Kai Sotto's toughest year
IN a recent Instagram post, Kai Sotto shared that 2021 was his toughest year. The role modelIt was discussed in this column that Mobley embodied what Kai Sotto would need to emulate in order to get drafted in the NBA. Kai could even dominate in the B.League since he could play as an Asian import like Kiefer Ravena, Ray Parks and Kobe Paras. If the offer for Japeth Aguilar was a gauge, Kai could notch a much higher paycheck. All these are options for Kai — easier options, but it could sidetrack his NBA dream.
Source:Manila Times
January 02, 2022 22:13 UTC
Baguio City shuts borders to tourists anew amid COVID-19 scare
Updated @ 1:29 a.m., Jan. 3, 2022BAGUIO CITY, Benguet, Philippines — The city government has again closed its borders to tourists on Sunday amid the threat posed by the COVID-19 Omicron variant and the rising number of infections. ADVERTISEMENTThe city’s Visitor Information and Travel Assistance (Visita) platform stopped entertaining applications from tourists beginning on Sunday (Jan. 2), following a meeting called by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, said Aloysius Mapalo, city tourism operations supervisor. But Baguio will honor approved schedules and hotel bookings secured by guests prior to the Jan. 2 suspension, “until further notice,” Mapalo said. But the city health services office says Baguio’s COVID-19 active cases rose to 64 on New Year’s Day from only four on Christmas Day. The city had benefited from a sustained drop in infections last month after enduring a wave of COVID-19 transmissions in September.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
January 02, 2022 21:55 UTC
Floods hit seven states in Malaysia, thousands more evacuated
KUALA LUMPUR — Seven states in Malaysia were hit by floods on Sunday and thousands of people were evacuated, taking the total affected by heavy rain in the last two weeks to over 125,000, the National Disaster Management Agency said. ADVERTISEMENTA total of 125,490 people have been affected by the floods nationwide, it said, of which 117,700 evacuees have returned home. Floods are common on the eastern coast of Malaysia during the annual monsoon season between October and March, but unusually heavy rainfall that started on Dec. 17 displaced thousands and strained emergency services. Following the meteorological department’s warning of continuous heavy rains, the National Disaster Control Centre has issued a disaster operation preparedness notice. ($1 = 4.1640 ringgit)RELATED STORIESADVERTISEMENTFloods in Malaysia displace over 29,000 peopleAt least eight dead in Malaysia floods as rescue effort stumblesSubscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
January 02, 2022 20:33 UTC
Bank lending picks up, rises for 4th month in November
Bank lending picks up, rises for 4th month in NovemberMANILA, Philippines — Loans disbursed by big banks accelerated for the fourth straight month, increasing at a faster rate of four percent in November from 3.5 percent in October, as the country’s economic rebound continued to gain traction. Bank lending finally started recovering in August as the aggressive easing, including the 200-basis-point cuts in interest rates and lowering of reserve requirement ratio undertaken by the BSP in 2020, was finally absorbed by the economy. “The BSP sees enough scope to continue providing appropriate policy support in order to sustain the recovery in credit activity,” the central bank said. However, household lending remained weak, shrinking by 7.1 percent to P813.77 billion in end- November. On the other hand, credit card loans increased by 2.6 percent to P426.16 billion from P415.5 billion.
Source:Philippine Star
January 02, 2022 18:22 UTC
2021 Scorecard
The massive fiscal stimulus and ultra-accommodative monetary worldwide sent stocks and other risk assets soaring in 2021. As a result, the S&P 500 index ended the year with a 26.9 percent gain. The S&P 500 made 70 record highs in 2021, the second-most of any year in history (1995 had 77). Currencies & CryptosThe US dollar index ended 2021with a 6.4 percent gain, registering its best year since 2015. China stocks’ biggest one-day surgeChinese companies publicly traded in the US posted their biggest one-day surge since 2008.
Source:Philippine Star
January 02, 2022 17:57 UTC
Fifth diner at Moon Palace tests positive of Covid-19
A fifth diner at Moon Palace has tested positive of Covid-19 as Hong Kong reported 26 additional cases and announced more flight suspensions. The new case related to the Moon Palace cluster was the wife of a construction worker confirmed with Covid-19 earlier. The 38-year-old woman had meal with her husband at Moon Palace in Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong from around 2.30pm to 4pm on December 27. So far five people have tested positive, including the index case of a Cathay Pacific flight attendant. Three passengers on flight CX216 operated by Cathay Pacific arriving in Hong Kong from Manchester on January 1, 2022 also tested positive upon arrival.
Source:The Standard
January 02, 2022 12:39 UTC
Citizens pay tributes to victims in San Po Kong car crash
Citizens continue to pay tributes to a 23-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man who died in a crash in San Po Kong. The two were among five pedestrians hit by a car on Friday evening, which hit a taxi before crashing onto the pavement and ramming into a currency exchange store on Tai Yau Street. The dead victims were DAB community officer Shi Wuyang, 23, and electrician Li Wing-keung, 63. Shi sustained serious head injuries and was certified dead at the scene while Lee died after being rushed to the hospital. Workers has started repair works of the currency exchange store's gate which was seriously damaged in the crash.
Source:The Standard
January 02, 2022 12:13 UTC
85% of severe COVID-19 patients in DOH hospitals in NCR are not vaccinated
MANILA, Philippines — Eighty-five percent of COVID-19 patients at the intensive care units (ICU) requiring mechanical ventilators in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals in Metro Manila are not vaccinated, according to the agency. Data from DOH hospitals in NCR [National Capital Region] shows that 85% of those in the ICU and requiring mechanical ventilators are not vaccinated at all,” the DOH said in a statement on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT“With both Delta and Omicron variants in our midst, we reiterate our call to all who have not yet availed of safe, effective, and free COVID-19 vaccines. DOH hospitals are government hospitals that are directly under the supervision of the health department. The health department reiterated the need to get vaccinated as the country sees a sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
January 02, 2022 09:36 UTC
Sinovac shot with Pfizer booster less effective vs Omicron – study
Sinovac’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccine followed by a booster Pfizer-BioNTech shot showed a lower immune response against the Omicron variant compared with other strains, according to a study by researchers. ADVERTISEMENTThe Sinovac two-dose regimen along with the Pfizer shot produced an antibody response similar to a two-dose mRNA vaccine, according to the study. Antibody levels against Omicron were 6.3-fold lower when compared with the ancestral variant and 2.7-fold lower when compared with Delta. Akiko Iwasaki, one of the authors of the study, said on Twitter that CoronaVac recipients may need two additional booster doses to achieve protective levels needed against Omicron. FEATURED STORIESThe two-dose Sinovac vaccine alone did not show any detectable neutralization against Omicron, according to the study that analyzed plasma samples from 101 participants in the Dominican Republic.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
January 02, 2022 09:29 UTC
BFP: Firecrackers caused 13 fires during holidays
BFP: Firecrackers caused 13 fires during holidaysThe fireworks display at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City lights up the night sky during the New Year revelry on January 1, 2022. MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) recorded 13 fires caused by firecrackers from Dec. 25, 2021 up to yesterday, one of which resulted in the death of a one-year-old girl. BFP spokesperson Superintendent Annalle Atienza said the fire was caused by a baby rocket that hit her family’s home. Four of the fires occurred in Calabarzon; two in Central Luzon; and one each in Western Visayas, Ilocos, Bicol, the Cordilleras and Davao. Last year, the BFP recorded no fires as a result of firecrackers.
Source:Philippine Star
January 02, 2022 07:02 UTC
Go: Welcome the new year responsibly
Contributed PhotoSEN. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go on Saturday reminded the public to welcome the new year responsibly to avert an increase in Covid-19 cases. He stressed the need to remain vigilant and disciplined to sustain some successes made in 2021 in the fight against Covid-19. He added that one of the keys to protecting oneself and one's loved ones from Covid-19 is getting fully vaccinated against the virus. The Department of Health said that as of December 30, the government has administered 108.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Of this number, 57.1 million Filipinos have received their first dose while 49.6 million have been fully vaccinated.
Source:Manila Times
January 02, 2022 04:08 UTC
African priests fill in US clergy shortage
Originally from Nigeria, Abanulo is one of numerous international clergy helping ease a U.S. priest shortage by serving in Catholic dioceses across the country. For the Spanish-language Mass an hour later, the Nigerian-born priest — one of numerous African clergy serving in the US — knows he can quadruple his teaching time. "Nigerian people are relaxed when they come to church," Abanulo said. Thomas Gaunt, director of Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, which conducts research about the Catholic church. It's different in the US where the Catholic church faces significant hurdles in recruiting home-grown clergy following decades of declining church attendance and the damaging effects of widespread clergy sex abuse scandals.
Source:Manila Times
January 02, 2022 04:08 UTC
Metro Manila now at high risk for COVID-19 transmission – OCTA Research
MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila is now at high-risk for COVID-19 transmission as its positivity rate has further increased to 28.03 percent, Dr. Guido David, a fellow at independent monitoring group OCTA Research said in a Twitter post on Saturday. The seven-day average positivity rate in Metro Manila increased from 1.15 percent recorded in the previous week to 12.94 percent, David said. FEATURED STORIESREAD: OCTA: PH may see 4,000 new COVID-19 cases on New Year’s Day“With the increase in positivity rate, NCR is now classified as high risk,” he added. As of Dec. 31, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal were all under moderate risk level for COVID-19 transmission with critical levels of infection rate. ADVERTISEMENTIn an earlier statement, David also said that Metro Manila’s reproduction number increased to 4.05.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
January 01, 2022 22:50 UTC
TNT finds gem, ends up with crown jewel
The Tropang Giga wanted to stock their team from the rookie class, but didn't have a first round pick in the 2021 Draft. It was time for the Tropang Giga to make drastic moves. Reyes previously steered the Tropang Giga to four championships, the most by any coach in the franchise. The 29-year-old newcomer averaged 18.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game for TNT in the Philippine Cup. For the Tropang Giga, it was their first championship in six years.
Source:Manila Times
January 01, 2022 21:18 UTC
‘Repeat swab test before quarantine discharge’
‘Repeat swab test before quarantine discharge’Residents with close contact to COVID-19 patients submit themselves to antigen test at a testing center in Brgy. MANILA, Philippines — Following the detection of three local cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) is recommending the repeat swabbing of cases before they are discharged from quarantine. Repeat swabbing is being done only among those who have already tested for any “variant of concern” of COVID-19.Since there are now local cases of Omicron variant in the country, however, the DOH is recommending a “repeat” test through reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) after the completion of quarantine. She also underscored that individuals who have completed the quarantine are still instructed to undergo home isolation when they are discharged from the quarantine facilities. She added that such protocol is temporary while cases of the Omicron variant are not that many.
Source:Philippine Star
January 01, 2022 17:13 UTC