News Roundup 21 June 2021
Jun 21, 2021 • 4 min Read
5,249 new COVID-19 cases push total to 1.36 million | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines on Monday reported 5,249 new coronavirus cases to bring its total count to 1,364,239. Active cases were down today by 1,832 from June 20’s 57,679. Health authorities said eight laboratories did not submit testing data.
- Active cases: 55,847 or 4.1% of the total
- Recoveries: 7,053, bringing the number to 1,284,643
- Deaths: 128, or now 23,749 in total
Senators urge support, resources for high-risk areas outside NCR | PHILSTAR.COM – Two lawmakers joined calls for the national government to prioritize the delivery of vaccination supplies in provinces and cities outside of Metro Manila, particularly those already classified as high-risk areas. In a statement, Sen. Grace Poe singled out the plea of Iloilo province, where her hometown has reportedly sought the assistance of the government over the need for more medicines, vaccines and medical frontliners, and hospital beds. “While there aren’t enough vaccines yet for everybody, those who need them most should get them first, including our people in the provinces like Iloilo,” the senator said. “When the medical frontliners themselves have sounded off the distress signal, we must listen and act.” Sen. Risa Hontiveros in a separate statement also called on the government’s coronavirus task force to respond to the vaccination concerns of local government units amid the rising cases in areas outside Metro Manila. “Those vaccines must be distributed immediately. The millions of secured doses could be a game-changer for us, especially if the logistics and distribution in our provinces are good. Let’s not miss this chance,” she said. “So many local government units are showing skill and dedication to immediately vaccinate their constituents. Let’s not leave them hanging.”
Robredo: Pandemic provides PH a chance to assess whom systems work for, fix errors | INQUIRER.NET – Despite the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the country’s economy and normalcy, Vice President Leni Robredo believes that the crisis gave Filipinos a rare chance to assess how societal systems work and for whom it works. Robredo said during the 42nd National Conference of Employers on Monday that the country can reform systems by studying how the pandemic affected the lives of everybody, regardless of societal and financial status. “What gaps need to be filled, urgently and with resolve? What steps do we need to take? The answers to these questions, of course, are complex and must take into account not only our economic reality but the entire socio-political context of today. But from where I sit, I see the crisis as a chance to reimagine the future,” Robredo said in her message. “This reimagining begins with a reassessment not only of how our systems work but for whom it works. And the pandemic has brought a revelation that is central to the entire project of nation-building: Everything is interconnected,” she added. According to her, when vulnerable families get sick, it is not only their communities who would suffer but also other communities as well. This, Robredo said, should spur the government to empower the vulnerable so that they would not be left so far behind and would be prepared for problems like the COVID-19 pandemic. “When the most vulnerable get sick, the entire network of their linkages is affected: Their families and communities, their workspaces, our operations. Absent an income, our people will have little power to patronize businesses. Without proper digital infrastructure, the next generation of learners will fail to acquire the skills necessary to fill the workstations of the future,” Robredo explained. “The imperative, then, is clear: The most vulnerable among us — and there are so many of them — must be looped into the cycle of empowerment and economic participation. If we are to rebuild our economy, we must rebuild it with inclusiveness as an animating philosophy — focusing our approach towards uplifting the lives of those in the margins,” she added. Robredo stressed, though, that this would entail the private sector doing its job and re-establishing good governance and integrity within government.
Robredo lauds private sector’s ‘generosity’ in boosting COVID-19 response | Manila Bulletin – The private sector has Vice President Leni Robredo’s gratitude as she recognized on Monday, June 21, the work they did in helping the government in its COVID-19 response by shouldering the cost of vaccinating their employees in order to attain herd immunity. As the keynote speaker during the Employers Confederation of the Philippines’ (ECOP) 42nd National Conference of Employers, the vice president said that “the private sector plays a critical role in any effort” to build a better world for all. “I know, for example, that you have proved invaluable in speeding up our immunization efforts – from directly procuring vaccines from manufacturers, to shouldering the cost of storing the vaccines, to programs to deploy them widely, swiftly, and efficiently.” “Your generosity has enabled government to fill in the gaps as we journey towards herd immunity – the first and most significant step towards full economic recovery. Thank you for all that you do for our people,” Robredo added. The private sector has been active in trying to procure COVID-19 vaccines for their employees, even complying with a policy that requires them to donate 50 percent of their purchased doses for government use.
Photo Source: Ramon FVelasquez – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
