KAKAMMPI News

Agence France-Presse HONG KONG, China - Hong Kong authorities said Sunday that one of 77 hamsters handed in by pet owners for a Covid cull has tested positive, as thousands of city residents remain under lockdown to combat an outbreak. The financial services hub adheres to mainland China's strict "zero-Covid" policy under which even the slightest sign of the virus is stamped out with contact tracing, targeted lockdowns and long quarantines. More than 2,000 hamsters have been culled after some imported from the Netherlands by a local pet shop were found to be Covid-positive, raising fears of animal-to-human transmission. The risk of transmission from animals "remains low", the World Health Organization has said, but is a possibility. It comes as Hong Kong battles an Omicron cluster that has infected more than 170 people in a single public housing estate in recent days. Pet owners who bought a hamster after December 22 were urged last Tuesday to surrender th...

Agence France-Presse COPENHAGEN, Denmark - The Omicron variant has moved the Covid-19 pandemic into a new phase and could bring it to an end in Europe, the WHO Europe director said Sunday. "It's plausible that the region is moving towards a kind of pandemic endgame," Hans Kluge told AFP in an interview, adding that Omicron could infect 60 percent of Europeans by March. Once the current surge of Omicron currently sweeping across Europe subsides, "there will be for quite some weeks and months a global immunity, either thanks to the vaccine or because people have immunity due to the infection, and also lowering seasonality." "So we anticipate that there will be a period of quiet before Covid-19 may come back towards the end of the year, but not necessarily the pandemic coming back," Kluge said. The Omicron variant, which studies have shown generally leads to less severe infection among vaccinated people than Delta, has raised long-awaited hopes that ...

Reuters JERUSALEM - A fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine given to people over 60 in Israel made them three times more resistant to serious illness than thrice-vaccinated people in the same age group, Israel's Health Ministry said on Sunday. The ministry also said the fourth dose, or second booster, doubled resistance against infection compared with those in the age group who received only three shots of the vaccine. Israel began offering a fourth dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine to people over 60 earlier this month. (Reporting by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

Kyodo News Posted at Jan 24 2022 04:24 PM A record 327 daycare centers have been temporarily shut down in Japan as the coronavirus resurgence grips the country, the health ministry said Monday. The number of such facilities suspending services as of last Thursday, excluding privately operated or locally licensed ones, increased fourfold in a week along with the spike in COVID-19 cases and well exceeded the previous high of 185 in September, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Japan's confirmed daily coronavirus cases topped 50,000 on Saturday in the wake of the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, renewing the record for a fifth straight day.

Danny Mok, South China Morning Post Posted at Jan 24 2022 12:58 PM Hong Kong police have launched an investigation after a man was caught on camera spitting on residents’ doors in a block of flats. The five-second clip, apparently taken by a security camera, was posted on Sunday evening on a Kwai Chung community Facebook page and shows a man in his 30s dressed in black jeans and hooded top walking along the corridor of a housing block. The man, who has what appears to be a bottle of tea in his hand, pulls down his black surgical mask and spits on the metal gates and doorbells of two flats before disappearing out of view. A message from the Facebook user who posted the video urged group members in Kwai Chung Estate – the site of a growing coronavirus outbreak – to keep an eye out for the spitter, saying similar incidents had occurred at three blocks there, although no proof was provided. More than 170 Covid-19 infections have been reported on the huge 16-block estate, with two bui...

Kyodo News Posted at Jan 24 2022 04:34 PM Japan will expand a quasi-state of emergency to over 30 of the country's 47 prefectures to curb the rapid spread of coronavirus infections after 16 more prefectures asked to be included under the measure, senior government officials said Monday. The government will formalize the decision Tuesday after consulting with an advisory panel of experts over its plan to adopt restrictions on restaurants and bars in more areas, in addition to Tokyo and 15 prefectures which already have been put under the restrictions. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold talks with related Cabinet ministers later Monday over the addition of more regions while discussing the duration of the measure after the nation's confirmed daily COVID cases hit a record 54,576 Saturday, driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. "We will respond with well-balanced measures based on the nature of the Omicron strain by enhancing the procedural flow of preve...

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday said the exemption of the United Kingdom (UK) from the 7,000 deployment cap of healthcare workers abroad this year is a matter of “fortune”. In an ANC interview, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III explained that the UK was able to request for an exemption for the deployment cap prior to its implementation on January 1, 2021. The government imposed the deployment ban to ensure the safety of Filipino healthcare workers and beef up the Philippines’ medical manpower amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think it’s just a question of fortune. Because even before we were running out of healthcare workers, the United Kingdom government requested for an exemption. At that time, we were in a position to deploy as many healthcare workers that we want,” Bello said. After that, Bello said, they realized that they needed to set a limit on the number of the health workers being deployed as there might come a time that the Philippines would lac...

By MICHAELA DEL CALLAR After being closed for almost 30 years, the Philippine Embassy in Morocco reopened with a new envoy in a bid to strengthen relations with the North African state. Philippine ambassador to Morocco Leslie Baja, the first Philippine envoy to Rabat in three decades, arrived in May 2021 a year after the chancery was opened in 2020. A seasoned career diplomat, Baja presented his credentials to King Mohammed VI together with 38 other ambassadors in January 17, 2022, an embassy statement said Sunday. In a ceremony steeped in tradition, Baja was ushered to the King at the Throne room of the Royal Palace in Rabat. Aside from Morocco, Baja is accredited as non-resident ambassador to Mauritania and is awaiting an opportunity to also present credentials in Guinea, Mali and Senegal. After presenting his letters of credence from President Rodrigo Duterte, Baja extended the President's best wishes and hope for a new era in Philippine-Morocco relations. Also present d...

By EMMA FARGE, Reuters GENEVA - The Omicron-fueled wave of COVID-19 infections has led wealthy countries to intensify their recruitment of nurses from poorer parts of the world, worsening dire staffing shortages in overstretched workforces there, the International Council of Nurses said. Sickness, burnout and staff departures amid surging Omicron cases have driven absentee rates to levels not yet seen during the two-year pandemic, said Howard Catton, CEO of the Geneva-based group that represents 27 million nurses and 130 national organizations. To plug the gap, Western countries have responded by hiring army personnel as well as volunteers and retirees but many have also stepped up international recruitment as part of a trend that is worsening health inequity, he continued. "We have absolutely seen an increase in international recruitment to places like the UK, Germany, Canada and the United States," Catton said in a Reuters interview based on a report he co-authored on ...

Published January 24, 2022 3:30pm Two more overseas Filipino workers will face charges for allegedly violating their quarantine protocol, the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) said Monday. BOQ deputy director Dr. Robert Salvador said one of the OFWs faked a quarantine certificate. "May pending pa po na dalawa pa na fa-file-an na mga nag-break po ng quarantine protocol, nandaya ng quarantine certificate so inaayos na po namin ang paperwork bago ipasa sa NBI," Salvador said in a radio interview, referring to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). (There are two cases that will be filed over quarantine protocol violations [like] using a fake quarantine certificate, and we are just preparing the paperwork to be submitted to the NBI.) Salvador said the BOQ already filed charges against two returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) for breaking quarantine protocols, including Gwyneth Chua, who skipped isolation during the holidays. He said the bureau already coordinated with the NBI ...

By MA. ANGELICA GARCIA, GMA News Published January 24, 2022 4:06pm The Philippines on Monday registered 24,938 new COVID-19 cases, raising the Philippines' total caseload to 3,442,056. Active infections reached 262,997 of which 7,944 are asymptomatic; 250,235 are mild; 1,499 are severe; and 309 are in critical condition. Of the cases reported today, the DOH said 24,239 or 97% occurred within the recent 14 days from January 11 to January 24. The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were the National Capital Region with 3,610 or 15%, Region IV-A with 3,382 or 14%, and Region VII with 2,562 or 11%. Total recoveries also rose to 3,125,540 after 35,461 more patients recovered from the illness. The death toll climbed to 53,519 with 47 new fatalities. Of the 47 deaths, the DOH said 43 occurred in January 2022, three in October 2021, and one in September 2021 due to the late encoding of death information to its system. Meanwhile, the country's positivity rate was at...

Edu Punay - The Philippine Star January 22, 2022 | 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — A House panel has approved a measure seeking to grant additional benefits for pensioners. In a virtual meeting on Thursday, the special committee on senior citizens recommended for plenary approval House Bill (HB) 9773 or the proposed Pensioners’ Equal Benefits Act. The bill, authored by social services committee chair and Quezon City District 5 Rep. Alfred Vargas, seeks to grant an annual Christmas cash gift and the right to get an increase in pension, which is denied to pensioners under Republic Act 7699 or the Portability Law. Under RA 7699, retirees may combine their years of service in the private and government sectors, represented by their Social Security System and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) contributions. Vargas said the measure aims to correct the discrimination and diminution of the pensioners’ benefits and grant all pensioners equal rights and privileges. The panel appro...

Philstar.com January 24, 2022 | 4:34pm DOH: Omicron sub-variant not yet seen in Philippines Railway personnel check coronavirus vaccination cards of passengers boarding a train at a station in Quezon City, suburban Manila on January 18, 2022, as the Philippine government banned unvaccinated people from using public transport amid a record surge in coronavirus cases. AFP / Maria Tan MANILA, Philippines — Health authorities in the Philippines have yet to detect a sub-lineage of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, which has been seen in other countries, the Department of Health said Monday. “Until now, we have not yet detected any BA.2 sub-variant here in the country,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview with CNN Philippines. According to Vergeire, the World Health Organization and other experts are still studying the latest version of Omicron, dubbed as BA.2. “Based on initial findings and based on observing patients who have this kind of sub-variant,...

More than 1 in 10 deaths in the country are directly attributable to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has resulted in 105,425 fatalities between April 2020 and October 2021. This was pointed out by the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM), effectively debunking certain speculations that the increasing mortality rates in the country were due to the vaccination program launched in March 2021. Loss of lives from COVID-19 now comprise 11.04% of all deaths in the country in the same period, making it the second-leading cause of registered deaths since the virus started to spread exponentially in March 2020. “The increase in deaths compared to previous years has been noted since July 2020. Comparing the first six months of 2021 to the same period of 2020, there was an increase of 88,191 deaths. One can attribute over half of that, or 51%, to COVID-19, and the rest to ischemic heart disease, hypertensive disease and other illnesses—the cases which also wen...

By LLANESCA T. PANTI, GMA News Presidential aspirant and former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will be on the overseas ballot for the May 2022 polls which will be released by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), an official of the poll body said Monday. Comelec Director Elaiza Sabile David made the announcement after the Comelec Second Division junked the petition seeking to cancel Marcos' certificate of candidacy (COC) for the 2022 elections by citing that Marcos did not commit material misrepresentation in his COC. "The official list is finalized. His (Marcos) name is there [on the ballot for overseas workers]," David said in an online briefing. David said there are around 1.7 million registered overseas Filipino voters for the 2022 elections. "The overseas ballot which only lists national candidates is 25 inches," David added. The Buenafe petition junked by the Comelec 2nd Division was just one of the many filed contesting the c...

Published January 17, 2022 3:05pm There were no reported Filipino casualties so far in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji following a large undersea volcanic eruption that triggered tsunamis and strong wave alerts across the Pacific, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday. Foreign Affairs spokesman Ed Meñez said the Philippine Embassy in New Zealand, which has jurisdiction over the three areas, is still checking if there were Filipinos affected by the eruption and tsunamis. There are 87 Filipinos in Tonga, 300 in Samoa, and 400 in Fiji, the DFA said. On Sunday, the embassy in New Zealand said residents in coastal areas were evacuated to higher ground and that communication systems were disrupted due to tsunamis in Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji. Tsunami advisories were also issued for the coastal areas of New Zealand, Japan, and the US western states, it added. The Pacific island of Tonga experienced a massive volcanic eruption Saturday followed by a tsunami that flooded parts of its ca...

By GISELLE OMBAY, GMA News The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has tied up with the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for the management of a San Fernando, Pampanga hospital that would provide clinical services to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). During the Friday signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between DOLE and PGH at the nearly completed OFW Hospital, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that the PGH’s expertise would add quality to the service and prestige to the name of the said hospital. “In serving the health needs of our modern-day heroes, we need the champion in saving lives. Thank you PGH for helping us,” Bello added. President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 154 directed the creation of the Inter-Agency Committee on the OFW Hospital, chaired by the Labor Secretary and co-chaired by the Health Secretary. The funding for the establishment and initial operation of the hospital which will cater primarily to the healthcare needs of the OFWs ...

Published January 17, 2022 10:56am The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Sunday that a total of 688 potential victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment were prevented to depart from the country last year. In a statement, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said immigration officers deferred the departure of 13,680 passengers in 2021. Of this number, majority had improper documentation, he said. Of these passengers, 491 were seen as possible human trafficking victims, according to the BI’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit. They were then turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance and investigation. On the other hand, 197 individuals were transferred to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) mostly for presenting counterfeit or questionable overseas work permits and job contracts. The BI also said 34 documents presented during departure were found to be fraudulent or counterfeit by the BI’s forensic documents lab...

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday said the Philippine Embassy in Wellington is "closely following developments in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji" after an underwater volcano erupted Saturday in Tonga, resulting in tsunamis and strong wave alerts. "The PH Embassy in Wellington is closely following developments in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji after the eruption of an underwater volcano yesterday, triggering tsunamis and strong wave alerts across the Pacific," the DFA said in a statement. "The Embassy reported residents moving to higher ground and disruptions to communication systems as tsunami waves reached Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji. Tsunami advisories were also issued for the coastal areas of New Zealand, Japan, and the US western states," it added. The DFA said it is checking on the condition of Filipinos in the said areas. There are 87 Filipinos in Tonga, 300 in Samoa, and 400 in Fiji, it said. "Coordination efforts with local authorities and commun...

Published January 15, 2022 9:08pm A returning overseas Filipino (ROF) couple from the United States were not able to attend the wake of their relative due to Philippine COVID-19 quarantine rules, according to Nico Waje’s “24 Oras Weekend” report on Saturday. Caesar Leynes, a ROF from the US, arrived with his wife and sister-in-law last January 1 to attend the wake of his mother-in-law in La Union. However, their relative was laid to rest last January 10 but they were still at an isolation facility in Nasugbu, Batangas. Leynes said he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19 when they were swabbed at a quarantine facility - a five-star hotel in Ermita, Manila. The couple paid for their stay at the facility. According to Leynes, they understood the quarantine protocols but they received their test results only after four days. He said that his sister-in-law got her test result on the day she was tested. “Until now wala po kaming PDF copy na detailed test result nung aming swab t...

By LUCKY MAE F. QUILAO A film produced by United Arab Emirates-based Filipinos, and three of production artists have won in the Tokyo Film Awards, and Auber International Film Festival. The feat was announced this first month of 2022. "Christmas came twice for me. Upon looking at the glossary of filmmakers who have participated, I can confidently tell myself: Ah, we are finally cemented!" shared Francis Luscianne Javier Gacer, 45, a designer in a multinational supermarket chain in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and director of Kikoman Films (KMF). Gacer believed that the award-giving body in Japan has a meticulous eye for films. Siphayo (Depression) is the story of a teenager who had experienced a dark incident with her school teacher but was keeping it from her mother and aunt. The teenager was portrayed by Dominique Ashley Garcia who won the golden award for "Best Actress" in the same festival, the mother was performed by Jenelyn Empasis who won "Best ...

UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council on Friday called for the "immediate release" of an Emirati-flagged vessel and its crew that includes a Filipino seafarer who have been held by Huthi rebels in Yemen since the beginning of January, and a de-escalation of the situation. The Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemen's internationally-backed government against the rebels said the Rwabee was returning from a mission to set up a field hospital, and called the seizure an act of piracy. But the Iran-backed Huthis released images of what they said were military jeeps and weapons on board the vessel, which was captured off the key rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida. In a statement drafted by Britain and adopted unanimously, the 15-member Security Council "demanded the immediate release of the vessel and its crew and "underscored the necessity of ensuring the crew's safety and well-being." The Council highlighted "the importance of freedom of navi...

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has increased the ceiling on the annual overseas deployment of newly hired healthcare workers (HCWs) from the current 6,500 to 7,000. The increase on the deployment quota was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), allowing the deployment of newly hired HCWs per occupation as identified by the labor department as ‘mission-critical skills’. These include nurses, nursing aides, and nurse assistants. In an advisory, the POEA said that nurses with visas expiring on December 31, 2021 will be prioritized for deployment. Also, HCWs who were already issued with their corresponding overseas certificates (OEC) or exit clearance, are also allowed to depart for their overseas employment. Health care workers under government-to-government labor agreements and returning or Balik Manggagawa, meanwhile, are exempted to the said deployment ceiling. In November 2021, the POEA Gove...

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration reminded overseas Filipino workers to fulfil the obligations, and terms and conditions contained in their employment contracts and obey the labor laws in their host countries. In an advisory, Administrator Bernard P. Olalia said his office have received reports from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Milan, Italy on the alarming increase in the number of Filipino workers in Romania who run away from their employers. The report said the practice is becoming more prevalent among household service workers who would leave their employers and transfer to another without the proper settlement of issues with their previous employer and the foreign recruiter. Under Romanian laws, termination of employment by the employee need not have a valid reason but shall be in the form of formal resignation by the worker. The employee is required to notify the employer of the intention to resign not more than 20 working days for employees in...

After more than a year of lobbying by the National Anti-Poverty Commission Formal Labor and Migrant Workers Sector (NAPC-FLMWS) and various stakeholders even during the pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the law creating the Department of Migrant Workers yesterday. “Yesterday’s historic event not only marked the 125th anniversary of the martyrdom of our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, but also recognized our modern-day heroes by enacting a law creating the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW),” said NAPC-FLMWS Sectoral Representative Edwin Bustillos. “Through this measure, the government recognizes the importance of migrant workers not only for their economic contribution but also their welfare by coming up with a department which will truly address their issues and concerns,” said Bustillos. The NAPC-FLMWS requested President Duterte to certify the bills filed in both houses as urgent and directed the Congress to legislate the creation of such during his State of the Nati...

In a tweet on Friday, OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said the "steep increase" in new COVID-19 cases in the NCR on Thursday broke the previous record of 9,030 that was reported on September 11, 2021. "The single day positive rate increased to 46.3%, while the 7-day average increased to 38%, considered to be at critical level," David said. On the other hand, average daily attack rate (ADAR) increased to 34 per day, which David said is also considered critical. Reproduction number — or the average number of new infections that stem from a positive case — in the NCR was 5.69, according to OCTA.For Friday, OCTA sees the NCR reporting 11,000 to 13,000 new cases and the whole country reporting 17,000 to 19,000. "With so many cases, projections now carry a considerable margin of error," David said. The Department of Health (DOH) reported 17,220 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide tally to 2,888,917. The new cases also brought the country's acti...

By GISELLE OMBAY, GMA News Published January 6, 2022 1:36pm While the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) staying in quarantine facilities is still manageable, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said it is already considered a red alert for them. At the Laging Handa briefing on Thursday, OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac noted that there are about 9,000 OFWs currently being observed in 240 hotel quarantine facilities. “Manageable ang sitwasyon sa ngayon although medyo red flag or red alert levels na ‘yan for us. Binabantayan natin maigi ang sitwasyon. Nakadepende ito kasi sa bilis ng pag-swab test at bilis ng paglabas ng swab test result,” he said. (The situation is currently manageable but that is a bit of a red flag or red alert levels for us. We are keeping a close eye on the situation as it still depends on the speed of the swab test and getting the results.) Cacdac explained that if there are more OFWs in quarantine facilities, there is a bigger likelihoo...

The National Capital Region (NCR) recorded a "new high" of 11,630 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday and may record 12,000 on Friday, according to independent monitoring group OCTA Research. In a tweet on Friday, OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said the "steep increase" in new COVID-19 cases in the NCR on Thursday broke the previous record of 9,030 that was reported on September 11, 2021. "The single day positive rate increased to 46.3%, while the 7-day average increased to 38%, considered to be at critical level," David said. On the other hand, average daily attack rate (ADAR) increased to 34 per day, which David said is also considered critical. Reproduction number — or the average number of new infections that stem from a positive case — in the NCR was 5.69, according to OCTA. For Friday, OCTA sees the NCR reporting 11,000 to 13,000 new cases and the whole country reporting 17,000 to 19,000. "With so many cases, projections now carry a considerable ma...

Gillan Ropero, ABS-CBN News Posted at Jan 07 2022 11:14 AM MANILA - As virus infections increase across the country, the public is urged to recognize its symptoms, isolate and consult a doctor, a health reform advocate said Friday. The omicron variant presents milder symptoms compared with the delta variant as it "spares the lungs," according to Dr. Tony Leachon, former adviser of the National Task Force Against COVID-19. "It might be the flu but there are fatigue and general body pains," he told ANC's Headstart. "Dito sa omicron, sa 400 (patients) na nakita ko this week, bihira ang merong loss of sense of smell and taste. Sa 2 araw lang, they would present the symptoms. Wala pa nga iba fever eh." (In 400 patients I saw this week, presentations of loss of sense of smell and taste were rare. In just 2 days, they they would present the symptoms. Some don't even have fever.) It is important for patients to stay home for the first 5 to 7 days if...

Lucie Aubourg, Agence France-Presse Posted at Jan 07 2022 08:12 AM WASHINGTON, United States - Women vaccinated against COVID-19 saw a slight delay in their period of almost a day compared to those who were unvaccinated, a US government-funded study said Thursday. But the number of days of bleeding was not affected, according to the research carried out on nearly 4,000 individuals and published in "Obstetrics & Gynecology." Lead author Alison Edelman of the Oregon Health & Science University told AFP the effects are small and expected to be temporary, a finding that is "very reassuring" as well as validating for those who experienced changes. The study can also help counter anti-vaccine misinformation on the topic, which is rampant on social media. The slight increase in menstrual cycle length is not clinically significant. Any change of fewer than eight days is classified as normal by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Period ...

The ongoing pandemic has manifested its polarizing effects on Filipinos’ socioeconomic standing, as it pushed more than 4 million individuals deeper into poverty, while lifting some 800,000 out of economic hardships. According to recent Philippine Statistics Authority reports on official poverty statistics and causes of death, 4,300,000 Filipinos, or about 861,300 families, sank below the poverty threshold in regions which saw over 90% of COVID-19-related deaths as of September 2021. On the other hand, five regions which were least affected by the contagion, or those with 8.1% of deaths in 2021, saw 809,500 Filipinos, or some 161,900 families, improve their living conditions, according to the same report. Bulk of families elevated from poverty live in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), as provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Basilan raised 121,000 out of economic strain. However, poverty rose for 28,300 families in Su...

Agence France-Presse Posted at Jan 06 2022 07:22 AM A woman wearing a face mask sits at the Spanish steps, as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections rise, in Rome, Italy, December 30, 2021. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane ROME, Italy - Italy's government said Wednesday that it would make vaccination against Covid-19 compulsory from February 15 for everyone over the age of 50, in a bid to battle surging infections. "We want to slow down the curve of contagion and encourage Italians who have not yet been vaccinated to do so," Prime Minister Mario Draghi said during a cabinet meeting at which the measure was adopted, according to a statement. "We are working in particular on the age groups that are most at risk of being hospitalized, to reduce pressure on hospital to save lives," he added. The new decree obliges people over 50 who do not work to get vaccinated, and those who do work to obtain a vaccine pass -- which effectively covers all over 50s. In anoth...

By GISELLE OMBAY, GMA News Published January 6, 2022 1:36pm While the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) staying in quarantine facilities is still manageable, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said it is already considered a red alert for them. At the Laging Handa briefing on Thursday, OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac noted that there are about 9,000 OFWs currently being observed in 240 hotel quarantine facilities. “Manageable ang sitwasyon sa ngayon although medyo red flag or red alert levels na ‘yan for us. Binabantayan natin maigi ang sitwasyon. Nakadepende ito kasi sa bilis ng pag-swab test at bilis ng paglabas ng swab test result,” he said. (The situation is currently manageable but that is a bit of a red flag or red alert levels for us. We are keeping a close eye on the situation as it still depends on the speed of the swab test and getting the results.) Cacdac explained that if there are more OFWs in quarantine facilities, there is a bigger likelihoo...

By JON VIKTOR D. CABUENAS, GMA News Published January 5, 2022 7:03pm Philippine labor agencies are now gearing to establish the implementing rules and regulations of the newly signed Department of Migrant Workers, which is set to be implemented upon the approval of the 2023 General Appropriations Act. According to Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Bernard Olalia, the agency is set to have a meeting on Thursday, January 6, to discuss the transition into the new department. Officials of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), where most of the agencies of the new department will be coming from, are also set to meet and establish its own transition committee. “Ang ito pong batas na ito ay inaasahan natin na ma-i-implement ayon sa probisyon niya, pagkatapos ma-approve ‘yung kaniyang 2023 budget doon sa General Appropriations Act,” he said in a virtual briefing on Wednesday afternoon. [We expect this law to be implemented after the approval of th...

By JON VIKTOR D. CABUENAS, GMA News Published January 5, 2022 7:03pm Philippine labor agencies are now gearing to establish the implementing rules and regulations of the newly signed Department of Migrant Workers, which is set to be implemented upon the approval of the 2023 General Appropriations Act. According to Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Bernard Olalia, the agency is set to have a meeting on Thursday, January 6, to discuss the transition into the new department. Officials of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), where most of the agencies of the new department will be coming from, are also set to meet and establish its own transition committee. “Ang ito pong batas na ito ay inaasahan natin na ma-i-implement ayon sa probisyon niya, pagkatapos ma-approve ‘yung kaniyang 2023 budget doon sa General Appropriations Act,” he said in a virtual briefing on Wednesday afternoon. [We expect this law to be implemented after the approval of th...

Seven Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), who are bound for Malaysia, were prevented from leaving because they tested positive for COVID-19, according to a report on "Saksi" on Monday. The OFWs were to travel to Kuala Lumpur on Monday afternoon. At the Departure Area, the RT-PCR test results of the said OFWs showed they tested positive for COVID-19. They were temporarily held at a holding area before they were brought to a quarantine facility. NAIA authorities are contacting the local government units where the said OFWs come from. There were also passengers who were not allowed to board their flight because they failed to present a negative RT-PCR test, which is a requirement of the place they are about to visit. Authorities issued a reminder to travelers to check beforehand the requirements of the provinces or country that they wish to visit. -- BAP, GMA News

By CONSUELO MARQUEZ, GMA News Published December 30, 2021 6:59pm Government agencies involved in the care of overseas Filipino workers will have a year to transfer their mandate and operations under the newly enacted Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos. These agencies include the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Philippine Overseas Labor Offices, International Labor Affairs Bureau, and National Reintegration Center for OFWs. "There will be a one year transition period bago magsama-sama kaming lahat under one roof (before we all get together in one roof) sa Department of Migrant Workers," Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said. She said the OUMWA would make sure that there would be no disruption of service during the transition period. "We are going to fully cooperate with the transition period of one year to be able to make ...

By TED CORDERO, GMA News Published December 24, 2021 7:36pm Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)-backed mobile app Abizo OFW has assisted another distressed overseas Filipino worker (OFW) to reach out to relevant authorities to help in her working situation in Kuwait. In a statement, Abizo OFW said Rosalyn Sencil, suffered distress from her employer in Kuwait who committed several violations in their contract. It said that Sencil has been looking all over social media and asking several Facebook groups and pages for help, until she came across the Abizo OFW app in her social media newsfeed. The Abizo OFW app is a mobile application that forms part of the POEA’s Global Monitoring Pilot Project. The app said it can track OFWs in need of immediate help and assist them every step of the way in processing their complaints. The app aims to track the accurate number of OFWs at any given time, as well as monitor information on their deployment location, employers, and wo...

ADVISORY No. 2022-001 INTER- AGENCY TASK FORCE (IATF) RESOLUTION NO. 154-E TO OUR DEAR FILIPINO WORKERS: The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Tokyo wishes to inform all Overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs) in Japan that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has recently issued Resolution No. 154-E dated 29 December 2021 reclassifying Japan as among the list of “Yellow” countries. In view of the foregoing and recent development, OFWs from Japan must adhere with either of the following testing and quarantine protocols upon arrival: 1. For vaccinated OFWs from Japan: a. Negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin. b. Upon arrival, they shall undergo facility-based quarantine with an RT-PCR test taken on the 5th day, with the date of arrival being the first day. c. Regardless of a negative result, they shall be required to undergo home quarantine up to the 14th day fro...

By ANNA FELICIA BAJO, GMA News Published January 3, 2022 1:28pm A former lawmaker on Monday said the creation of the Department of Migrant Workers might address the problem of the kafala system. The kafala system is a scheme allowing employers in Middle Eastern countries to control the employment and migration status of foreign workers they employ. According to Aniceto "John" Bertiz III, an advocate of overseas Filipino workers, the department could further study how the kafala system could be prevented. He added that the creation of the Department of Migrant Workers would prevent cases of abuses among Filipinos working abroad. "Isang kasagutan na rin po ito sa matagal na rin po nating nilalaban, 'yung kafala system sa Middle East kasi pagkakaroon po ng isang departamento, it will actually coordinate or restudy 'yung paano maiwasan po 'yung kafala system, which is the direct sponsorship," Bertiz said at a Laging Handa briefing. (This is also an ans...

By CONSUELO MARQUEZ, GMA News Published December 30, 2021 6:59pm Government agencies involved in the care of overseas Filipino workers will have a year to transfer their mandate and operations under the newly enacted Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos. These agencies include the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Philippine Overseas Labor Offices, International Labor Affairs Bureau, and National Reintegration Center for OFWs. "There will be a one year transition period bago magsama-sama kaming lahat under one roof (before we all get together in one roof) sa Department of Migrant Workers," Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said. She said the OUMWA would make sure that there would be no disruption of service during the transition period. "We are going to fully cooperate with the transition period of one year to be able to make...

By HANA BORDEY, GMA News Published January 3, 2022 11:26am Another Filipina from the United States skipped the government’s mandatory quarantine, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Monday. In a television interview, Puyat said more reports of quarantine breach have been raised with the Department of Tourism (DOT) after the first reported incident of a returning Filipino woman from the US who attended a party in Poblacion, Makati City while she was supposed to be in isolation. “After this incident, somebody gave the name and even gave pictures na the day she arrived, nagpa-masahe pa as in she was even posting it on Instagram stories. Very proud ha na (that) she was skipping quarantine and her name was given and the person who knows her even gave a sworn affidavit. Nahuli na rin ‘yung tao na ‘yon (She was already caught),” she said in a CNN interview. “I’ve given it already to the [Bureau of Quarantine] and the [Department of the Interior and Local Government] and I wil...

Reuters KUALA LUMPUR - Seven states in Malaysia were hit by floods on Sunday and thousands of people were evacuated, taking the total affected by heavy rain in the last two weeks to over 125,000, the National Disaster Management Agency said. The agency said in a statement that Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Sabah were still affected by floods, and 8,727 people were taking shelter at 128 relief centres. A total of 125,490 people have been affected by the floods nationwide, it said, of which 117,700 evacuees have returned home. Floods are common on the eastern coast of Malaysia during the annual monsoon season between October and March, but unusually heavy rainfall that started on Dec. 17 displaced thousands and strained emergency services. Fifty people have died in the floods, and two remain missing, according to a police tweet citing Inspector-General Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani. Following the meteorological department's warning of continuous h...

Byron Kaye, Reuters Posted at Dec 27 2021 05:50 PM SYDNEY - Australia reported its first confirmed death from the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Monday amid its biggest daily surge in infections, but the authorities refrained from imposing new restrictions saying hospitalization rates remained low. The death, a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions, marked a grim milestone for the country which has had to reverse some parts of a staged reopening after nearly two years of stop-start lockdowns, due to the fresh outbreak. Omicron, which health experts say appears more contagious but less virulent than previous strains, began to spread in the country just as it lifted restrictions on most domestic borders and allowed Australians to return from overseas without quarantine, driving case numbers to the highest of the pandemic. The authorities gave no additional details about the Omicron death, except to say that the man caught the virus at an aged care facility and died in...

study Agence France-Presse JOHANNESBURG - A preliminary South African government study published Thursday showed a booster of the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine was 85 percent effective in preventing hospitalization from the Omicron variant, a finding that helps revive the shot's reputation. The South African Medical Research Council compared 69,000 health care workers who received two doses of the vaccine, based on viral vector technology, against a group of people who were unvaccinated. The research, which has not yet been peer reviewed, was conducted from November 15 to December 20, a time when the heavily-mutated Omicron variant increased from 82 to 98 percent of Covid-19 cases in the country. When a booster shot was given six to nine months after the first dose, vaccine efficacy against hospitalization increased over time, from 63 percent at 0-13 days to 85 percent one to two months post-boost. "This data is important given the increased reliance on the Ad26.C...