissinfo.ch that “in this exceptional situation, we realistically have to reckon
with eight to 14 months until we have a vaccine against the new coronavirus SARSCoV-2.” In an e-mailed statement the communications official wrote that “Swissmedic gives high priority to time. But safety and tolerability of the vaccine come first. It is therefore important that companies and research groups contact Swissmedic at an early stage so that we can accompany and support them in their development before they submit an application for authorisation.” Development of the vaccine to a point where it could be produced on a large scale will require raising CHF100 million ($103
million), according to Saiba Biotech, which Bachmann co-founded. While the USZ Foundation, Bern university hospital’s charitable organisation, has expressed interest in supporting the research, Jennings said that Saiba has already been in talks with pharmaceutical giants Novartis and Lonza. Worldwide some 2.5 million people have tested positive for coronavirus with 170,000 deaths, including a growing number in countries with limited health services. Switzerland has reported nearly 28,000 cases and more than 1,400 fatalities. (Paula Dupraz-Dobias Swiffinfo.ch)
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