News Roundup 12 September 2020
Sep 12, 2020 • 4 min Read
Philippines sees 4,935 new COVID-19 infections with record 186 deaths | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Health on Saturday confirmed 4,935 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the country’s total caseload to 257,863. The death toll has reached 4,292 after 186 more patients succumbed to the coronavirus — the most announced in a single day so far. The latest mortality figure is also the highest in two months since the previous record of 162 deaths logged July 12. Meanwhile, the local COVID-19 recovery count stands at 187,116 as the Health department announced 619 additional survivors.
Cardinal Tagle tests positive for COVID-19 locally | PHILSTAR.COM – Former Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) upon his arrival in the Philippines, the Vatican confirmed Friday. “Cardinal Tagle actually tested positive for COVID-19 with a pharyngeal swab carried out yesterday on his arrival in Manila,” Director of the Holy See Press Office Matteo Bruni said in a brief statement Friday. Bruni told reporters that Tagle “does not have any symptoms and will remain in mandatory self-quarantine in the Philippines, where he is located.” Meanwhile, checks are being conducted among those who have come into contact with the Cardinal. Tagle on Monday had undergone a swab test for COVID-19 back in Rome, which returned a negative result.
Delgra clarifies: Plastic barriers inside jeepneys not official DOTr, LTO policy | INQUIRER.NET – There is no official policy from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that requires traditional jeepneys to install plastic barriers inside the vehicles to separate passengers, LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III said Saturday. “Patungkol naman din po sa plastic barrier that separates the passengers, I would just like to clarify na yung policy na binaba po ng DOTr at saka sa LTFRB patungkol sa plastic barriers, this is actually in relation to the plastic barrier that separates the driver from the passenger,” Delgra said in a DOTr press conference. (In regards to plastic barriers that separates the passengers, I would just like to clarify that the policy handed down by the DOTr and LTFRB was actually in relation to the plastic barrier that separates the driver from the passenger. “So wala pong official statement yung LTFRB, DOTr or even the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) regarding doon sa plastic barriers between passengers,” he added. (So we don’t have an official statement from the LTFRB, DOTr or even from the IATF on placing plastic barriers between passengers.)
Some 4,000 jobs available for displaced Filipino workers | Manila Bulletin – Workers displaced by the coronavirus pandemic may look for new job opportunities at the free job posting platform created by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and its private partner. As of Saturday, Sept. 12, the OVP said that 3,944 job vacancies were available on Sikap.PH, a website developed by Elevatech for jobseekers and companies in need of workers. Of this number, 2,893 were initiated by Vice President Leni Robredo’s office. These job openings were posted by 48 companies on the website since it was launched on September 10. Robredo called the initiative “bayanihanapbuhay,” a portmanteau of the words “bayanihan (community spirit)” and “hanapbuhay (livelihood)” that seeks to help Filipinos who lost their jobs amid the crisis brought by COVID-19. The goal was to set up an online platform where laid off Filipino workers both here and aboard can find jobs. “We hope that, through this platform, they would have an easier time finding work opportunities,” Robredo said. The vice president said interested job applicants can go directly to the website and sign up by choosing the “I’m a worker” option.
Spare housing from VAT – real estate group | The Manila Times – A real estate group has appealed anew to the government to avert the looming imposition of value-added tax (VAT) on housing purchases as millions of overseas Filipinos and low-income earners have yet to acquire their own homes. The Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations Inc. (Creba) issued the statement on Friday as Republic Act 10693 or the “Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion” (Train) Law, which provides a three-year exemption from VAT payment, lapses in December 2020. The group cited a housing backlog of at least 6.57 million units, with the supply and demand gap widening by 300,000 units every year. Under the Train Law, buyers are exempted from paying VAT for lots costing up to P1.9 million and for house and lot units of up to P3.2 million.
