News Roundup 17 March 2020
Mar 17, 2020 • 2 min Read
Robredo: Shun disinformation vs OVP’s free shuttle service for COVID-19 frontliners | INQUIRER.NET – Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday warned against malicious, misleading information about her office, which is mounting efforts to provide free rides to workers at the frontlines of efforts to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. Robredo said in a Facebook post that some quarters are spreading vicious rumors that transport vans who want to earn money should troop to the Office of the Vice President (OVP), which supposedly promises income of P3,500 per day in a “weekly pay-out” basis. Robredo, however, stressed OVP is not hiring any van for their planned free shuttle service for COVID-19 frontliners starting Wednesday, March 18.
US pledges P139 million aid to Philippines for COVID-19 response | PHILSTAR.COM –The United States vowed to provide the Philippines P139 million ($2.7 million) to support the country’s fight to curb the rising number of new coronavirus cases. The assistance aims to strengthen specimen transport system and laboratory capacity in the Philippines to accurately and rapidly detect COVID-19 infections. “The US government, through the US Agency for International Development, will collaborate with Philippine government counterparts to establish and implement internationally-recognized infectious disease threat prevention and response strategies and enhance infection control,” the US Embassy in Manila said in a statement.
Palace orders gov’t agencies, LGUs to ensure strict observance of price control on medicine, supplies | Manila Bulletin – Government agencies and local government units (LGUs) have been directed to ensure that price control measures imposed on essential medicines and supplies as well as selected food items are observed. Malacañang has issued Memorandum Circular No. 77 seeking coordinated government efforts to combat any illegal price adjustment of these consumer goods amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Baliwag mayor tests positive for Covid-19 | The Manila times – The town mayor of Baliwag, Bulacan, tested positive for Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) but vowed to continue to work. Mayor Ferdie Estrella said he felt body pain and colds, symptoms of the disease, and decided to take a test at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
