News Roundup 26 September 2020
Sep 26, 2020 • 4 min Read
Philippines’ COVID-19 case tally breaches 300,000-mark with 2,747 new infections | PHILSTAR.COM – The country’s total caseload of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Saturday reached 301,256 after the Department of Health reported a total of 2,747 new infections. Of these, there are still 63,066 total active cases or patients who are still infected with the coronavirus. The death toll stands at 5,284 after 787 more patients succumbed to the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the local COVID-19 recovery count has reached 232,906 as the Health department announced 787 additional survivors.
Robredo: DSWD should have used ‘Listahanan’ for aid | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) could have distributed all the funds allocated for the poorest households during the pandemic had it made use of its “Listahanan” or the National Household Targeting System (NHTS) for Poverty Reduction database, Vice President Leni Robredo said yesterday. Robredo made the remark following reports that the DSWD still has P10 billion left in its funds allocated for the second tranche of distribution of the social amelioration program. “This (NHTS) will be the basis for us to locate the poor, those who need help. But it looks like we didn’t use it. It’s important to build a socio-economic profile, especially during a crisis like this. It is important that your choice of beneficiaries is not subjective, but is based on data,” Robredo said in an interview at Basta Batas of Vanguard Radio Network.
SMC applying sustainable measures vs geohazards in Bulacan airport site — Ramong Ang | INQUIRER.NET – San Miguel Corporation (SMC) President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang on Saturday assured that the company is implementing sustainable measures to address flooding in the site of the planned New Manila International Airport in Bulacan. This comes after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Dr. Renato Solidum, during a Senate panel hearing, pointed out that the area of the planned domestic and international airport is prone to flooding, as well as ground shaking and liquefaction. “The airport’s design fully takes this into account and we have actually started implementing sustainable measures to address flooding in Bulacan that has existed for several decades and has been made worse by clogged waterways and drainages,” Ang said in a statement. Ang added that SMC fully agrees with Solidum’s observation that proper engineering intervention measures are needed to mitigate risks, such as flooding. To make sure that the airport is “resilient, sustainable, and provide the best benefits to Filipinos,” Ang added that SMC has tapped three major global airport construction firms: Groupe ADP (Aeroports de Paris), Meinhardt Group, and Jacobs Engineering Group.
‘Share good news, spread joy,’ Cardinal Tagle urges faithful | Manila Bulletin – The sharing of even a simple positive news can bring joy to other people’s lives, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle reminded the faithful. The prelate said that “everyone has some good news to share, and everyone has some good news to receive.” “You have the good news, you share it. And you share it because it is good, and you share it because you see a brother or a sister who deserves good news,” said Tagle as he spoke during an online conference for Catholic educators on Friday, September 25. “If you can share it with your words, good. But if you can share it better through your glittering eyes, your smile, or joy then do it,” he said. Tagle said that the “beauty of good news” involves mutual recognition and mutual reception.
12 hospitals to join Covid vaccine trials | The Manila Times – At least 12 hospitals in the country, including the Philippine General Hospital, will be selected as sites for the clinical trial of candidate vaccines for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) organized by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the media forum organized by the Department of Health (DoH) Friday, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said that aside from the hospital sites, eight different zones in the country would be chosen for the trial. Five of the zones are located in Metro Manila, one in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), one in Cebu and one in Davao. De la Peña said zoning ensures that a single clinical trial would be held in each zone. Possible participants in the Solidarity Trial will come from the top five or 10 barangay (villages) with high numbers of Covid-19 cases based on their attack rates per 1,000 population.
