P680K worth shabu seized in Batangas City buybust

Batangas City – Police authorities have seized ₱680,000 worth of shabu from an alleged illegal drug dealer in a buy-bust operation in Brgy. San Isidro, Batangas City on Saturday dawn.

In a report from Batangas Provincial Police office Provincial Director, Police Colonel Pedro Soliba, ithe suspect was identified as alias Jecoy, 41-years-old, married and a resident of San Pascual, Batangas.

Initial police investigation said that the suspect was arrested in a joint operation of the Office of the Provincial Director-Drug Enforcement Unit (OPD-DEU) and Batangas City Police Station at 4:15 a.m.

A package containing what is believed to be shabu weighing 100 grams worth ₱680,000.00 was recovered from the suspect.

Aside from this, the used cellphone, marked money used by the police who pretended to be the buyer and the black car used by Jecoy were also obtained from Jecoy.

The suspect is temporarily in the custody of the Batangas PPO while the case is being prepared against him for violation of R.A 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002.

Philippine economy seen to grow 6% in 2023

Manila, Philippines – Despite inflationary measures, the Philippine economic growth is expected to moderate this year from 2022’s forecast-beating outturn but will remain on a healthy expansion mode, underpinned by rising domestic demand and a recovery in services particularly tourism, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in its April 4 report.

In a statement, ADB said its flagship economic publication Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2023 forecasts the Philippine economy to grow by 6.0% this year, climbing further by 6.2% in 2024.

It said that a recovery in employment and retail trade, sustained expansion in the manufacturing sector, and rising public infrastructure spending will support growth.

But risks from a sharper-than-expected slowdown in major advanced economies, heightened geopolitical tensions, and inflation stickiness could dampen the outlook for gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

“The Philippines will grow at its potential this year and next and is on track toward its goal to become an upper middle-income country,” said ADB Philippines Country Director Kelly Bird.

Like most other economies, he said that the Philippines will be increasingly challenged by the impacts of climate change and the effects of emerging technologies on the labor market.”

Likewise, the key to sustaining a strong growth momentum is to keep public infrastructure spending at levels above 5.0% of GDP.

This is given that the government has planned for this year and in the medium term.

“High-impact infrastructure projects that will help connect communities to markets and public services and provide access to jobs and livelihood will help increase rural incomes and support inclusive growth,” Bird said.

Inflation is expected to average 6.2% in 2023 before easing to 4.0% in 2024, according to the report. Local food supply constraints and rising global commodity prices led to high inflation rates in early 2023.

Inflation is projected to decelerate in the second half of 2023 and through 2024 as the series of monetary policy tightening take effect and global commodity prices ease.

The country’s unemployment rate also improved to 4.8% in January 2023 from 6.4% in the same period a year earlier – even lower than pre-pandemic levels.
Some 4.1 million jobs were added over the year, mainly from the services sector given that the tourism started to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This bodes well for sustained private consumption, which should get an additional boost from steady remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs),” ADB said.

The current account deficit is forecast to narrow, in part due to strong service exports, particularly from business process outsourcing, recovery in tourism receipts, and higher OFW remittances. Robust domestic demand will continue to drive imports of both consumer and capital goods.

“Despite impressive gains in economic growth and poverty reduction, the country faces the challenge of addressing climate change and risks to food security, especially for the bottom two income deciles, as malnutrition and hunger incidence persist,” the report says.

The challenge requires a multipronged approach that considers both supply and demand factors. This includes addressing bottlenecks in local food production and agricultural productivity and trade and raising household incomes and incentives for better health and nutritional outcomes. Social protection, including food voucher programs, play a central role in alleviating poverty and hunger, says the report.

ADB said it is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.

Legislator wants Cebu Pacific probed for mounting complaints of offloading, overbooking

Manila, Philippines – A Senator vowed anew to investigate accusations of Cebu Pacific overbooking, offloading, and booking difficulties, claiming that these concerns drive away visitors and annoy passengers.

After receiving such reports, Senator Nancy Binay said in a statement that she will file a resolution for a full inquiry on Cebu Pacific.

“For a family with kids in tow who have a confirmed booking, who are already at the airport at least four hours ahead of time, giving up sleep, negotiating the traffic, and enduring the long queues, only to be denied boarding and sent back home — that, for me, is unacceptable,” the woman lawmaker said in a statement.

She adds that the government needs to step in to ensure transparency in the practice of overbooking by airlines as well as the strict implementation of the Air Passenger Bill of Rights, which allows air carriers to overbook certain flights and also states that offloading should be done in a voluntary manner.

Binay cited Section 10.1.b of the Department of Transportation and Communication – Department of Trade and Industry Joint Administrative Order No. 1 that states whenever a flight is overbooked, “the air carrier shall announce that the flight is overbooked and that it is looking for volunteers willing to give up their seats in exchange for air carrier compensation.”

“Sa dami ng mga reklamo ng mga pasahero, maiisip mo agad na parang napaka-hassle mag-travel sa Pilipinas lalung-lalo na kapag peak season. Siguro, during peak periods like Holy Week, Christmas season and during summer, we can implement a ban on overbooking in domestic and international flights—and should there be no-show passengers—airlines can be transparent and offer the available seats to ‘chance passengers’ just like the usual practice,” she pointed out.

“We have to uphold public convenience and service. Amid the prevailing public outrage against Cebu Pacific, we have to check if local airlines do observe the five percent allowable overbooking set by CAB [Civil Aeronautics Board],” Binay added.

Overbooking is a deliberate industry-wide business practice where airlines are allowed to sell 10 percent more tickets than the number of seats available for a particular flight.

From the industry standard of 10 percent, the CAB has set a five percent allowable overbooking to optimize utility and avoid empty seats.

Binay said that with Cebu Pacific, overbooking and offloading have always been a “never-ending talking point” including booking glitches and a number of public meltdowns.

“Traveling in the Philippines has become incredibly frustrating. It’s no longer a pleasant experience. Sobrang dami na actually ng mga issue sa atin dito sa Pilipinas (There are a lot of issues here in the Philippines) which have not only inconvenienced local and foreign passengers but have also drove away tourists. Any bad experience just wipes out the nice memories of a good holiday and a great time in the Philippines,” she stressed.

Aside from the bad airline experiences, Binay said passengers also deal with technical and personnel-driven fiascos of epic proportions such as long queues, flight delays and cancellations, ground traffic, lost luggage, mobile app glitches, unnecessary security checks, lengthy immigration interviews, and airport operation issues, among others.

“We understand what budget travelling is like, and the promos that go with it. Whether or not you paid piso (a peso) or the regular fare, it’s not about the price. It’s actually the case of the airline being truthful, upfront and transparent to its customers and passengers. Hindi ‘yung kung anu-anong dahilan ang sasabihin sa pasehero at basta na lamang iiwanan sa ere (Not telling the passengers a lot of reasons and leave them hanging),” the lawmaker noted.

She also said that being offloaded without alternative flight options not only has a direct impact on someone’s travel plans but also reflects how airlines treat customers and tourists.

Offers
Cebu Pacific Airlines recently announced its “Super Pass” sale which crashed its website because of overwhelming online bookings.

The promo, which ran from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on March 31, sold one-way vouchers for PHP99 each, inclusive of surcharges and other fees.

Each voucher can be used as payment for basic fare in select flights.

Through their Facebook page, the budget airline posted on March 31 their apologies to their customers.

“PASSensya. We are sorry for any inconvenience you may have experienced while booking with us today, and we truly appreciate your continued patronage. Once volume normalizes in the next 24 hours, we will be happy to assist you with your concerns through m.me/cebupacificair,” the post read.

P200,000 pabuya alok para sa magtuturo ng suspek sa pagpaslang kay Kapitan Palo

 

Nag alok ng P200,000 pabuya si Lipa Mayor Eric Africa.

Para yan sa makakapagbigay ng impormasyon para sa ikadarakip ng suspek sa pinaslang na Barangay Captain ng Barangay San Carlos  na si Vivencio Palo.

Sa kanyang speech sa Flag Raising Ceremony sa Lipa City Hall ay mariing kinundena ng alkalde ang pagpatay sa nasabing kapitan sa pagsasabing hindi mapapalampas ng lokal na pamahalaan ang nasabing krimen.

Hindi aniya titigil ang mga otoridad hanggang hindi nabibigyan ng hustisya ang pagkamatay ng nasabing kapitan.

Nagpaabot na rin siya ng pakikiramay sa pagpanaw ni Palo.

Sa kuhang  ito ng CCTV ng barangay, kitang nagbababa lamang ng mga pinamiling paninda sa likod ng pick-up truck si kapitan nang maya maya pa’y bigla na lang dumating ang kotse at pinagbabaril siya ng gunman.

Sa lakas ng tama ng bala ay nahulog mula sa pickup ang biktima.

Binuhat siya at sinakay siya sa tricycle ng mga sumaklolo at dinala sa ospital pero idineklara nang dead on arrival.

Habang agad namang tumakas ang suspek.

Patuloy namang iniimbestigahan ng  pulisya ang pagkakakilanlan ng tumakas na suspek at ang motibo sa pamamaril.

73% of Filipinos expect Christmas to be ‘happy’ in 2022 – SWS

Manila, Philippines  – The Social Weather Stations (SWS) said that the percentage of Filipinos who expect this Christmas to be happy increased from those who did a year ago

Based on the nationwide Social Weather Survey conducted from December 10 to 14, 73% of adult Filipinos expect this coming Christmas to be happy.

The percentage expecting a happy Christmas this year is eight points above the 65% in 2021, and 23 points above the record-low 50% in 2020, the SWS said.

But it is still 6 points below the pre-pandemic level of 79% in 2019, it added.

This year, seven percent of Filipinos expect Christmas to be sad, while 19% expect it to be neither happy nor sad.

In the same survey, the polling firm found 61% of Filipinos are attending in-person gatherings with family and friends from other homes for the Yuletide Season while 38% will not.

Those who will go out increased from 46% compared to 2021 while those who will stay indoors fell from 51%.

SWS said the expectation of a happy Christmas celebration is higher among those who will join festivities at 80%, higher than the 63% logged for those who will not be doing so.

Just like last year, 84% of Filipino adults will not travel to visit their family and friends while 13% will. More respondents, however, expect a happy Christmas this 2022 at 65%. Likewise, More Filipinos also feel happier this year compared to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the SWS said.

It showed 49% of responders are merrier, 28% said they feel the same as before and 21% answered they were happier in the pre-pandemic times.

The survey added that compared to 2021, those saying Christmas is happier now than in pre-pandemic time rose from 26%, while those saying it is not as happy now as before fell sharply from 42%.

Expectations of a happy Christmas rose in all areas of the country but the highest increase was recorded in Visayas with 78% from 68% in 2021. Mindanao followed with 75% from 60% last year; Balance Luzon from 67% to 75% this year and Metro Manila with 71% from the 61% reported in 2021.

The percentage of those who consider the Yuletide Season to be happier now than during pre-pandemic times is likewise highest in the Visayas at 61%, followed by Mindanao at 49%, Balance Luzon at 46%, and Metro Manila at 44%.

Moreover, those who will join physical gatherings surged in all areas and education groups.

SWS said the highest percentage was reported in Balance Luzon at 64% from 48% in 2021; Visayas at 62% from 49%; Mindanao at 57% from 39% and Metro Manila from 56% to 47%. Those who will be attending in-person gatherings with families and friends from other homes fell from 53% in 2021 to 44% in 2022 in Metro Manila, from 53% to 36% in Balance Luzon, from 50% to 38% in the Visayas, and from 50% to 41% in Mindanao.

When it comes to the education groups, more Filipino non-elementary graduates said they will attend in-person gatherings this Christmas with 49%; elementary graduates at 57%; junior high school graduates at 64% and college graduates at 72%.

“Those who will not be attending in-person gatherings with families/friends from other homes fell from 57% in 2021 to 50% in 2022 among non-elementary graduates, from 53% to 43% among elementary graduates, from 50% to 36% among junior high school graduates, and from 50% to 28% among college graduates,” the poll firm said.

A total of 1,200 Filipino adults participated in the fourth-quarter survey using face-to-face interviews. The survey has sampling error margins of ±2.5% for national percentages and ±5.7% each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

PEZA’s Taiwan mission bags P3.88-B worth investment pledges

Manila, Philippines – The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said it has secured investment pledges from its recent investment mission in Taiwan amounting to USD65 million or around PHP3.88 billion.

PEZA said in a statement issued Tuesday that these investment commitments came from seven Taiwanese firms.

This includes among others, the USD40-million expansion project of YFC-BonEagle International Inc. and the investment plan of Neotek and Accton Technology Corp. amounting to USD6 million to USD8 million.

Other investment pledges from Taiwan also include the expansion projects of artificial intelligence-based solutions and LCD monitors Chimei, solar energy project of Budget Energy Corp., AcBel Polytech, Inc., and Yeng Hsing Philippine branch.

“We aim to attract more investments in high-technology industries as Taiwan’s economy is driven by a competitive manufacturing sector in the fields of electronics, machinery, petrochemicals, energy, and information and communications technology (ICT) products,” PEZA officer-in-charge Tereso Panga said.

Aside from these investment pledges, PEZA said there were serious interests from Asia Optical Co. Inc. to develop a five-hectare agro-industrial park with an initial cost of PHP1 billion, and personal protective equipment maker Medtecs International Corp. Ltd. looking for a 100-hectare land.

Meanwhile, car battery manufacturer Cyberpower, green energy firm Haoyung International, as well as hydroponics companies Huang Lin Machinery Co., Ltd. and Giyu Industrial Co., Ltd., are also looking into investing in the country.

“PEZA shall attract and target strategic and high-tech industries from Taiwan that will provide for ecozone product sophistication, export diversification, labor-intensive and high-skilled jobs, knowledge transfer, enhanced local supply chain, and creation of industry clusters,” Panga added.

The investment mission in Taiwan was held last week of October.

Philippines OKs voluntary wearing of facemask in indoor, outdoor setting with ‘few exceptions’

Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. has issued on Friday, Executive Order No. 7, which allows the voluntary wearing of face masks in indoor and outdoor settings in the Philippines.

However, people are still required to wear facemasks in healthcare facilities that includes but are not limited to clinics, hospitals, laboratories, nursing homes and dialysis clinics.

Facemask mandates also remain for those who will use public transportation by land, air or see as well as medical transport vehicles such as ambulance ang paramedic rescue vehicles.

These rules are similar to that of the neighboring Singapore, where since August 29, wearing of facemasks are already voluntary both in indoors and outdoor setting “except for healthcare facilities, residential care homes, and medical and public transport. ”

On September 7, mask wearing became optional in most indoor places in Malaysia except for those who are COVID positive, travelling on public transport and visiting healthcare facilities where wearing of facemasks is required, according to the rules issued by the Ministry of Health (Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, or KKM).

Based on Ministry of Health’s September 6 decision, masks are no longer required for public areas in Vietnam such as supermarkets, movie theaters, restaurants, discos, stadiums, parks and other outdoor areas. But the government continues to encourage people to wear masks in public.

Elsewhere in Cambodia, mandatory mask wearing in public and open spaces was lifted on April 25. People are free to decide for themselves but are still encouraged to wear mask in crowded public places. Mask wearing, on the other hand, remains mandatory for “closed spaces and indoor settings.”

Meanwhile, the Philippine government is still “encouraging wearing of facemask” for the elderly, individuals with comorbidities, immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, unvaccinated individuals and symptomatic individuals,” to protect themselves against COVID-19.

An October 18 report by the ASEAN Biodiaspora Virtual Center entitled “Covid 19 Epi Curve among Asean Countries,” said that the Philippines had the fifth most number of confirmed COVID cases in the region with 3,986,028. Vietnam had the most number of cases with 11,493, 281, followed by Indonesia (6,460,265), Malaysia (4,870,275) and Thailand (4,687,281), respectively. Cambodia had the least number of COVID infections with 137,975.

And yet the countries that had more COVID cases than Philippines has began relaxing their mask mandates as early as June 23 in the case of Thailand.

Following the removal of the mask mandates,  President Marcos said in his Oct. 28 order that minimum public health standards to effectively prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the country “shall continue to be implemented consistent with the principles of shared accountability, evidence-based decision making, socioeconomic equity and right-based approach.”

The DOH is assigned to update the MPHS guidelines.

The general public is also asked to “exercise due diligence in carrying out health protocols, such as the practice of good hygiene, frequent hand-washing, observance of physical distancing and maintenance of good ventilation especially in indoor settings.”

Local government units are ordered to submit regular reports on their vaccination status to the DOH.

Those areas currently at low risk classification but at Alert Level 2 status due to failure to meet vaccination targets to warrant de-escalation are also highly encouraged to do efforts to further expand their vaccination and booster coverage.

It can be recalled that on September 12, Marcos has issued EO 3, allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks in open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with adequate ventilation, which the government said was done “with a goal of further boosting the economy.”

Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos claimed then that it’s only Philippines and Myanmar among the member countries of the economic bloc Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) who continue to implement wearing of facemask outdoors.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco sees that lifting of the mask mandate “will allow the Philippines to gradually catch up in the race to recovery of tourism in the ASEAN region” as this is seen to build more confidence in travel, spur economic activity, and enhance people-to-people connectivity into and around the country.

However, the Philippine government at that time, face masks “should be continuously worn in indoor private or public establishments, including in public transportation by land, air, or sea, and in outdoor settings where physical distancing can’t be maintained.”

Health experts were wary at that time that relaxing the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors may cause a possible increase in COVID cases.

“We are sad and a little scared because the face-to-face classes have started. We expect many people to come out. Faster transmission of infection is possible. We are already seeing an increase in cases of COVID-19. We are worried about the optional (wearing of facemasks), (as) many will have COVID-19,” Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians told DZRH in an interview.

Yet instead of increasing in number, the daily average of the coronavirus disease even went down by 4 percent soon after the Philippine government removed the compulsory wearing of facemask outdoors, based on DOH figures.

From 2,197 cases per day recorded from Sept. 9 to 11, the number decreased to 2,101 daily from September 12 to 17.

From October 10 to 16, the daily average of cases went up by 7 percent at 2,188 daily from previous week’s 2,048 per day.  However, the numbers went down again the following week, October 17 to 23, as the Philippines’ daily average COVID cases decreased by 22% only reporting 1,714 cases daily.

Also on Sept. 12, there were 2,284 daily cases but when the mask mandate for both indoors and outdoors were removed albeit with a few exceptions, these daily cases were down to 791.

In its COVID-19 tracker website, the DOH however cautions the public to “exercise caution” when interpreting the said data during the highlighted period due to the delays in the reporting of new cases.

The said decline in number of confirmed cases also occurred at a time when the DOH reported on October 21 that there is already a case of local transmission of the contagious Omicron subvariant XBB and XBC variant. As of this posting, the Philippines has recorded 81 XBB Omicron sub-variant cases while the country also reported 193 cases of the XBC variant.

DOH officials, in an October 21 Zoom media conference, were hesitant to likewise recommend stricter border control policies to prevent more transmission of the highly contagious Omicron subvariant, with epidemiology bureau chief Dr. Althea De Guzman saying XBC is already found in 11 regions.

“But our thinking is not just minimizing transmission. It is accepting that yes, I may be infected eventually by this virus or this variants. But the goal now is that I don’t get hospitalized, I don’t become one fatality and that’s what our experts our saying it’s like you had to take anti-virals,” De Guzman said.

“Or if you have (a) severe disease or your among the more vulnerable population then you get yourself boosted so the risk for complications, the risk for more severe outcomes are actually minimized.”

DOH officials pointed out that the country’s health care utilization also remains at “low risk” as of Oct. 28 as only 7,080 or 25 percent of the 28,338 COVID beds in 1930 facilities nationwide have been “occupied”  with 21,258 beds still vacant. The department however once again cautions the public in interpreting the said data as they “continue to improve on data submission of all hospitals.” On that day, only 86.7 percent of the facilities have submitted data to the DOH Data Collect Hub.

18,000 daily cases

Enforcement of health protocols began to be lax during the Marcos administration, with Cebu province and Cebu City and Cebu Province ditching mask mandates.

After tension over warnings from the Department of the Interior and Local Government for local government units to follow national COVID-19 guidelines, Marcos eventually made wearing masks voluntary outdoors except in crowded areas in September.

The DOH had warned then that it was not yet time to drop the mask mandate but was overruled at the IATF and by Marcos’ order.

Three days before Marcos removed the mask mandate both for indoor and outdoor settings, DOH OIC Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier warned that daily average of COVID-19 cases nationwide may reach 18,000 in the next two months if the public removes wearing of face masks.

Overruled once again by the IATF and Marcos, the DOH reminded the public that using more layers of protection such as  vaccination and wearing face masks will help protect them against COVID-19.

“While the DOH has illustrated all potential scenarios to the [Inter-Agency Task Force on the for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] during discussions concerning masking mandates, the IATF is a collegial body that takes into consideration the concerns of all sectors,” the DOH, which chairs the task force, said in a statement to media.

Citing the term voluntary however, Vergeire said it boils down to “individual informed decisions,” noting that each person has to know the risks and be able to decide whether one can afford to wear a face mask in certain situations.

“With this freedom to choose, it is therefore important for us to assess our individual risk thoroughly before deciding if it is safe and wise to remove our masks,” DOH said.

George Barcelon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says of the relaxing of mask mandates: “This would definitely project a sense of normalcy and I think that the general public, the taong-bayan, they’re responsible enough to know that being careful in not being infected.”

On Friday, the DOH reported that the number of COVID cases in the Philippines has breached the 4 million mark after 1551 new COVID cases were added to the running total.

Of the 4,000,783 total confirmed COVID cases as of October 28, there were 21,685 active cases; 3,915,139 have recovered from the virus while the death toll stands at 63,959. The DOH defines confirmed cases as those that tested RT-PCR positive in a DOH-RITM certified lab.

 

Note: This story was produced as part of the output for the Vital Strategies’ Effective Use of Data in Public Health Workshop held in Bangkok, Thailand, October 11-14, 2022. 

Minus facemasks, daily Covid-19 cases seen to reach 18K

Manila, Philippines – Department of Health OIC Maria Rosario Vergeire said Thursday that the daily average of Covid-19 cases nationwide may reach 18,000 in the next two months should the public decide to ditch the wearing of face masks.

In a radio interview, Vergeire said she presented a possible scenario of increased daily infections during an Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) meeting last week.

“Sinasabi sa projections na towards November and December of this year, kung magtatanggal tayo ng masks, maaaring tumaas ang kaso natin (Projections showed that towards the end of November and December of this year, if we discontinue wearing of masks, our cases be in the range) from 2,500 at the lower limit, to as high as 18,000,” she said.

In a television interview, Vergeire, confirmed that the wearing of face masks is voluntary “across all settings” nationwide.

“Based on the agreement, the IATF resolution, and based on what has been proposed to the President, it’s going to be voluntary nationwide,” she adds.

Mentioning that the term “voluntary” boils down to “individual informed decisions”, Vergeire said every person has to “know the risks and be able to decide whether one can afford not to wear a face mask in certain situations.”

“In depth, there’s this agreement with the IATF, where we have a unified messaging that we still encourage the wearing of masks, especially in high risk areas katulad po ng public transport, katulad po ng healthcare facilities at katulad po ‘yung mga vulnerable natin, mga matanda, buntis, hindi bakunado, kailangan alam nila ‘yung risk nila (like public transport, healthcare facilities, and the vulnerable like the elderly, pregnant and unvaccinated) they still need to, we still highly encourage that they wear their masks,” she said.

Asked whether face mask use in public transportation is mandatory, Vergeire said they are still awaiting for the president to issue an executive order.

“We are still proposing that it would be mandatory. Whether it be voluntary or mandated, I hope that our citizens would always decide for the best for them and for their families. Let us wear a mask when in public transportation and crowded places,” she added.

Earlier on Wednesday, infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante warned the public about a possible rise in Covid-19 infections following the detection of the Omicron XBB subvariant and XBC variant in the country.

Dr. Tony Leachon, ex-adviser to the IATF, said he is not in favor of removing mask mandates in indoor spaces saying its too early as too many infectious variants and subvariants of COVID-19 that has entered the country.

“What I think now is that we’re not ready. It may be premature. So I was thinking we should let two weeks pass after XBB and XCC (subvariants) have arrived. We let the Undas effect pass and maybe that’s the time we should put those agressive measures,” he said in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo.

“We’re aware that the virus is airborne and if it’s airborne especially in enclosed places where the ventilation is not good, then viral transmission is higher,” Leachon adds.

The DOH reported as of Oct. 26, the country logged 1,121 new Covid-19 infections which brought the overall tally to 3,997,941 with 21,325 active cases.

Phivolcs records 19 phreatomagmatic bursts in Taal Volcano

MANILA, Philippines —Nineteen phreatomagmatic bursts were recorded at Taal Volcano in Batangas on Friday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in its advisory.

These so-called “very weak” phreatomagmatic bursts were detected over Taal Volcano’s main crater coming from a vent on its northeastern side between 8:50 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to the state volcano monitoring agency.

A phreatomagmatic eruption of a volcano occrus when both magmatic gases and steam from groundwater  are expelled.

Also in its advisory, Phivolcs said some of the bursts produced 200-meter-tall steam-rich plumes.

“Many of the bursts were obscured by ongoing upwelling of hot volcanic gas in the main crater lake, while all events did not generate detectable signals in the seismic and infrasound records,” it added.

Accordingly, alert Level 1 remains over the Taal Volcano, “which means that it is still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity.”

Likewise, Phivolcs also warned that Alert Level 2 may be raised over the volcano when the current phreatomagmatic activity worsens or pronounced changes in monitored parameters indicate increasing unrest.

“At Alert Level 1, sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within the Taal Volcano Island,” it said.

Phivolcs strongly recommends that entry into the Taal Volcano Island – a permanent danger zone- especially in the vicinities of the main crater and the Daang Kastila fissure “must remain strictly prohibited.”

Local government units are also advised to continously assess previously evacuated barangays around Taal Lake for damages and road accessibilities as well as to strengthen preparedness, contingency and  communication measures in case of renewed unrest.

People are also advised to observe precautions due to ground displacement across fissures, possible ashfall and minor earthquakes.

Pilots are also advised to avoid flying close to the volcano since airborne ash and ballistic fragments from sudden explosions and wind-remobilized ash may pose hazards to aircrafts.

Health outbreak, class suspension in Batangas urged amid growing hand, foot and mouth disease cases

Batangas, Philippines – A Batangas congresswoman has called for a declaration of health outbreak and suspension of classes in whole Batangas province on Thursday as the suspected cases of hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) continue to pile up.

In a report by ABS-CBN News, Batangas 2nd District Rep. Jinky “Bitrics” Luistro was quoted as saying that the Department of Education must declare a class suspension in the whole Batangas province.

This is while waiting for the result of the examination by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in the specimen samples obtained from children with suspected HFMD cases.

“I have called for us to act quickly before this HFMD spreads,” Luistro told ABS-CBN News in an interview, speaking in Filipino.

“We understand that face-to-face classes are ongoing in different schools and what scares me is that there might be a positive carrier inside the school and we are unaware that there is ongoing transmission already,” she added.

Luistro also called for the declaration of HFMD outbreak in the province but the provincial health office said it’s the local government who must first make the declaration.

Presently, Batangas City has four confirmed HFMD cases in Batangas City while San Pascual town waits for the results of specimen samples collected from children in their municipality.

More than 80 other suspected cases are being investigated in the towns of Bauan, Cuenca and Balete.

There will be simultaneous disinfection and cleaning activities in Batangas province on Friday to prevent the spread of the disease.

HFMD is a contagious viral infection that commonly affects young children and is characterized by sores in the mouth and rashes on the hands and feet.

It is transmitted through droplets or direct contact with nasal discharges, saliva, feces, and fluid from the rashes of an infected individual.