BulletLine Issue #26
PRRD certifies as urgent vax indemnification bill
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has certified as urgent proposed bills to fast track procurement of COVID vaccines by local government units (LGUs) for their constituents as well as the setting up of
an indemnification fund for those who might experience the possible adverse effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines. He also signed a memorandum
order expediting the procurement and administration of vaccines for the protection against COVID-19 by allowing more than 15% downpayment for the purchase of the said vaccines.
Proposed overseas Filipinos department to serve OFWs better
Andanar: No room for corruption in Covid-19 vaccine purchase Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar assured that the government maintains its policy of being brandneutral and there will be no room for corruption in it’s step to purchase COVID-19 vaccines, during a pocket engagement leading to the Pagdu-aw sa Ozamiz: Explain, Explain, Explain on Tuesday, February 16, 2021. 1 PIA Bulletin Online
of experts and were granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “It is the policy of the government to be brand-neutral. We are not favoring a specific brand In an interview of the vaccine nor on Asenso Ozamiz a pharmaceutical News Channel, company. The he said that the President himself government will only already guaranteed distribute safe and that he will not effective vaccines allow any form which underwent of corruption in rigorous processes our vaccination by the vaccine panel program,” he said.
The proposed Department of Overseas Filipinos (DOFIL) will consolidate the various government offices that cater to the needs of over 10 million overseas Filipinos (OFs)––including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)––in order to serve them more efficiently and effectively without bloating the bureaucracy and without the need for additional funding. “It will avoid overlapping functions and consolidate the budgetary allocations to a single public entity for better and more efficient service to OFs and their families,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said. “The new Department seeks to streamline and directly manage all concerns of Filipinos overseas plus their families and dependents in the Philippines to make our services to OFs more responsive, efficient, and effective,” he added.
Upgraded NAIA to increase commercial flights By Melinda T. Quiñones - PIA/IDPD
BOC warns against fake vaccines
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Wednesday, February 17 warns the public from availing locally manufactured fake vaccines as this may have severe health consequences to users and may place the users at more risk of being infected by COVID-19. BOC said its partnership with other local law enforcement agencies has resulted to previous apprehensions and discovery of makeshift clinics that are suspected to be used to treat COVID-19 patients and may be utilized as an avenue of distribution for local fake vaccines. The Bureau assured that it will continue to work with other government and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the proliferation of fake and smuggled vaccines are curbed.
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
The upgraded airside facilities of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is expected to increase the maximum allowable commercial aircraft movement in the country’s primary gateway, said Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade during its inauguration on February 16. The completed
flight movement capacity from 40 to 50 flight movements per hour, or a total of 240 commercial flight movements per day. The concrete overlay used in the improvement of Runway 13 is expected to
repair and cement overlay of NAIA’s Runway 13/31 and the construction of an additional holding area (H5) at Runway 13 (153 meters long by 22 meters wide) will boost the gateway’s maximum allowable commercial
last between 15 to 20 years and is less prone to potholes, soft spots and rutting which requires less maintenance and repair. This will redound to faster aircraft movement and ground efficiency, DOTr said in a statement.
Layout Artist Gabriel Villanueva Production/ Aggregation DDCU with Team Leader Kate Shiene Agna
PIA Bulletin Online 2
Gordon launches complaint desk on LTO services The public, especially the motorcycle owners, can now send their concerns and grievances on poor and unlawful services of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) through the online complaint desk launched by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. “Mayroon na ngayong malalapitan ang mga kababayan nating sawa na sa mabagal o tiwaling serbisyo ng LTO lalo na ‘yung milyon-milyong Pilipinong hindi pa rin nakukuha
ang kanilang motorcycle plates hanggang ngayon at ‘yung mga biktima ng mandarambong na motorcycle dealers,” said Senator Richard J. Gordon, Chairman of the Blue Ribbon
Committee. “Through our virtual complaint desk, we hope to encourage our people to participate by sending their concerns and complaints. All they must do is fill out a
form online. Rest assured that their identities will be kept private,” he added. The online form, found at www. lingkodgordon.com, aims to collect data in connection to the Blue
Ribbon’s ongoing investigation on the alleged misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance in the implementation of Republic Act No. 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Law.
Media must also be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday, February 16, said that members of the media 3 PIA Bulletin Online
should also be considered in the priority list of the government’s national COVID-19 vaccination program without prejudice to other sectors already identified as priorities, such as frontliners as well as poor and vulnerable sectors. “Ang mga media para sa akin po ay maituturing din pong napakaimportanteng sektor ng lipunan dahil para na rin po kayong frontliners dahil kayo ang nagdadala ng balita, kung ano ang dapat gawin sa lugar, kayo ang na-expose,” Go said. “So, dapat po ang media ay bigyan din ng prayoridad ‘pag andyan na ang safe at epektibong vaccine para tuloy-tuloy din po ang inyong pagtatrabaho, pagko-cover at pagdadala ng balita sa ating mga kababayan,” he added.
RTB 25 now up for investing public - BTr
Marikina River dredging, widening commenced By Melva C. Gayta PIA/IDPD
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways and Marikina City Government started the dredging and widening activity Wednesday, February 17, in Marikina River to address the problem of flooding within the river basin. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu noted that the width of the river in the upstream portion is about 90 meters
wide, then narrows down to 80 meters at the boundary of the MarikinaPasig boundary and becomes uneven, varying from anywhere to 46 meters to 78 meters because portions of the river have been illegally reclaimed, drastically reducing the ability
of the waterway to contain excess rainwater during typhoons. Bamboos were also planted to help prevent riverbank erosion and siltation, one of the strategies that Task Force Build Back Better has adopted in the rehabilitation of Cagayan River.
By Marites B. Paneda - PIA/IDPD
Filipinos can help the national government in its response and recovery efforts against COVID-19 by investing in the Bureau of Treasury’s (BTr) 25th tranche of retail treasury bonds (RTB 25) from February 9 up to March 14, 2021 for as low as Php 5,000.00 investment with an interest rate of 2.375% per annum. The BTr shared four ways to invest: 1. Visit any authorized selling agents like: BDO, BPI, Chinabank, DBP, Landbank, Metrobank, PNB, RCBC, Security Bank, and Unionbank; 2. To account holders of DBP, Landbank, Chinabank, and First Metro Securities, visit the ordering facility through www.treasury.gov. ph/rtb25; 3. Download the Bonds.Ph mobile app, free on Google Play and App Store. (visit www.bonds. ph); or 4. Download the OFBank mobile app, free on Google Play and App Store. (visit www.ofbank.com.ph) There is no maximum limit to invest and Filipinos abroad can invest in RTB 25 using the OFBank Mobile Banking App, Bonds.PH App, and the RTB Online Ordering Facility. For further details, visit the www.treasury.gov.ph/rtb25 or BTr’s official Facebook page @TreasuryPh. PIA Bulletin Online 4
FIST Law seen to help MSMEs
The Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST) Act (Republic Act (RA) No. 11523), recently signed into law by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte allows financial institutions to efficiently offload their bad loans and non-performing assets amid the COVID-19-induced global economic slump. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominquez said the law will assist the banking system in performing its crucial
By Josephine L. Babaran - PIA/IDPD
Looking for alternative source of protein? The National Nutrition Council (NNC) recommends affordable meat alternatives that fit into your budget or adding more plant-based food in your diet, here are some nutri-tips to get your daily protein needs. ● Animal products such as meat, eggs and milk contain all essential amino acids (building blocks of protein) to support health. The sunny side of eating eggs is its affordable price and wide range of nutrients. Eggs contain high quality protein, no carbohydrates and zero sugar. ● Combining complementary plant proteins also ensures adequate protein intake. To meet the daily requirement for protein, an increased consumption of legumes is recommended such as Green beans, string beans, chickpeas, red beans, and mung beans (monggo) ● Other plant sources of protein include pigeon peas (kadyos), snow peas (sitsaro), cowpeas (paayap), hyacinth beans (bataw), lima beans (patani), peanuts (mani) and soybased products like tofu and tempeh. Try pairing legume-based dishes with grains such as rice, bread and pasta to DOST in commercialization increase the protein quality of the dish. partnership with of research-based ● To get a better value for your Laguna State outputs in the country, money, you may also opt for small fish Polytechnic where an institution like anchovy (dilis or bolinao), which University (LSPU) supports start-ups is available in fresh, salted, fermented, will transfer the by providing them and dried form, and is a rich protein technology on necessary technical source. A 100 grams of fresh dilis processing antiand business contains almost twice the calcium microbial soaps development found in milk. It is also an excellent and hand mists by services, said Dr. source of essential fatty acids proven training the Adoress Noel Catibog, Chief to reduce risk of cardiovascular Farm staff of using its of DOSTdisease. own plant materials. PCAARRD’s These hearty meatless meals are perfect not only for fasting, but for any TBI program Technology Transfer season. hopes to accelerate and Promotion the transfer and Division.
role of efficiently mobilizing savings and investments for the country’s quick and sustainable economic recovery by extending more loans to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) badly hit by the global economic turmoil
caused by the coronavirus pandemic. By helping banks keep their lending operations strong, the measure also aims to assist about 600,000 MSMEs in continuing their operations and retaining around 3.5 million jobs.
Agro-forest farm benefits from DOST-FPRDI technology By Adora Rodriguez PIA/IDPD
A Laguna-based agro-forest farm will soon learn how to make anti-microbial soaps and hand mists developed by the Department of Science and Technology - Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOSTFPRDI) through its technology business incubation (TBI) program, which promotes entrepreneurial innovation and technology for the country’s social economic development. 5 PIA Bulletin Online
Affordable meat alternatives
DOST launches the country’s first innovation hub By Josephine L. Babaran - PIA/IDPD
Technology Development The Department Institute (DOSTof Science and ITDI)’s technology Technology offerings to (DOST) launched Filipino Micro, the country’s first Small & Medium Modular MultiEnterprises Industry Innovation (MSMEs) venturing Center (MMIC) or into food, dietary “InnoHub sa Pinas” supplements, or on February 18. personal care The MMIC items made from or “InnoHub sa by-products like Pinas” is part seeds, leaves, and of the Industrial pulp.
These facilities, complete with handling support equipment, can be used by the local industry sectors as a venue for developing new products, product
equivalents, product variances, and product reintroductions, as well as, pilot capacity production. For more information on
the new MMIC or “Innohub sa Pinas” visit DOST-ITDI official website www.itdi. dost.gov.ph and official Facebook account @ ITDIDOSTUpdate.
DDB urges public to suppress social stigma against drug users By Adora Rodriguez - PIA/IDPD
Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Assistant Secretary and Deputy Executive Director, Ma. Belen Angelita Matibag, urged the public to support Persons who use drugs (PWUDs) against stigma associated with drug use and help them survive from its negative effects. Matibag recommended salient points on how to suppress negative perceptions against PWUDs and support them to overcome the stigma: 1. Educate the public and raise awareness about the stigma to correct its biases, and lessen the negative impact to its victims. 2. Listen as the drug user talks about his problem while withholding judgment; treat him with dignity and respect in order to encourage him to seek government’s intervention. 3. Bring the drug users back to the love of God for spirituality to help restore his selfesteem, confidence, and quality of life by communicating positive stories of people with drug use disorders. 4. Offer opportunities for contact and interaction. The more they talk about their situation, the more the stigma will fade away.
Help them figure out how to overcome their limitations, examine their life and values and urge them to engage in volunteer or church work. 5. Empower people with accurate information to learn about drug dependency, how it works and teach them to replace negative attitudes with evidence-based facts to counter misinformation about drug addiction. 6. Raise awareness, resist and avoid undesirable hurtful branding, labeling and name calling and report when someone is mistreated because of his drug use. PIA Bulletin Online 6