BulletLine Issue #47
PRRD opens new expressway in CL President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Thursday, July 15 led the inauguration of the 18 -kilometer portion of Phase 1 of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) from SCTEX/TPLEX connection in Tarlac City up to the intersection of Aliaga-Guimba Road in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija. “Once completed, this 30-kilometer four-lane expressway will not only connect Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City, but will also improve access to several localities in Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. I am sure that our kababayans will be pleased that the usual 70-minute travel [time] between these two major cities in Central Luzon will be reduced to just 20 minutes,” the President said.
#Build Build Build
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Andanar : Stevie® Awards proof of PCOO’s commitment to its mandate Presidential Communications Secretary Martin M. Andanar said the awards and recognition bestowed to the PCOO by Stevie® Awards are “proof of our commitment to fulfilling our mandate to the Filipino people, particularly that of providing timely, relevant, and lifesaving information throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Andanar is honored as “Media Hero of the Year” by the Stevie® Awards
for innovations and leadership in the management of PCOO which paved the way for a more proactive daily delivery of news and information to the Filipino public. PCOO received seven prestigious awards during the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards
virtual ceremony on Wednesday, July 14. PCOO Office of the Global Media and Public Affairs (PCOOOGMPA) Assistant
Secretary JV Arcena bagged two individual Gold Stevie® Awards as “Government Hero of the Year” and “Media Hero of the Year”
PRC targets to vaccinate 2,500 OFWs with Moderna
Editorial Director Benjamin Felipe Editor-In-Chief Marie Angelie Villapando Associate Editor Melinda T. Quiñones Staff Writers IDPD Art Department CPSD headed by Bradley de Leon Layout Artist Gabriel Villanueva Production/ Aggregation DDCU with Team Leader Kate Shiene Agna
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), an auxiliary to the National COVID-19 Vaccination Program, plans to provide 2,500 OFWs with Moderna vaccine jabs this July 2021. “We have received 5,000 Moderna vaccine doses from the government free of charge,“ said PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Richard Gordon. “These vaccines will be given to our OFWs and seafarers to protect them against COVID-19 before leaving the country,” he added. PIA Bulletin Online 2
Gov’t strengthens national patient referral center Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health lauded the government’s efforts to strengthen its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other health threats during the inauguration of the National Patient Navigation and Referral Center (NPNRC) at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Monday, July 12.
Formerly called the One Hospital Command Center, the NPNRC shall ensure the optimum use of existing health resources by streamlining processes for health facilities and health care provider networks to create a more coordinated patient referral and transfer system. Go said this initiative shall ensure the efficient provision of essential health services to all Filipinos.
Government to ramp up efforts to improve record-low self-rated food poverty figures The government will continue to ramp up efforts to make food affordable, accessible, and available in order to sustain the momentum that has led to the record-low selfrated food poverty figures under the administration of President Rodrigo 3 PIA Bulletin Online
Duterte. This according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who on Sunday, July 11, said that the Zero Hunger Task Force is looking closely at recent self-rated food poverty survey data in order to identify the areas of concern that need to be addressed.
PNP, PDEA stronger ties for anti-drug operation
By Adora Rodriguez - PIA/IDPD
Police (PNP) Chief Police General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar and Drug Enforcement (PDEA) Director General Wilkins M. Villanueva signed on July 9, a unified anti-drug operation guidelines to strengthen their law enforcement mechanism and coordination. “This momentous event is dedicated for the future drug enforcement operators, both from the Philippine National Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency,“ Villanueva said. The Joint Memorandum Circular aims to eliminate the possibility of misunderstanding, miscommunication and ‘misencounter’ between the two law enforcement agencies.
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1.5 M jobs amid the pandemic By Marites B. Paneda - PIA/IDPD
Statistics Authority (PSA) in its recent labor force Amid the survey (LFS) said quarantine unemployment restrictions due rate decreased to the COVID from 8.7% in pandemic, 1.5 April 2021 to 7.7 million jobs were created from April % in May 2021. Underemployment to May 2021 as rate also fell from unemployment decreased and the 17.2 % in April to labor participation 12.3% in May, the lowest reported rate increased, the Department of underemployment Finance reported. rate since 1987. As the economy The Philippine
was further opened in the second half of May, labor force participation rate increased from 63.2 % in April to 64.6% in May, where the workforce was able to rejoin the labor force and earn sufficient income indicated in the underemployment rate. To sustain this momentum,
economic managers highlighted the need to implement the recovery packages, including the recently adopted National
Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) adopted through Executive Order No. 140, and accelerate the roll-out of the vaccination program.
Bike for peace, justice for Absalons
FCCCI conducts vaccination program in Tondo, Manila By Mary Rose de los Santos - PIA/IDPD
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque witnessed the vaccination program conducted by the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry held at Hope Christian High School in Tondo, Manila on Wednesday, July 14. The FFCI is the first private sector that received the vaccine 5 PIA Bulletin Online
through a tripartite agreement. According to National Task Force COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard, a total of 13,817,358 total doses have been administered as of July 13, 2021.
“Sama-sama, tulung-tulong tayo para sa ating pamilya, mahal sa buhay at komunidad lalo na nagsimula na ang pagdating ng mga iba’t ibang bakuna,” Secretary Roque said.
Youth groups gather bikers nationwide for a bike ride for peace and justice on Saturday (July 17) in honor of the 40th day of the passing of a college and national football player Keith Absalon and his cousin, Nolven. Absalon, 21, was cycling with a group that included his 40-yearold cousin, Nolven, when an antipersonnel mine exploded by the roadside in Masbate City on June 6. NPA rebels claimed responsibility for the twin deaths. Together with the National Youth Commission (NYC) and Propelling Our Inherited Nation Through our Youth (Pointy Inc.), the cycling event is also a call to end violence that victimizes the youth.
DOTr inaugurates Salomague Port By Marites B. Paneda - PIA/IDPD
Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade with port, and local officials inaugurated recently the expanded Salomague Port in Ilocos Sur, which is being eyed to become one of the country’s cruise ports. The Salomague Port is expected to promote local economic sufficiency especially in providing livelihood opportunities in the tourism sector once the port becomes operational. The expansion includes the developed dock with reinforced concrete (RC) platform back-up area and RC Pier extension. The port is near tourist areas and beaches of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur and near the ports of Hongkong and South China.
PH gov’t welcomes first batch of Janssen vaccines from US
The first batch of single-shot Janssen anti-COVID- vaccines consisting of 1,606,600 doses arrived in the country on Friday, July 16. The vaccines produced by American pharmaceutical firm Johnson & Johnson (J&J) were donated by the United States government through the COVAX facility. PIA Bulletin Online 6