For President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., unity has enabled Filipinos to go through and survive many of the challenges that befell them, including the Covid-19 pandemic. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the Christmas gift-giving event at Rizal Park in Manila on Thursday, Dec. 22,...
Independent OCTA Research group, on Thursday, Dec. 22, disclosed that Metro Manila’s seven-day Covid-19 positivity rate has further dropped. Metro Manila's Weekly Covid-19 Positivity Rate (Photo courtesy of Dr. Guido David) “Seven-day positivity rate in the National Capital Region decreased...
Why common sense isn’t so common CLINICAL MATTERS Throughout the pandemic, there were many instances when scientists and doctors were attacked by a mix of anti-science trolls, anti-vaxxers, and Covid-19 denialists. As authorities and healthcare workers raced to save lives using evidence-based...
THE booming skyline of Iloilo City. (Tara Yap) ILOILO CITY – The economy of the province of Iloilo and this city have bounced back from the initial impact of the pandemic, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. The PSA said the economy of Iloilo posted a 4.5 percent growth last...
EDITORIAL As Christmas Day nears, here’s a bit of good news from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The country’s employment rate in October 2022 stood at 95.5 percent, “the highest rate recorded since January 2020, and registered to have bounced back from pre-pandemic levels.” This...
Taking the cue from lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic, the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Dec. 13, passed on the third and final reading a proposed measure that will establish the Health Emergency Auxiliary Reinforcement Team (HEART) under the Department of Health (DoH) to augment...
Loans granted by the Small Business Corporation's (SBCorp) to pandemic-affected micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as of Dec. 2 this year reached P8.2 billion, exceeding the P8.08 billion transferred or downloaded to it by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) based on Bayanihan 2...
Editorial The barangay health workers are a very special group of people in the community. They are vital to the delivery of primary health care to the people in the grassroots level. In the early days of the pandemic, the BHWs were the first responders to the public health problem brought by...
The P5.268-trillion national budget ratified by Congess will include support for the Alternative Learning System (ALS) that will benefit thousands of Filipino learners. (This photo was taken in Quezon City by the DepEd in September 2021.) Senator Win Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on...
GENEVA, Switzerland -- Negotiations on a draft global agreement to better combat the next pandemic will begin in February next year, the WHO announced after three days of discussions in Geneva. The 194 member states of the World Health Organization have been thrashing out a pandemic treaty since...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Former Senate President Manny Villar A phenomenon amplified by the pandemic is the so-called great resignation. It refers to the extraordinary number of employees quitting their jobs starting 2021. While primarily driven by the pandemic, experts noted that its roots can be...
The House of Representatives has unanimously approved on third and final reading a measure that would mandate the establishment of a vaccine and virology institute that would lead the country’s defense against public health emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic. (Viktor Forgacs/ Unsplash) House...