Rodrigo duterte

Health workers attend to person-under-investigation for COVID19 on a public hospital in Manila. MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte warned the public Thursday night to expect more coronavirus-related deaths due to the continuing unavailability of COVID-19 vaccine supply. In his second ‘Talk to the People’ address this week following his video call with Russia Pres. Vladimir Putin, Duterte bared he did not know when the Philippines would get enough COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate all Filipinos. “Itong vaccine na itong pinag-usapan natin ganito, wala sana ito kung mayroong vaccine available. Eh wala. Hanggang ngayon the word ‘unavailable’ is nandiyan. Unavailable because there are not — there’s no sufficient supply to inoculate the world,” Duterte said in a pre-recorded speech aired Thursday. (We won’t be talking about vaccines if supply is readily available. But there is none. Until now, the word is ‘unavailable’. Unavailable because there’s not sufficient supply ... » Learn More about Expect more deaths due to scant COVID-19 vaccine supply — Duterte

A tarpaulin streamer hangs at the People Power Monument on Edsa in Quezon City, Jan. 18, 2016, in memory of 44 police Special Action Force commandos killed by Muslim rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25, 2015. Forty four medium size flags were installed at the monument. The SAF commandos were part of a police anti-terror unit sent to Mamasapano to hunt down international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in Barangay Tukanalipao. (File photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer) MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte blames former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II for the death of 44 commandos of the Special Action Force in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, in January 2015. “He wasted 44 lives for nothing. They could not even explain. Why were the police the ones who went when they were totally ignorant of the topography and the physical arrangement of the mountain there?” the President said in his at the campaign rally of the Partido Demokratiko ... » Learn More about Duterte: Roxas wasted 44 lives for nothing in Mamasapano

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he sees more deaths from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) because of the global vaccine shortage. “There is no sufficient supply to inoculate the world, matagal pa ‘to (this will be long),” the President said in his public address. “Sabihin ko sa iyo marami pang mamamatay dito. Hindi ko lang maturo kung sino (I tell you; more people will die here. I just cannot say who),” he said. Duterte said he does not know when the country can acquire enough vaccines. As of April 13, the country has administered 1,255,716 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to medical frontliners, senior citizens and persons with comorbidities. The Philippines has received 3,025,600 doses of vaccines from Sinovac and AstraZeneca. In his speech, Duterte fired a broadside at the people who he said wanted him dead, saying they should pray harder and pray for the transmission of Covid-19. “For those people who want me dead, magdasal kayo ng husto… Covid raised to ... » Learn More about Duterte: More Covid deaths amid vaccine shortage

SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Friday praised the government and the private sector’s initiative to explore the possibility of the country producing its own vaccines. “Our country has a big potential to produce its own medicines and vaccines for various illnesses. It is time we study how to be self-reliant when it comes to this aspect,” said Go, chairman of the Senate health and demography committee. Go commended local pharmaceuticals’ interest in manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines, saying such an endeavor will not only help the Philippines but the world as well. In a televised meeting on Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte was informed by Secretary Go stressed the need to accelerate arrangements for public-private partnerships in manufacturing vaccines locally, with the Department of Trade and Industry at the helm. In March, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the agency’s board of investments was in discussion with local companies that are keen to produce Covid-19 ... » Learn More about Go lauds vaccine self-sufficiency initiative

THE Philippines has set a 75-percent greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction and avoidance target by 2030, according to the Department of Finance (DoF). In a statement on Friday, the DoF said the goal was set following President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval of the country’s first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which is part of the Philippines’ commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. “The Philippines is submitting an ambitious NDC target of 75-percent reduction of GHG emissions by 2030 in the name of climate justice. The NDC will be our tool to upgrade our economy by adopting modern and low carbon technologies and approaches that would help mitigate the climate crisis and make our economy more resilient and our growth sustainable,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd was quoted as saying. Dominguez is also the chairman-designate to the Climate Change Commission, which facilitated the NDC formulation process. The finance department explained the NDC ... » Learn More about PH sets 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has given its assurance that the China-funded Binondo-Intramuros Bridge would be finished on time despite the pandemic. DPWH Secretary Mark Villar on Friday said the P3.39-billion project, which symbolizes the friendly cooperation between China and the Philippines, would be opened to commuters in the fourth quarter of the year. According to Villar, the DPWH Unified Project Management Office-Roads Management (UPMO-RMC) Cluster 1 and contractor China Road and Bridge Corp. have made efforts to speed up work progress to ensure its completion this year. The Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, as well as the on-going Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge in Makati/Mandaluyong, are funded by a grant of China and considered the first-ever infrastructure partnership project under the present administration with the Chinese. The bridge will improve the capacity and efficiency of the road transport network in Metro Manila by providing additional routes ... » Learn More about Manila bridge to be completed this year

The Miriam College Women and Gender Institute (MC-WAGI) on Monday promoted the changing dominant heterosexist discourse through the power of media during the last part of the “No Joke! A Conversation on a Gender Fair, Inclusive, and Empowering Philippine Media” webinar series. Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) professor Dr. Mira Ofreneo emphasized in her discussion for the need to recognize, to question and to shift “dominant narratives” or discourses toward gender and equality and gender inclusivity by means of urging the media to gain initiative in refusing to cover heterosexist utterances so that the negative impacts will not pursue to the media’s audiences. Ofreneo said that the language being used in media impacts people anywhere, across spaces, in private and in public that reaches the people, a nation and the world. She said that projected language or talk in the media lives through time in the public sphere even as the event passes, saying that it becomes part of the ... » Learn More about Miriam College-WAGI urges media heterosexist discourse

PHILIPPINE Coconut Authority (PCA) Administrator Benjamin Madrigal assured the coconut industry that it is conducting proper consultations with coconut farmers and groups for the finalization of guidelines on the creation of the PCA Board set to be released before the end of April. “We are continuously consulting with the coconut farmer and farmer groups to ensure that their inputs are taken into account before the promulgation of the finalized guidelines for the nomination and screening process,” Madrigal said during a recent virtual consultation meeting with coconut farmer group leaders for the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP). The CFIDP will be the basis of P75-billion fund utilization under Republic Act (RA) 11524, or the “Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act.” The consultation meeting was participated in by leaders of several coconut farmer groups such as the Kilus Magniniyog, Confederation of Coconut Farmers Organizations of the Philippines, ... » Learn More about PCA assures consultation with coconut farmers

Limited demand-pull inflationary pressures will keep consumer prices high in the Philippines, an economist warned on Tuesday. In a report, Nalin Chutchotitham, Citi economist for the Philippines, announced that the New York-based banking giant raised its average inflation estimate for the country this year to 3.6 percent from the earlier 3.3 percent. Citi’s latest inflation outlook is slower than the 4-percent estimate of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed that consumer price growth in the country accelerated to a two-year high of 4.2 percent in January from 3.5 percent the month before on higher prices of meat, particularly pork. African swine fever and avian flu outbreaks severely restricted pork and chicken supply in the country, prompting sellers to increase prices. In response, President Rodrigo Duterte imposed earlier this month a 60-day price cap on the two food items and allowed more pork imports, which local ... » Learn More about Citi raises inflation projection for 2021

STUDENTS are not required to buy computers or attend online classes since the country is adopting a “blended” form of learning amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Friday. DepEd issued the reminder following reports that an incoming Grade 9 student in Santo Domingo town in Albay committed suicide last Tuesday out of depression from being unable to afford gadgets needed for online classes. “Suicide cases are sensitive and complex matters. It takes professional skill and competence in analyzing human behavior to determine what makes a young person commit suicide,” DepEd said. “We have gathered preliminary information but will not disclose any out of respect for the family’s privacy.” The department said online learning was only one of its options since schools would not be allowed to hold face-to-face classes unless a vaccine was found. The mode of learning will depend on the resources available to the student. It also said preparations were ... » Learn More about Online classes just one option, DepEd says