News Roundup 16 December 2021
Dec 16, 2021 • 4 min Read
‘Odette’ makes 3rd landfall over Southern Leyte | PHILSTAR.COM – Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) made its third landfall over Liloan in Southern Leyte Thursday afternoon, bringing very destructive winds and torrential rains. The typhoon was last spotted in the vicinity of Liloan town, packing peak winds of 195 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 270 kph, PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. It is one of the strongest tropical cyclones to hit the disaster-prone country this year. Odette maintained its speed, moving westward at 480 kph. It previously made landfalls over Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte and Cagdianao in Dinagat Islands. Over 96,000 people in the central and southern Philippines fled their homes as the typhoon battered the country.
Robredo readies petition to continue OVP’s COVID programs even during campaign period | INQUIRER.NET – Vice President Leni Robredo and her team are preparing a petition that would allow the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to continue its COVID-19 response programs even during the campaign period. This, her camp explained, is to make sure the projects would be unhampered especially amid the threat posed by the coronavirus Omicron variant, which presence was already detected in the country recently. Robredo in an ambush interview on Thursday was asked if the OVP has programs to counter the newly-emerging Omicron variant given that the Department of Health (DOH) has announced that it was detected in two travelers from abroad. The Vice President said they would continue with their COVID-19 response programs, as their private sector partners can continue helping them. However, she noted, the official campaign period might halt the projects since she is running for president in the May 2022 elections. Thus, she pointed out, her office is drawing up a petition to seek permission for the continuity of the programs meant to help the people face the adverse impacts of the pandemic. “‘Yung nakikita lang namin na pinakaproblema namin ngayon, kasi kandidato ako, ako ‘yung head of office, and by February 8, official campaign period na. So hihingi sana kami, we’re preparing our- our petition na sana ay payagan kaming ituloy-tuloy ng office,” Robredo said. (The only problem that we see as of now is because I am the head of the office but I am running in the elections, and by February 8, it’s the official campaign period already. So we would like to ask — we’re preparing a petition asking that we be allowed to continue the office’s programs.) Robredo vowed not to go and visit OVP’s COVID-19 response programs during the official campaign period so the projects would not be tainted with politics. She stressed that it is more important for the OVP-initiated programs to continue as the dangers of the coronavirus remain.
Robredo wants safeguards in bill allowing foreign ownership of public services | Manila Bulletin – While presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo agrees that more foreign investments are needed to improve public services in the country, she wants to make sure that there are safeguards for Filipino investors in the recently-passed bill that will allow foreign ownership of public services. Robredo said on the sidelines of her Vaccine Express initiative at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City that she asked for a copy of the final bill that the Senate approved on Dec. 15. The copy she has with her is still the original version. “Ako (Me) open naman ako (I am open), open ako dito sa (I’m open to the) intent ng batas. Gusto ko lang masiguro na may (of the law. I only want to make sure that there are) safeguards na hindi naman madedehado ‘yung mga Pilipinong nga investors (that Filipinos investors will not be at a disadvantage),” she told reporters on Thursday, Dec. 16. The Vice President said that the public sector “really needs” a fresh surge of foreign investments to improve its capacities. “Pero siguruhin lang, siguruhin lang ‘yung hinahanap ko (But we are just making sure, we are just making sure of the) safeguards (I am looking for). Safeguards para sa mga Pilipinong investors na hindi naman sila madehado (These are safeguards for Filipino investors that they won’t be at a disadvantage),” Robredo stressed.
