WHO: 3 million elderly Filipinos still unvaccinated vs COVID-19
WHO: 3 million elderly Filipinos still unvaccinated vs COVID-19A health worker administers a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to an elderly at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan City on July 21, 2021MANILA, Philippines — Around three million elderly Filipinos, among those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, have yet to be vaccinated, the World Health Organization said Monday. Elderly Filipinos who received Sinovac or Sinopharm doses are also recommended to receive an additional jab. READ: WHO: Philippines' COVID vaccine rollout for elderly 'unfortunate, unsatisfactory'Vaccine equityThe Philippines’ vaccination program, which started in March, has now moved to cover the general adult population. The latest data from the DOH showed that as of October 24, 55,715,693 doses against COVID-19 have so far been administered to Filipinos. Some 25.711 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 30 million are waiting for their second jabs.
Source:Philippine Star
October 25, 2021 09:51 UTC
In major ocean polluter Philippines, group turns plastic waste into planks
Shredded plastic is loaded in a machine to be moulded into waterproof planks in the factory of social enterprise The Plastic Flamingo or The Plaf, in Muntinlupa, Philippines. Waterproof planks made of plastics are stacked in the factory. A worker loads shredded plastic to a machine to be molded into waterproof planks. Having collected over 100 tonnes of plastic waste to date, the social enterprise is doing its bit to address a local problem that has global ramifications. Covid-19, though, has made the battle against plastic waste harder to win.
Source:The Standard
October 25, 2021 09:29 UTC
Chinese radio challenges in West Philippine Sea ease up
Chinese radio challenges in West Philippine Sea ease upThis March 22, 2021 aerial photo shows Chinese vessels still present in the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea, well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. MANILA, Philippines — China’s radio challenges in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) appear to have stopped or have at least eased up following last week’s filing of another diplomatic protest by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) questioning the same. Vice Admiral Ramil Roberto Enriquez, commander of the military’s Western Command (WesCom) and the Area Task Force West, said Philippine patrols will continue in the area to assert the country’s rights over its territorial waters. Enriquez said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other government agencies will also continue to monitor the situation. “Nevertheless, what we’ll do is continue reporting and continue telling the world that we do not recognize their authority over the area.
Source:Philippine Star
October 25, 2021 07:22 UTC
PMA moves toward digitalization
BAGUIO CITY, Benguet, Philippines — Like other students, cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) had to rely on the internet as they continued their studies from home. The new mode of learning has helped minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection in Fort del Pilar, as the PMA was locked down early last year. He said the PMA has been prompted to make some changes in its curriculum — such as the introduction of a course on information technology to develop skills in digital technology among the officers. Digital environmentPangilinan consulted with the faculty about the services they need under a fully digitized campus environment, a PMA professor said on condition of anonymity. 1 formally organized the PMA from its predecessor in the early years of US colonial rule, the Philippine Constabulary Academy.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
October 25, 2021 06:49 UTC
DOST eyes start of PH COVID-19 vaccine ‘mix and match’ trial by 'end of October, early November’
The Philippines will likely start by end of this month or early November its “Mix and Match” trial or MnM study to determine the safety and immunogenicity of mixing different coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines and vaccine platforms in Filipino adults. The DOST had bared around 400 doses of Sinovac vaccines have already been delivered to the Marikina City site for the dry run. For Davao, an MOU (memorandum of understanding)/MOA (memorandum of agreement) between PSAAI and the LGU will precede the dry run,” Guevara said. READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2021/10/22/dost-ph-covid-19-vaccine-mix-and-match-trial-may-start-soon/The project, “A study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of mixing different COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine platforms in Filipino adults”, is expected to enroll 3,000 unvaccinated participants aged 18 years old and above. The DOST official expressed hope that by “late December or early January” they will know the best vaccines or vaccine platforms that can be mixed.
Source:Manila Bulletin
October 25, 2021 05:39 UTC
Lawmaker wants soldiers on commercial flights
MANILA, Philippines — Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel urged the Department of National Defense (DND) on Sunday to tap commercial airlines to fly soldiers pending the acquisition of five new C-130 cargo planes. Pimentel, chair of the House strategic intelligence committee, said Congress could provide DND the extra funding to pay for the commercial flights. ADVERTISEMENT“Assuming Camp Aguinaldo is in a rush to deploy soldiers somewhere, and no military aircraft is readily available, we would recommend the use of either commercial or chartered flights,” Pimentel said. He said the military’s use of commercial flights would also help the local airline industry recover financially from the pandemic. —NESTOR CORRALESRead Next
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
October 25, 2021 05:26 UTC
Booking for helpers' quarantine hotel in Tsing Yi starts on Monday
Starting Monday, employers of domestic helpers from the Philippines and Indonesia can book a quarantine hotel room from a second hotel in Tsing Yi for the newly-arrived helpers to complete their 21-day mandatory quarantine. Previously, incoming helpers can only serve their quarantine in the Silka Tsuen Wan hotel or the government's quarantine center in Penny's Bay – both of which are often fully booked. From November 1, the Rambler Garden Hotel in Tsing Yi will provide a total of 500 further rooms specifically for foreign domestic helpers. Rooms will cost HK$650 per night, compared to HK$480 per night for the Penny's Bay facility and a nightly charge of HK$800 for the Tsuen Wan hotel. Officials said the hotel will adjust the number of rooms open for reservation each day according to the overall booking situation, and employers and agencies can start booking from 9.30am on Monday from the hotel’s designated website.
Source:The Standard
October 25, 2021 04:07 UTC
Govt should let people choose what vaccine to get as booster jab, says health expert
University of Hong Kong microbiologist Ho Pak-leung has called on the government to let people choose the Covid-19 vaccine they wish to get as the booster jab. He also said the government should commence the plan to administer the booster jab for Hong Kong citizens as soon as possible if it wants to reopen borders with the mainland. Speaking on a radio program on Monday, the health expert noted that the mainland has updated its guidelines for coronavirus vaccines, recommending everyone aged 18 or above to get a third jab. Meanwhile, the microbiologist said Hong Kong people should be allowed choices when it comes to getting a third jab. “The biggest problem in Hong Kong is that people don’t get to choose.
Source:The Standard
October 25, 2021 03:29 UTC
(Video) It's boar racing! Wild boar sprinted in Shatin Racecourse
It's not a horse, but a 40-kilogram wild boar which sprinted in Shatin Racecourse on Sunday morning. The bizarre scene was captured on video, showing a male boar running at full speed parallel to the racing track. It was horse trainer Douglas Whyte who noticed the boar and reported to security, sources said. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department confirmed a boar was found inside Shatin Racecourse on Sunday morning. The boar has been released into the wild.
Source:The Standard
October 25, 2021 02:19 UTC
Hilux GR-S, Fortuner GR-S unveiled in Toyota GR lineup
Toyota's Hilux GR-S and the Fortuner GR-S car models were unveiled virtually on Saturday. The two car models have just been added to Toyota Gazoo Racing Lineup at press time on Saturday via livestream on the Toyota Motor Philippines and Toyota Gazoo Racing PH Facebook pages. Toyota Gazoo Racing Ambassador Marlon Stockinger took both the Hilux GR-S and the Fortuner GR-S models for a spin in the launch. The newest heart-thrilling models were discussed and seen up close in the livestream. Viewers were also treated with games and prizes during the online launch of Toyota's new Gazoo Racing cars.
Source:Manila Times
October 24, 2021 22:38 UTC
Robredo calls for urgent aid for health care workers
Robredo calls for urgent aid for health care workersIn this April 2020 photo, medical workers screen patients for possible COVID-19 before admission at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City. MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo called yesterday for urgent assistance for healthcare workers, saying many of them are battling low morale due to the pandemic. The Filipino Nurses United (FNU) said the pandemic has aggravated the sorry state of Filipino nurses who now have to deal with low morale and extreme frustration. The FNU said the government appears unperturbed by nurses’ concerns even in this time of pandemic when they are supposedly regarded as “heroes,” along with other health care workers. “What we’re seeing from the Senate investigations is in the billions – isn’t it there are billions (of pesos) in anomalies, but the most basic needs of health workers are not being met?
Source:Philippine Star
October 24, 2021 21:55 UTC
Flu and Covid shots to go arm in arm
The World Health Organization has found that administering the shots at the same time will not affect the efficacy of the Covid vaccine, Hui said on a radio program yesterday. I think that will actually increase the vaccination rate tremendously if we can do that." As of Saturday, more than 4.5 million Hongkongers have received Covid vaccine shot, taking the city's vaccination rate to 68.1 percent. But it also meant the herd immunity to flu [in each region] had been weakened and may lead to a surge in flu cases this year, he added. Hong Kong yesterday recorded four imported Covid cases from the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, taking the city's total tally to 12,324 infections with 213 deaths.
Source:The Standard
October 24, 2021 21:01 UTC
Duque tells LGUs: Ramp up jabs for A2, A3
Duque tells LGUs: Ramp up jabs for A2, A3Senior citizen residents of Baranagay 672 in Manila are screened and inoculated with AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 by members of the Manila Health Department on Sunday (March 28, 2021). As of the weekend, the government has about 10 million doses in national warehouses that are waiting to be distributed, while about 40 million doses are due for administering. “As I have been telling our LGUs over the past several weeks, vaccine supply is no longer a problem for our country. We cannot scale up our national vaccination output if we just settle with our current jab rate,” he said. Of these shipments, more than 58.7 million doses were procured by the government, 24.3 million doses were donations from the COVAX Facility, 7.9 million were purchased by LGUs and the private sector, and 3.6 million doses were donations from bilateral partners.
Source:Philippine Star
October 24, 2021 20:35 UTC
Moreno supporters hold caravan
Moreno supporters hold caravanMANILA, Philippines — Supporters of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno held a motorcade yesterday to greet the Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer on his 47th birthday. At least 1,000 vehicles and 100 cars joined the surprise birthday motorcade for Moreno and his running mate Dr. Willie Ong, who has the same birthday as the mayor. Moreno’s supporters held the caravan a day after those of Vice President Leni Robredo and running mate Sen. Kiko Pangilinan held the same initiative. While Robredo’s caravan was held around the country, Moreno’s was held just within Metro Manila. Pangilinan stressed that hunger and joblessness are issues of food security that require strengthening support for the agriculture sector.
Source:Philippine Star
October 24, 2021 20:27 UTC
Thirdy's San-En rebounds from upset loss vs Ibaraki Robots
Thirdy's San-En rebounds from upset loss vs Ibaraki RobotsMANILA, Philippines — Thirdy Ravena and San-En NeoPhoenix were able to recover against the Ibaraki Robots in their second match-up this weekend, 83-66. Just 24 hours after absorbing the upset loss, San-En denied the Robots their second straight win. Ravena contributed an all-around game with seven points, eight rebounds, five assists and a block. Elias Harris and Justin Knox paced San-En in the win with 19 and 16 points, respectively. San-En thus improved to a 3-5 slate while Ibaraki fell to 1-7.
Source:Philippine Star
October 24, 2021 19:57 UTC