KAKAMMPI News

Fr. Shay Cullen 28 May 2020    They are the two latest arrivals at the Preda Foundation’s beautiful home for exploited children set in the countryside surrounded by wooded hills beside a small stream. The children are Pedro, 12, and Angelica, 7, victims of online sexual abuse perpetrated by the uncle with the knowledge of their parents. They are now rescued and are happily playing with toys and recovering from the abuse.    They were rescued from an abusive uncle who sexually abused them. He made a video whereby he put his cell phone into his briefs and blindfolded the children and told them to look for it. He videotaped the sexual abuse that followed and uploaded it on YouTube. He was detected and the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) of Region 4A tracked him down and arrested him.   A week previously, three more child victims of cyber sexual abuse were rescued also through the intervention of the Intern...

May 23, 2020   By Jester P. Manalastas   People's Journal A HOUSE panel has passed a measure that seeks to provide assistance to displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs approved a substitute bill that provides assistance program with a funding of  P5 billion for OFWs who were affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Among the principal authors of the bill are Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas; DIWA party-list Rep.  Michael Edgar Aglipay; Aklan Rep. TeodoricoHaresco Jr. and the Makabayan bloc. The assistance programs include  repatriation,  medical expenses in the form of vouchers for six months from arrival,  migration fees for overstaying Filipinos,  legal assistance, and  basic necessities, among others. Following the approval of the substitute bill, Chairman of the committee TUCP party-list Rep. Democrito Mendoza assured that the committee will hol...

April 15, 2020   By Lee Ann P. Ducusin   People's Journal THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said it would implement the resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on relaxing the deployment ban on healthcare workers. POEA Administrator Bernard P. Olalia said the IATF-EID affirmed POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 9, series of 2020, subject to the exception that healthcare workers with perfected and signed contract as of March 8 will be allowed to leave. In a statement, Olalia also said Balik-manggagawa or workers resuming their jobs overseas may now leave the country. “Healthcare workers with existing contracts to fulfill can now go back to their present jobs provided that on top of existing POEA processes in the issuance of OECs, they shall be further subjected to comply with social distancing measures as well as departure and immigration procedures currently in place. ...

Agence France-Presse Posted at  May 30 2020 09:57 AM A health care worker wearing protective equipment looks at the computer in front of the room of a patient with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the El Centro Regional Medical Center in El Centro, California, US, May 27, 2020.  Ariana Drehsler, Reuters WASHINGTON, United States - The United States recorded 1,225 coronavirus deaths on Friday, bringing its total to 102,798 since the global pandemic began, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. The country has officially logged 1,745,606 overall cases of the virus, far more than any other nation, the Baltimore-based university's tracker showed at 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Saturday). The latest numbers came as President Donald Trump said he was severing US ties with the World Health Organization, accusing it of not doing enough to curb the initial spread of the novel coronavirus and being too lenient with China, where the outbreak began last year. T...

Reuters Posted at  May 30 2020 10:21 AM A general view of skyline buildings in Hong Kong, May 28, 2020.  Tyrone Siu, Reuters SEOUL - North Korea on Saturday expressed support for China's decision to impose new national security laws in Hong Kong, calling it a "legitimate step" to safeguard the state security. "Since Hong Kong issue is an issue pertaining thoroughly to the internal affairs of China, any country or force has no rights to say this or that about the issue," North Korea's KCNA state news agency cited a representative of North Korea’s foreign ministry as saying. "We categorically oppose and reject the outside interference detrimental to the security and the social and economic development of Hong Kong." North Korea's comments come after Beijing this week imposed a new national security law on Hong Kong that some say could restrict freedoms in the former British colony, and as U.S. President Donald Trump intensif...

Vanda Marie Macion Brady, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau Posted at  May 29 2020 09:15 PM Fely Plangca Moore, the older sister of COVID-19 casualty Miguel Plangca, had no plans leaving her job in the Philippines.  Fely was happy working for 17 years as an administrative staff at a training institution and real estate developer in Pasay City. When Miguel, whom Fely fondly called Loloy, found out his sister was earning very little, he encouraged her to move to Ireland for a better life.  But when tragedy struck, Fely had to dig deep for the battles that lay ahead. After surviving the 1976 tsunami that hit Pagadian City and losing her eldest brother to suicide in 2005, Miguel’s death due to the deadly virus is another battle she knows she will win. Miguel’s children — Mikee, 21; Michael, 19; John, 14; and Chekie, 12 — are now under her care. Mikee, trained to do sign language, is also looking after Michael who is deaf and mute. An accountancy graduate from O...

Agence France-Presse Posted at  May 29 2020 08:20 PM The drug hydroxychloroquine, pushed by US President Donald Trump and others in recent months as a possible treatment to people infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is displayed by a pharmacist at the Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, US, May 27, 2020.  George Frey, Reuters PARIS - Dozens of scientists have raised concerns over a large-scale study of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine that led to the World Health Organization suspending clinical trials of the anti-viral drugs as a potential treatment for COVID-19.  Hydroxychloroquine, normally used to treat arthritis, is one of an array of drugs being tested as scientists look for potential treatments for coronavirus patients.  It has also become the most high profile, partly because of comments by US President Donald Trump -- who announced this month he was taking the drug as a preventive measure against coronavirus.  The ...

May 29, 2020   PhilHealth categorically denies as unfounded, malicious and irresponsible the statement made by Dr. Rustico Jimenez that 300 or so private hospitals are facing closure due to delayed payments by PhilHealth .  From Jan 1 to   May 29, 2020, PhilHealth has disbursed a total of Php 52.53 billion  in claims payment and Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM). Payment of claims amounted to Php 38.6 B which includes Php 4.74 billion paid through its accelerated Return to Hospital (RTH) initiative. Php13.93 billion was released under the Interim reimbursement mechanism. Of claims paid, Php21.8 billion ((56.5%) were paid to private facilities. Claims reimbursements were processed at an average turnaround time of 41 days with a denial rate of 2%.  The increase in turn around time is due to adjustments for the Covid19 pandemic. PhilHealth has earlier published a statement explaining the purpose and reconfiguration of the IRM program in order to ...

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has asked Congress for an additional P250 million budget as an estimated 40,000 overseas Filipino workers are expected to return to the country through June. OWWA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said the agency has already spent P420 million on accommodation, transportation, food and other kinds of assistance for the displaced OFWs, who have returned to the Philippines amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “In May, we pretty much spent our entire year’s repatriation budget. So in a few weeks, months time we will go over, overboard, so we will be already cutting into the investment funds of OWWA,” Cacdac said in Raffy Tima’s 24 Oras report on Thursday. Cacdac said that while OWWA can still provide the needs of the stranded OFWs in Metro Manila, the agency needs additional funds for the 40,000 more workers expected to return in the coming weeks. “We depend on collections, membership collections and investment income which we have none these...

Reuters Posted at  May 21 2020 05:08 PM  | Updated as of  May 21 2020 06:37 PM Small bottles labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe are seen in this illustration taken April 10, 2020.  Dado Ruvic, Illustration/Reuters/File BENGALURU/LONDON - The United States has secured almost a 3rd of AstraZeneca's 1 billion possible COVID-19 vaccine doses by pledging up to $1.2 billion, as the world's biggest powers scramble for medicinal supplies to get their economies back to work. While not proven to be effective against the coronavirus, vaccines are seen by many world leaders as the only real way to restart their stalled economies, and even to get an edge over global competitors. After demands by President Donald Trump, the US Department of Health agreed to provide up to $1.2 billion to accelerate AstraZeneca's vaccine development and secure 300 million doses of the vaccines for the United States. "This contract with Astra...

The Philippine Embassy in Wellington resumed operations after the New Zealand government eased restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. In a statement on Thursday, the DFA said the embassy reopened on Monday after the New Zealand government downgraded the alert level from Level 4 to Alert Level 2. While New Zealand went under a lockdown at Alert Level 4 since March 25, the embassy operated remotely through work-from-home arrangements for seven weeks. During the implementation of lockdown, the DFA said the embassy organized a repatriation flight for stranded Filipinos and provided food relief to affected residents. Upon its reopening, the embassy complied with New Zealand government’s safety regulations regarding sanitation, personal protective equipments, safe work stations, and contact tracing mechanisms. Office hours are limited and clients are required to make prior appointments, the DFA said. Philippine Ambassador to N...

Four Filipinos working in Sweden will soon be repatriated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Consul General Raul Dado said Thursday. “We have four na nagwo-work sila sa lugar na hindi safe so they asked for assistance. Nonetheless ‘yung ibang kababayan natin ‘pag kinakabahan na, i-repatriate na natin,” Dado said in a televised briefing. However, Dado said Filipinos in Sweden are safe. Sweden has so far recorded 31,523 COVID-19 cases, including 3,831 deaths. “So far walang maysakit and that’s one very positive thing. Ang mga kababayan natin safe sila. We are also monitoring their situation,” he said. There are about 15,000 Filipinos employed in Sweden as health workers, engineers, mining professionals, administrative staff, and in the fashion, culinary, service, and related industries, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.  — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News

Nine additional Filipinos abroad have defeated the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total recoveries to 858,  the Department of Health announced Wednesday. The number of Filipinos overseas who contracted the illness, meanwhile, climbed to 2,455 with 24 new infections. Of the number, 1,313 are undergoing treatment. The DFA also recorded four new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 284. Europe remained the region with the most COVID-19 positive Filipinos at 748, while Middle East/Africa followed with 712. Meanwhile, the Asia Pacific still had the fewest number of cases with 451 and highest number of recoveries at 324. The Americas had the highest number of Filipino COVID-19 deaths at 149.  — Ma. Angelica Garcia/BM, GMA News

  Ho Chi Minh City – As the COVID-19 pandemic increases vulnerabilities of migrant workers across the globe, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has joined forces with the Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) to promote the voice of migrant workers and tackle labour exploitation in supply chains across Asia and the Pacific.    Although migration is recognized as an important driver of development within the Sustainable Development Goals, the human and labour rights of migrant workers are too often not respected by the actors involved in their recruitment and employment.   During COVID-19, the vulnerabilities of migrant workers have increased significantly with many living and working under conditions that make social distancing and seeking medical attention difficult. While many countries have introduced lockdown measures, many migrant workers have lost their jobs and incomes, are stranded, unable to return home or continue employment. Th...

Published  May 19, 2020 10:23am Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac on Tuesday said a repatriated overseas Filipino worker who escaped from a quarantine facility then later turned positive for COVID-19 has been placed under the custody of health officials. “Doon naman sa taong COVID-positive. Siya ngayon ay nasa kustodiya na ng DOH - BOQ sa isang pasilidad. So the situation is under control,” Cacdac said in an interview on GMA News' Unang Hirit. On Monday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which oversees some of the quarantine facilities for repatriated OFWs, revealed that  eight repatriated OFWs have escaped  from the hotels before their COVID-19 test results were released. One of them later turned positive for COVID-19. The said OFW, a 49-year-old male, has been located. “Na-isolate 'yung lugar at 'yung mga tao sa lugar na 'yun. Meron nang medical protocols being applied, quarantine, swab te...

         Deemed instrumental in combating the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) announces the availability of its demographic vulnerabilities tool (DVT) which, with collaboration of various government agencies, will ensure its rollout to all regions and local government units (LGUs), particularly the barangays.               A joint memorandum circular (JMC), signed by the respective secretaries of the Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as well as POPCOM’s executive director and issued on April 30, stipulates the initial release of the DVT to all LGUs in Metro Manila and the rest of the country. POPCOM regional offices will provide key demographic indicators that are factors of risks to COVID-19 to t...

Mye Mulingtapang, ABS-CBN News Posted at  May 02 2020 10:51 AM Isang babae at bata ang nakasakay sa isang bisikleta sa Milan, Italy habang patuloy ang lockdown doon dahil sa COVID-19, April 30, 2020.  Daniele Mascolo, Reuters MILAN, Italy - Kabilang ang mga negosyanteng Pilipino sa northern regions ng Italy sa mga tinamaan ng epekto ng coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) sa ekonomiya. Isa si XP Dimaano, may-ari ng isang dance academy sa Milan, sa mga nakaramdam sa epekto ng krisis dala ng COVID-19. Dalawang buwan na ang lumipas mula noong huling magturo si Dimaano at mukhang maaari pa itong magtagal. Bawal pa rin ang malalaking pagtitipon na bahagi ng preventive measures ng pamahalaan laban sa sakit.  "Malaking epekto kasi ito lang 'yung hanapbuhay ko, ang mga dance class ko," sabi ni Dimaano. Dahil puro mga kabataan din ang mga estudyante, mas pinili ni Dimaano ang kanilang kaligtasan, kahit ibig sabihin nito ay ang pagkawala ng kaniyang pinagkaka...