News Roundup 29 December 2022
Dec 29, 2022 • 5 min Read
Marcos ‘hesitant’ to extend state of calamity, restrict arrivals from China | PHILSTAR.COM – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he is “hesitant” to extend the state of calamity in the country over COVID-19 and is also unsure of whether the Philippines should impose additional rules for arrivals from China, where cases are on the rise. The president in September extended the state of calamity until the end of the year to allow the government to implement programs to address the pandemic and to use funds for COVID-19 response. “We are not in a state of calamity anymore, technically speaking,” Marcos Jr. said on Thursday. “That is the wrong mindset to be approaching the new year with.” However, the chief executive said the government is looking for ways to continue providing benefits, such as allowances, to healthcare workers. Earlier this week, the Department of Health sought the extension of the state of calamity, which is set to lapse on December 31. The call for an extension was backed by the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc., citing a reported 16,000 active COVID-19 cases. DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the extension would help the agency implement the country’s COVID-19 response and allow it to establish its own Center for Disease Prevention and Control office. Despite seeking a longer state of calamity, the DOH is not sold on imposing additional restrictions on arrivals from China, saying current precautions are enough. Other countries, such as the United States and Italy, have made COVID-19 testing mandatory for travelers from China. When COVID-19 started to spread around the world in 2020, the Philippines hesitated to close its borders, with then President Rodrigo Duterte saying calls to do so were Sinophobic. Marcos Jr. said additional restrictions should only be imposed if it’s “based on science and we feel that there’s a need.” “If it’s something that is manageable then I’m sure we can find a way to not completely close our broders to China but to find a way to have a procedure so those coming from China who may have been exposed or who may have been infected will be tested,” the chief executive said.
PhilSA cautions against expected debris from a Chinese rocket launch | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippine Space Agency calls on the public to exercise caution as rocket debris from one of China’s launches is expected to fall between 12:33 p.m. and 1:10 p.m. near Palawan. Rocket debris from a Long March 3B launch in the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province is projected to fall within the vicinity of Recto bank. The drop zone is estimated to be within 137 kilometers of the Ayungin shoal and 200 kilometers from Quezon in Palawan, based on a Notice to Airmen sent to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines from its Chinese counterpart. “The unburned debris is designed to be discarded as the rocket enters outer space,” the PhilSA said in an advisory on Thursday morning. “While not projected to fall on land features or inhabited areas within the Philippine territory, falling debris poses [a] danger and potential risk to ships, aircraft, fishing boats, and other vessels that will pass through the drop zone.” However, the agency said rocket debris may be washed ashore, calling on the public to inform local officials should they find debris nearby as its retrieval may expose the public to harmful substances. The PhilSA on Thursday noted that the actual drop zone of the rocket debris may change due to factors such as the Earth’s rotation and other climate conditions. “Furthermore, the possibility of an uncontrolled re-entry to the atmosphere of the rocket’s upper stages returning from outer space cannot be ruled out at this time,” the PhilSA said.
Bachmann is chair, PSC board just one commish short | INQUIRER.NET – Richard “Dickie’’ Bachmann has been named chair of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), a job that landed him at the forefront of the nation’s progressive sports agenda. Not only does the current UAAP basketball commissioner need to chart the grassroots development programs of the country, Bachmann will have to deal with over a thousand national athletes from at least 70 sports and their leaders to ensure the continuing success of Philippine campaigns overseas. The appointment paper of Bachmann, the Alaska team’s governor in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) before the franchise was sold to Converge, reached the offices of the government sports agency on Wednesday. “I just heard the news,” the 54-year-old Bachmann, who is vacationing with his family in the United States, told the Inquirer in a message as he takes over from Jose Emmanuel “Noli’’ Eala, who served the agency for just four months after taking office last Sept. 1. He flies home on Dec. 30 and will issue a statement before then. Bachmann reports for work on Jan. 3. “It’s a huge honor, and I would like to thank the President [Marcos] for his trust and confidence,” Bachmann added. His appointment was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin as early as Dec. 23, based on a document obtained by the Inquirer.Eala, a former PBA Commissioner and executive director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), was appointed during the term of former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez, something which many feel led to his short stint. “My brief stint gave me an opportunity to serve with passion,” Eala said in a statement. “With all humility, I can say that I gave dignity and respect to the position and worked tirelessly for Philippine sports.”
