News Roundup 12 November 2020
Nov 12, 2020 • 4 min Read
OCD counts 2 dead, 4 missing in Bicol in Ulysses’ wake | INQUIRER.NET – At least two people were killed and four were reported missing in the Bicol region after Typhoon Ulysses (international name Vamco) battered Luzon, the Office of Civil Defense said on Thursday (Nov. 12). The two fatalities were from Camarines Norte—a 68-year-old man who was found dead on the roof of his house at a village in Daet town and a 70-year-old man who collapsed when he was about to rise from his bed, the OCD-Bicol said around noon on Thursday. Four of the missing were also from Camarines Norte—three from Vinzons town and one from Mercedes town. Eight people were reported injured in the same province—two from Mercedes town, two from Basud, 3 from Daet and one from Vinzons.
DOH logs 1,407 new COVID-19 infections; PH’s caseload now at 402,820 | INQUIRER.NET – The Department of Health has logged 1,407 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections, driving the country’s caseload to 402,820 as of Thursday. Of this total, 8.1% or 32,682 are tagged as “active.” The health agency added that 211 more patients have recovered from the disease while 11 others have died. The total number of recoveries is now at 362,417 and the death toll at 7,721.
Heavy rains expected even as ‘Ulysses’ moves away from Luzon | PHILSTAR.COM – Typhoon “Ulysses” (international name: Vamco) is still expected to bring rains over a large part of Luzon, which is already inundated with floods similar to that of Tropical Storm “Ondoy” in 2009. According to PAGASA’s 2 p.m. bulletin on Thursday, Ulysses is forecast to dump rain until tonight over the Cordillera Administrative Region, the eastern portions of Cagayan and Isabela, Zambales, Bataan, Aurora, Cavite, the western portion of Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island. Light to moderate with at times heavy rains are expected over Western Visayas, Samar Provinces, Metro Manila, and the rest of Luzon. The state weather bureau is also still warning of a storm surge as high as three feet in the coastal areas of Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, and Metro Manila. Ulysses, packing winds of up to 130 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 160 kph, was last spotted 140 kilometers west of Iba, Zambales and has accelerated to 35 kph.
Drilon thumbs down ‘Bayanihan 3’ for COVID-19 funding | Manila Bulletin – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Thursday thumbed down proposals to legislate another measure providing multi-billion funding for the government’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. “A Bayanihan 3 makes no sense. None at all,” Drilon said in a text message to reporters. Drilon pointed out that the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 is still in effect and the government has yet to release funds for its effective implementation. “Bayanihan 2 is still effective up to December 19, and a substantial portion of the funds have not been released, and funded programs and projects have not been implemented,” the minority leader said. He also said there is no need to legislate another Bayanihan 3 since the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021, which they expect to be passed before the end of December, will take effect starting next year. “The 2021 budget will be effective January 1, 2021. Clearly, (there’s no sense for Bayanihan 3,” he said. “We must recalibrate the 2021 budget to have more funds, effective January 1, 2021 for COVID-19 vaccines, calamities, for DOH (Department of Health), DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) and other social services,” he added.
PH to borrow $300M to buy COVID vaccines | Malaya Business Insight – President Duterte said the Philippines has set aside funds for the purchase of vaccines for the coronavirus disease and will borrow about $300 million to buy more vaccines so everyone in the country will have access to it. Duterte issued the statements on Tuesday night after American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. announced that the COVID-19 vaccine it is developing proved to be 90 percent effective, based on preliminary trial results, a key milestone in the war against a virus that has killed over a million people and battered the world’s economy. Yesterday, German biotech firm BioNTech said it is planning to price the two-shot vaccine, which it co-developed with Pfizer, below “typical market rates” and would differentiate pricing between countries or regions. Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez has said the vaccines may be sold to the Philippines at a low price, or about $5 a shot. In July, Pfizer agreed with the US government to supply 100 million doses of its potential vaccine at a price of $39 for a two-dose immunization, or $19.5 per dose, with the option to sell another 500 million doses under conditions to be negotiated separately.
