News Roundup 03 December 2020
Dec 03, 2020 • 4 min Read
COVID-19 tally in Philippines hits 435,413 with 1,061 new cases | PHILSTAR.COM – Confirmed coronavirus cases in the Philippines increased to 435,413 Thursday as the total number of recoveries approached the 400,000-mark. The Department of Health reported 1,061 new COVID-19 cases. The daily tally did not include data from 13 laboratories that failed to submit results on time. With 328 newly-recovered patients, the country’s recovery count reached 399,325. Total recoveries represented around 92% of the total confirmed cases in the Philippines. However, 10 more deaths related to COVID-19 were logged, raising the death toll to 8,446.
BARMM officials hopeful for extension of transition period | PHILSTAR.COM – Bangsamoro officials are optimistic for a three-year extension of the transition from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to the fledgling Bangsamoro autonomous government. Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, local government minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said Thursday the BARMM leadership is thankful that lawmakers a helping work out the extension to 2025 of the transition process in the new region. Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu (Maguindanao, 2nd District) filed Tuesday House Bill 8117 seeking an extension from 2022 to 2025 of the transition process for the BARMM government to fully take off. Mangudadatu said HB 8117 also aims to reset to 2025 the regional elections in BARMM for caretaker officials to have enough time to forge ahead with the normalization agenda of the charter of the Bangsamoro region, the Bangsamoro Organic Law, or Republic Act 11054. The BARMM government comprises 80 members of an interim regional parliament appointed last year by President Rodrigo Duterte. BARMM’s regional charter, the RA 11054, was ratified only last January 2019 via a plebiscite in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and in the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.
Progressive groups call for release of Amanda Echanis, month-old baby | INQUIRER.NET – Progressive groups on Thursday condemned the arrest of Amanda Echanis and called for her immediate release, saying that her case is reminiscent of what happened to another political activist, Reina Mae Nasino, and her newborn baby, River. Echanis is the daughter of slain National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant and Anakpawis national chairperson Randall “Randy” Echanis. The 32-year-old activist was arrested by Cagayan police for possession of an M-16 assault rifle, a magazine, two hand grenades, and ammunition. Amihan, an organization of peasant women and federation of peasant women organizations, called for Echanis’ release under humanitarian grounds, citing the welfare of her month-old baby, who is currently in jail with her. “Ayaw namin matulad ang kaso ng baby ni Amanda sa nangyari kay Baby River,” Cathy Estavillo, Secretary-General of Amihan, said in a press conference. (We do not want the case of Amanda’s baby to be like what happened to baby River.)
VCO with meals effective supplements in treating COVID-19 — DOST | Manila Bulletin – Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) mixed with meals showed that it could reduce symptoms of probable and suspect cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Thursday. DOST said that results of the joint study of the DOST’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), Philippine Coconut Authority (DA-PCA), DOST-Calabarzon, City of Santa Rosa, Laguna, and the Ateneo de Manila University have shown that VCO could be used as a supplement to probable and suspect cases of COVID-19. The study showed that VCO mixed with meals could reduce COVID-19 symptoms, thus, possibly preventing the progression or severity of the disease. The study team evaluated the effects of virgin coconut oil given to suspect and probable cases of COVID-19 quarantined in a facility or hospital, in this case the Santa Rosa Community Quarantine Facility and the Santa Rosa Community Hospital in Santa Rosa City, Laguna.
Ping says no transparency in budget ‘Committee of 2’ | Malaya Business Insight – Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson yesterday questioned the decision of the bicameral conference committee on the proposed 2021 national budget to create a “Committee of Two” to discuss and settle the differences in the budget measure versions of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Lacson said allowing Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, and Rep. Eric Yap, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, to handle the discussions lacks transparency. “I don’t agree on anything that is not transparent, especially if it concerns the national budget. While the bicameral conference committee may have been reduced to a ‘Committee of Two,’ it is not exactly the case,” Lacson said. Angara and Yap did not respond to requests for comments.
