News Roundup 14 July 2022
Jul 14, 2022 • 4 min Read
Vergeire designated as DOH officer-in-charge | INQUIRER.NET – Health Undersecretary and spokesperson Ma. Rosario Vergeire has been designated as officer-in-charge of the Department of Health (DOH) until July 31 or until the next secretary is named. Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles made the announcement Thursday. “Si Dr. Rosario Vergeire has been designated as OIC of the Department of Health. Siya currently yung undersecretary for public health services ng DOH,” Cruz-Angeles said in a recorded video. (Dr. Rosario Vergeire has been designated as OIC of the Department of Health. She is currently the undersecretary for public health services of the DOH.) The Palace however did not say if President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. already had somebody in mind to take the health secretary post such that Vergeire’s designation was only as OIC.
Manila Water installs Activated Filter Media in Balara Treatment Plant | INQUIRER.NET – Manila Water aims to optimize its Balara Treatment Plant 2 (BTP 2) operations by reducing its chemical consumption by installing the Activated Filter Media (AFM). Manila Water Operations Group Director Arnold Jether Mortera shared that using AFM requires less backwash water and can remove iron and manganese. “These two elements cause reddish brown and brownish-black stains that build up in pipelines and water tanks, restricting water flow and reduce water pressure. With the AFM installed, this reduces the chlorine requirement for oxidation of the said chemicals,” Mortera added. AFM is a highly processed product in the form of particles with enhanced filtration features, lessening the need for additional infrastructure. These are usually composed of recycled green and amber glass. The current filtration media used at BTP 2 are composed of silica sand. Mortera also disclosed that a preliminary test was conducted to assess the performance of the AFM. “With the promising results, the Operations Team plans to scale up by applying AFM on all of BTP 2’s filter beds to improve the facility’s service,” Mortera said. The process of installing four filter beds is ongoing after the installation was completed for one filter bed. As a result, BTP 2 has 20 filter beds in operation. Testing and process proving will follow shortly to measure the total efficiency of the innovation. BTP 2 is Manila Water’s primary treatment facility that serves more than 60% of the East Zone.
OCTA: NCR positivity rate could mean 1k COVID cases, but peak expected ‘soon’ | PHILSTAR.COM – The newly-recorded positivity rate of 11.5% in Metro Manila could lead to 1,000 more cases of the coronavirus in the capital region, though the peak of the current surge is expected to happen soon, independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research said Thursday. “A look at the plot of new COVID-19 cases in the NCR shows that the trend may have already peaked,” OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said in a tweet advisory issued on behalf of the think tank. He was careful, however, to point out that more than a tenth of all tests are coming out positive in Metro Manila where the positivity rate has now increased to 11.5%. On Wednesday, Metro Manila recorded 637 new cases of the pathogen while Iloilo and Laguna followed with 131 and 113 additional cases, respectively. No other province breached 100 cases that day. Broken down per local government unit, 112 of those cases were from Quezon City while 110 were from Makati. Manila City tacked on 73 more cases while Pasig recorded 52 more. No other city in the capital region logged more than 50 COVID-19 cases. “This could lead to more than 1,000 new cases in the NCR on July 14. If cases do increase, we still expect the peak to happen soon, unless the wave becomes prolonged,” David said. Meanwhile, the reproduction number — or the number of people a COVID-positive patient can pass the virus to — has already decreased to 1.36. David added that the healthcare utilization rate in Metro Manila 30.2% with 1,856 hospital beds occupied while ICU occupancy stood at 22.6%, though he said that “both [numbers] are still within safe levels.”
After 6th Hague ruling anniversary, China insists tribunal decision is ‘illegal’ | PHILSTAR.COM – After the anniversary of the 2016 Hague ruling, China continues to insist that it is “illegal, null and void.” During their regular press conference on July 13, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the tribunal’s decision “seriously violates international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.” “China neither accepts nor recognizes it and will never accept any claim or action based on the award,” Wang said. “By doing so, we are upholding international rule of law.” The award invalidated Beijing’s nine-dash claims over the South China Sea and provided that certain sea areas are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. China has always ignored the award, with reports of Chinese vessels swarming Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) that is within disputed waters and Beijing has also shadowed Philippine boats in the area, among its other illegal activities. The Philippines has filed over 200 diplomatic protests against China since 2016 due to its refusal to recognize the award. On July 12, the sixth anniversary of the ruling, the Philippines said that it is indisputable. Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo said that Manila will “reject attempts to undermine it.”
