Sunday, February 28, 2021
COVID-19 vaccination sa ilang ospital sa Metro Manila sisimulan sa Lunes
Kasado na ang pagsisimula ng pagbabakuna sa mga health care worker sa mga COVID-19 referral hospital sa Metro Manila.
Sa Lunes isasagawa ang ceremonial vaccination sa Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Lung Center of the Philippines, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Philippine National Police General Hospital, at V. Luna General Hospital. Dadaluhan ang mga ito ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno.
Ito ay matapos dumating ngayong Linggo sa Pilipinas ang kauna-unahang batch ng mga bakuna kontra COVID-19, na gawa ng Chinese company na Sinovac at donasyon ng China.
Ilang linggo na ring nagsasagawa ng mga simulation ng pagbabakuna ang mga ospital.
Pero sa PGH, bumaba ang bilang ng mga empleyadong gustong maturukan ng Sinovac vaccine.
Mula 13 porsiyento, naging 8 porsiyento ng lang ng mga tauhan ng PGH ang magpapabkuna ng Sinovac vaccine, base sa ginawang town hall meeting noong Sabado.
Hindi naman ibibigay ng PGH ang Sinovac vaccine sa mga empleyadong senior citizen at naka-recover sa COVID-19 dahil hindi umano sapat ang datos kung ano ang posibleng epekto ng bakuna sa kanila.
“We asked for 1,000 doses muna... ‘yan ang hininging allocation ni Director [Gerardo Legaspi], based sa aming survey, ‘yan ang aming magpapabkuna,” ani PGH Spokesperson Dr. Jonas del Rosario.
Ayon pa sa pamunuan ng PGH, matapos ang pagbabakuna gamit ang Sinovac vaccine, isusunod nila ang pagbabakuna sa mga empleyadong pipiliin naman ang AstraZeneca vaccine, na nakatakdang dumating sa Pilipinas sa Lunes.
“Tapusin muna ang Sinovac, para at least, ang vaccinators, focused on one specific brand, kaysa iba-iba pa,” ani Del Rosario.
Mas malaki aniya ang bilang ng PGH employees na magpapabakuna gamit ang AstraZeneca.
Nagpahayag na rin ang pamunuan ng Lung Center ng kahandaan sa pagbabakuna.
Tiniyak naman ng Department of Health na sasagutin ng gobyerno ang pagpapagamot ng mga makakaranas ng adverse reaciton sa bakuna.
Wala ring pananagutan ang health care worker na magtuturok ng bakuna.
“Sakaling magkaroon ng adverse effects following immunization ay isho-shoulder ng government through PhilHealth ang kanilang pagpapa-ospital,” ani Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire.
Nagpaalala ang mga eksperto sa publiko na bagaman dagdag-proteksiyon sa sakit ang bakuna, dapat pa ring sundin ang health standards tulad ng pagsusuot ng face mask at face shield, at pagsunod sa social distancing.
Ngayong Linggo, umabot na sa 576,352 ang kabuuang bilang ng COVID-19 cases sa Pilipinas, kung saan halos 30,000 ang active cases o hindi pa gumagaling sa sakit.
– Ulat ni Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News
Kawatan sa Baseco Beach sa Maynila, timbog
Arestado ang isang hinihinalang hold-upper sa Baseco Beach sa Port Area, Maynila.
Ayon sa Manila Police District, kumakain sa harap ng tindahan ang 58 anyos na biktima nang lapitan siya ng isang lalaki.
Tinutukan ang biktima ng patalim sa likuran at pinagbantaan umano ng suspek na papatayin kung hindi ibibigay ang cellphone.
Kinuha naman agad ng suspek ang cellphone na hawak ng biktima at tumakbo palayo.
Agad nagsumbong ang biktima sa Baseco Police Station PCP 1 na nagkasa ng pursuit operation.
Nahuli ang 32 anyos na suspek na residente lang din ng Baseco.
Na-recover ang cellphone na nagkakahalaga ng P5,000 at ang patalim na ginamit.
Nahaharap ang suspek sa kasong robbery.
- Ulat ni Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/28/21/kawatan-sa-baseco-beach-sa-maynila-timbog
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Residential area sa Muntinlupa, nasunog
Natupok ng apoy ang nasa 20 bahay sa Barangay Cupang sa Muntinlupa.
Ayon sa mga residente, nagulat na lang sila at nagising sila sa malaking apoy pasado alas-dos ng madaling araw Sabado.
Mabilis kumalat ang apoy dahil gawa sa light materials ang mga bahay na magkakadikit dikit.
Kanya-kanyang buhat ng mga gamit ang mga residente para maisalba ang mga ito. Nasa Manuel Quezon Street muna lumipat ang ilang residente, pero bumalik din ng kanilang mga tahanan matapos ang insidente.
Umabot sa ikalawang alarma ang sunog. Wala naman nasawi o nasaktan sa pangyayari. Inaalam na ng mga imbestigador ang sanhi ng sunog.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/27/21/residential-area-sa-muntinlupa-nasunog
Lalaking nakamotorsiklo, patay sa aksidente sa QC
Dead on the spot ang isang lalaking nakamotorsiklo sa EDSA, Quezon City sa pagitan ng Mother Ignacia Street at Scout Albano Street nitong Biyernes.
Walang nakakita sa aksidente. Ayon sa mga kasunod nya sa EDSA na ayaw magapa-interview, nakita na lang nilang nakabulagta na ang lalaki at may taxi na humarurot pa-south bound bandang alas-7 ng gabi.
Nagmagandang loob naman ang isa ring rider at tinignan ang lisensya ng biktima at tinawagan ang numerong nasa likod nito.
Taga-Catmon, Malabon ang rider na 24-anyos. Nakausap na ang pamilya nito at ipinasa na sa pulis ang mga impormasyon.
Walang suot na helmet ang rider pero nakasukbit ang isa pang helmet sa kaniyang braso.
Malamang daw ay tumalsik ang helmet sa lakas ng pagkakabangga sa kanya.
Nang dumating ang ambulansya ng QC Rescue group, pinulsuhan ang rider pero wala na itong buhay. Teorya ng pulisya, tumalsik ang kanyang helmet kaya napuruhan ang ulo nito.
Ayon sa mga barangay tanod ng Barangay South Triangle, hindi hagip ng kanilang CCTV camera ang insidente dahil nakatutok ito sa bahagi ng Scout Albano.
Hinihintay pa ng pulisya ang tugon ng pamilya pero dadalhin na ng ambulansya ang bangkay.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/26/21/lalaking-nakamotorsiklo-patay-sa-aksidente-sa-qc
Transport group leader Efren De Luna passes away
Transport leader Efren De Luna passed away Friday morning due to a heart attack, his family said.
He was 67.
According to his sister Consuela De Luna, when their 87-year old mother found De Luna in his room early Friday morning, he was already dead.
They rushed him to a hospital but doctors were unable to revive him.
His wake is being held at Funeraria Samson in Bacoor, Cavite.
For decades, De Luna served as president of the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations.
His sister shared that he had been under severe stress because many jeepney drivers are still unable to ply their routes.
She said De Luna had been holding meetings with members of his transport group as they rushed to meet the March 31, 2021 deadline set by the LTFRB for the filing of applications for the PUV Modernization program.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/26/21/transport-group-leader-efren-de-luna-passes-away
Friday, February 26, 2021
8 rail projects to start operations by 2022
Eight big ticket rail infrastructure projects will be completed or will start partial operations this year and until the end of the Duterte administration in 2022, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
In a statement, DOTr said these railway projects are the Light Rail Transit (LRT) line 2 East (Masinag) Extension, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) line 3 rehabilitation, Common Station, LRT-1 Cavite Extension, MRT-7, Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 1, key facilities of the Metro Manila Subway project and the Mindanao Rail project.
Junn Magno, PNR general manager, said the ongoing construction of the PNR Clark Phase 1 from Tutuban, Manila to Malolos, Bulacan has a 43 percent overall progress as of January 2021. Partial operation of key facilities is slated in the fourth quarter of 2021 and full operations by the second quarter of 2024.
Michael Capati, MRT-3 director for operations, said the MRT-3’s full rehabilitation will be completed this December. Rail replacement works were completed last December, months ahead of schedule.
Anna Tayag, DOTr-Railways Sector project development officer, reported that partial operations of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Package 1 will be in the fourth quarter of this year. The project will extend the existing LRT-1 system from Baclaran, Parañaque to Bacoor, Cavite.
Hernando Cabrera, Light Rail Transit Authority spokesperson, said the LRT-2 East (Masinag) Extension, from Marikina Station to Antipolo Station, will commence partial operations this April. As of end-January, the project has a 96.29 percent overall progress rate.
Phase 1 of the Mindanao Railway project, the Tagum-Davao-Digos segment, is targeted to be partially operable in March 2022.
San Miguel Corp.’s MRT-7 will be partially operational in December 2021 and fully operational in December 2022, according to Timothy Batan, DOTr undersecretary for railways.
Batan also said tunnel boring for the Metro Manila Subway project, the first-ever subway in the country, will start in the third quarter of 2021.
In his overview presentation of the railways sector under the Build, Build, Build Program of the Duterte administration, Batan said the annual direct economic cost of congestion in Metro Manila as of 2017 is at P1.277 trillion.
To address the risk of the coronavirus disease 2019 transmission through the rail system, the DOTr reiterated the existing health and safety protocols in each railway line, including testing, contact tracing, and isolation of transport personnel affected by the disease.
This is in addition to the strict implementation of the “7 Commandments” in public transportation, as recommended by health experts.
As for the railway transport plan when Metro Manila shifts to the modified general community quarantine, Batan said the sector abides by the directive of the President and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
https://malaya.com.ph/index.php/news_business/8-rail-projects-to-start-operations-by-2022/
Thursday, February 25, 2021
DOTr eyes 2 new railway projects to aid commuting woes in Metro Manila
Two new railway projects in Metro Manila are in the works in a bid to ease commuting woes in the capital region and decrease the potential economic losses brought about by traffic congestion, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Wednesday.
In a virtual forum, Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said the agency has started bidding for the general contractor for the LRT-2 extension.
Batan explained that the project would have additional 3 stations — Tutuban, Divisoria, and Pier 4 — when completed. The additional two stations at the east extension, Marikina and Antipolo stations, meanwhile, will start operating on April 26.
The project, pegged at P10.1 billion, will be funded through the national budget, according to the official. The DOTr targets to complete the new LRT-2 extension in 2024.
Batan also bared the DOTr plan to revive the shelved 16-kilometer MRT-4 project conceptualized in 1995 during the Ramos administration.
The MRT-4 project, with 11 stations, will run from N. Domingo St. in San Juan City, to Taytay in Rizal. Some 200 passengers are expected to benefit from the new line during its first year of operations. The actual construction, however, is expected to begin in 2022.
OTHER RAILWAY PROJECTS
Other railway projects are being continued, according to the official, such as the MRT-7’s depot preparation works at the San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, and the North-South Commuter Railway line. The latter is expected to partially operate soon from Manila to Lucena.
LRT-1 line extension construction is also in full swing. Batan said the agency aims to partially operate some of the stations from Redemptorist to Sucat by next year.
He said that each new railway project could contribute about 10 percent of economic returns.
A Netherlands-based global data provider last year said the National Capital Region is the 2nd most traffic-congested city in the world in 2019, based on their study.
According to the report, most motorists in Manila spent an average of 71 percent extra travel time stuck in traffic.
And a Manila commuter or motorist spent an additional 257 hours in traffic while driving during peak hours.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Road improvement needed to address insurgency: PRRD
By Azer Parrocha
President Rodrigo R. Duterte said Tuesday there is a need to improve barangay (village) roads in Mindanao, especially in the Caraga region, to address the insurgency there.
The President said this after Surigao del Sur Governor Alexander Pimentel requested to borrow equipment from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to repair barangay roads damaged by massive flooding during the onslaught of Tropical Storm Auring.
Duterte assured enough funds and equipment for the province, saying the repair of roads would also address threats posed by insurgent groups.
He also asked Pimentel to submit to him a report on the ongoing road improvements being done.
“I need the barangay roads to improve the insurgency problem sa lahat dito, lalo na sa (especially in) Mindanao. The pinaka-malakas is Caraga, sa Eastern Visayas (It is strongest in Caraga and Eastern Visayas),” he said in a situation briefing in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur.
Duterte also urged the military to retrieve children who were allegedly recruited by the New People’s Army (NPA) to become armed guerrillas.
“Itong mga NPA, kinukuha nila 'yung mga anak, dinadala nila sa ibang lugar. Kunin ninyo 'yung bata at isauli ninyo sa nanay pati tatay (These NPA rebels, they recruit the sons and daughters and bring them to different places. Bring them back to their mothers and fathers) because a child, a minor, should not be separated from the family home,” he said.
Soldiers, he said, do not need to have search warrants to enter the homes of insurgents who allegedly mold children into warriors.
“If the child is inside the house, there is already a crime committed, so you do not need a warrant to go in. Puntahan mo sa loob, kunin 'yung mga bata at isauli mo (Go inside, take the children, and bring them back) at the earliest opportunity,” Duterte added.
He said he would assume full responsibility in executing the war against the insurgency.
Duterte lamented about how the NPA became rich because rebels collect revolutionary taxes “everywhere and anywhere.”
Saying that “Mindanao remains to be a problem," he reiterated his call to Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones to implement land reform in Caraga.
“Kaya si Castriciones, sabi ko ang land reform kasi niya covers only the 'yung mga hindi nga agricultural e. Sabi ko sa kanya, ibigay na ninyo yung lupa. Lahat ng makita ko sa gobyerno, ibigay ninyo sa tao (That’s why I told Castriciones that his land reform only covers non-agricultural lands. Give them land. All the government land you can see, give them to the people),” he said.