News Roundup 01 November 2022
Nov 01, 2022 • 4 min Read
At least 425,000 flock to Manila North and South cemeteries during All Saints’ Day | INQUIRER.NET – At least 425,000 people have visited the Manila North and South cemeteries to remember their departed loved ones on Tuesday, All Saints’ Day. On November 1, Filipinos commemorate All Saints’ Day as part of a two-day religious custom known as Undas that also recognizes All Souls’ Day on the following day, November 2. The Manila Public Information Office (PIO) said a total of 225,261 visitors went to the Manila North Cemetery, while about 204,486 individuals went to the Manila South Cemetery on November 1. It also noted that 63 unvaccinated minors were turned away from the Manila North Cemetery. Citing a 5 p.m. situation report from the Manila Police District Station 6, the Manila PIO said one person had collapsed at the Manila South Cemetery and was later brought to the Makati Medical Center. A total of 3,783 prohibited items ranging from cigarettes, flammable materials, and sharp objects were also confiscated from cemetery goers on November 1, it added. Specifically, 2,361 prohibited items were seized from visitors of the Manila North Cemetery, while 1,424 were from visitors of the Manila South Cemetery.
2 gates at Magat Dam still open, might close on Friday — NIA | INQUIRER.NET – Two gates are open at Magat Dam in Isabela following the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae). According to National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Administrator Benny Antiporda, the water level of Magat is at 190.92 meters as of Tuesday, 11 a.m. The administrator noted that the water level is “critical” as the spilling level is 193 meters, hence, opening two of the seven spillways. “As of the moment, Gates 3 and 4 lang ang gate opening namin (are open), two meters each. “We are looking at the condition of the weather now, wherein it’s getting better. We might terminate operation on Friday,” Antiporda told INQUIRER.net in a phone call while manning the 24/7 command center of NIA. Currently, the water inflow in Magat Dam is about 1,069 cubic meters per second. The outflow, meanwhile, is 979 cubic meters per second. Prior to the devastation of Paeng, a preemptive release of water was conducted in the dam, based on the observation of the state weather agency. Magat Dam discharges 16 percent of water to the Cagayan River, said Antiporda. Other tributaries likewise contribute to the River. Based on latest government data, Paeng caused flooding in 214 areas in Region 2 where Isabela is located. Total flooded areas across the country are 562. The cyclone likewise affected 2.4 million persons while 110 people were killed.
DepEd lets students drop face masks even indoors | PHILSTAR.COM – A day before full face-to-face classes resume in public schools, the Department of Education announced that students are free to choose whether they will use face masks on campus — even indoors. DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa made this announcement on Tuesday, saying that this is in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order No. 7 scrapping the mask mandate. The October 28 order made the use of face masks optional outdoors and indoors except for healthcare facilities, medical transport vehicles and public transportation. While masking was made optional, the order still “encouraged” the elderly, individuals with comorbidities, immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, unvaccinated individuals and symptomatic individuals to continue wearing masks. “A policy of voluntary wearing of face masks in both indoor and outdoor settings is a positive step towards normalization, and a welcome development that would encourage activities and boost efforts toward the full reopening of the economy,” Marcos said in the order. But the threat of a new COVID-19 spike in the country still lingers despite efforts to roll back restrictions, with the Department of Health warning that optional indoor masking could result in up to 18,000 new infections per day by the end of the year. The position of the DOH has always been to continue wearing masks to protect people from getting COVID-19. In September, the agency warned it was not yet time to ease mask wearing outdoors, but was overruled by the IATF and by the executive order of Marcos.
Oil prices down for 2nd week | PHILSTAR.COM – Pump prices are down for the second consecutive week, with oil companies implementing a minimal price reduction today. Oil firms in separate advisories yesterday said gasoline would go down by P0.25 per liter, diesel by P0.60 per liter and kerosene by P0.25 per liter. The price adjustments will take effect at 6 a.m. today for most companies, except for Caltex and Cleanfuel which started implementing the adjustments at 12:01 a.m. The sustained downward movement in the international market last week resulted in another round of price reduction today, a second consecutive week of rollback. Last week gasoline prices decreased by P0.35 per liter, diesel by P1.10 per liter and kerosene by P0.45 per liter. These resulted in a year-to-date net increase of P16.10 per liter for gasoline, P37.40 per liter for diesel and P29.20 per liter for kerosene, based on data from the Department of Energy. Prior to last week’s downward movement, prices of petroleum products had risen for two consecutive weeks by a cumulative amount of P2 for gasoline, P9.55 for diesel and P6.40 for kerosene.
