Communication lines in areas hardest hit by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette could be restored before the year ends, according to Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary Emmanuel “Manny” Caintic. In a Laging Handa public briefing, Caintic said clearing operations are already ongoing in Surigao, Siargao, and the Dinagat Islands, with power restoration currently prioritized for the effective rollout of other services. “Sinusubukan matapos ngayong buwan ang pinakamabilis. Ang una nating inaayos muna iyong power; ma-clear muna ang mga natumbang mga poste ng power (We’re trying to finish it within this month soonest. First, we’re trying to fix
Personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) central office in Pasig City on Monday registered with the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), a valid proof of identity that can be used in simplifying public and private transactions. DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones led 894 employees as she urged education workers in all regional and division offices nationwide to apply for the Philippine Identification (PhilID) or the national ID. The latest report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on December 11 showed 50,014,382 Filipinos have completed the Step 2 PhilSys biometrics process, which involves recording iris scans, fingerprints, and front-facing photographs, at more
A leader of the House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte the declaration of a state of calamity for several regions in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette which ravaged parts of Visayas and Mindanao. House Ways and Means Chair Joey Salceda said the declaration will then activate measures such as price controls, reprogramming of funds for the repair of infrastructure, and the granting of no-interest loans by the government financial institutions. Salceda added that the declaration would activate an automatic price freeze of basic necessities for
Just like President Rodrigo Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte also visited Negros Occidental on Monday afternoon to bring assistance to Negrenses affected by Typhoon Odette last week. As part of her itinerary, she met with Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia at the Government Center, where some city and barangay officials, as well as a group of Bacolodnons, came to greet her. “Naghatid po kami ng tulong sa mga apektado ng bagyo dito sa Negros Occidental (We brought assistance for those affected by the typhoon here in Negros Occidental.) I’m truly happy na nakasama ko kayo (to be with
The administration of the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine may be delayed up to a maximum of six months, a health official said on Tuesday. Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) chairperson Myrna Cabotaje made this remark amid the possibility that inoculation of the second dose will be delayed in areas severely ravaged by Typhoon Odette. “We have a minimum interval – 21 days [for] Pfizer, then, 28 days [for] Moderna, then, 28 days [for] Sinovac, and four weeks for AstraZeneca,” Cabotaje said in the Laging Handa public briefing. “But then we can have an optimum maximum interval
Local government units (LGUs) in southern Negros areas that were badly hit by Typhoon Odette last week, are expected to receive more assistance from the national government after President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit on Monday afternoon. Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who met the Chief Executive in Kabankalan City, said on Tuesday that Duterte’s presence showed his sincerity in helping Negros Occidental. “Just to show you how serious the President was, he brought an all-star cast of Cabinet secretaries,” Lacson said in a radio interview. Duterte, together with Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, arrived at the Kabankalan City Hall at around 5
