PTV Rewind brings you the highlights of the latest and relevant issues in the country for the third week of April 2022.
FDA grants EUA for 2nd booster shot
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the emergency use authorization to administer an additional COVID-19 vaccine booster to the vulnerable population.
According to the Department of Health, the FDA recognized the waning immunity among senior citizens, immunocompromised individuals, and healthcare workers. On April 22, the DOH said the go-signal for the administration of the second booster shot next week will only be for the immunocompromised.
The Health Technology Assessment Council has yet to issue its final review and recommendation for frontline healthcare providers and senior citizens.
Concepcion: P40B-worth of vax may go to waste in July
About P40 billion worth of COVID-19 vaccines in the country’s inventory will go to waste if not used before their expiration dates, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said.
“I am told the cost of these vaccines amount to P40 billion. Siyempre, iba diyan dinonate ng COVAX, wala naman tayong bayad diyan. I think it’s about, if I’m not mistaken, about 30 million,” he said.
“Kami rin (private sector), ang mga vaccines namin na dinonate namin sa government, that’s about 2.5 million. That doesn’t cost the government anything but it costs us something,” he added.
With low protocol compliance, 300K+ active cases by mid-May possible
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned the country on Monday, April 18, not to lower its guard against COVID-19 to prevent another resurgence of cases.
Dr. Rajendra Yadav, WHO acting representative to the Philippines, said the 300,000 projected COVID-19 cases by the middle of May is possible if the low compliance with minimum health standards continues.
“If we have the local read that we don’t have the vaccines in many barangays and many provinces and if we relax our guards, if we relax our defenses, then yes, it’s possible to get to those numbers,” he said in a Laging Handa briefing.
The WHO official said the government has to prioritize the high risk groups for COVID-19 testing, such as medical frontliners and vulnerable sectors like the elderly and the immunocompromised.
Duterte visits Typhoon Agaton-hit areas
President Rodrigo Duterte visited on Good Friday (April 15) the victims of Tropical Storm Agaton in Leyte, where he also presided over a situation briefing on the impact of the typhoon.
Before the briefing, Duterte and other government personnel conducted an aerial inspection on the effects of Typhoon Agaton in Baybay City, Leyte.
A total of 178 individuals have been reported dead due to the typhoon as of April 20.
Duterte: Major polluters should pay for damages
President Rodrigo Duterte urged countries with the biggest carbon emission contributions to pay for the damages experienced by tropical zone countries with low emission contributions, including the Philippines.
Duterte stressed the need to make industrialized countries accountable for the casualties in countries extremely suffering from the effects of climate change.
“[Dapat] ‘yung mga industrialized countries na hindi tinatamaan ng mga typhoons and calamities pero sila ‘yung pinakamalaki na contributor ng carbon emissions, eh magbayad sila,” he said.
“…’Yung resulta ng mga pollution ng ibang countries tayo ang sumasalo. Pagdating sa damage tayo rin ang pinakakawawa,” he added.
DepEd suspends classes from May 2-13, proposes Aug 22 as school opening
The Department of Education (DepEd) announced suspension of classes in all public schools nationwide from Kinder to Grade 12 starting from May 2 to 13 to give way to election-related activities for the upcoming May 9 polls.’
Deped also announced on April 19 that August 22 is the proposed opening date for the School Year 2022-2023. Christmas break will start on December 19 and classes will resume on January 2, 2023.
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Presidential bets to finish the prexy race
Four presidential candidates signed a joint statement on Sunday, April 17, to join forces if there will be an attempt to destabilize the May 9 elections.
During a joint press conference at The Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Damagoso, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, and former National Security adviser Norberto Gonzales said they are worried that there will be massive cheating in the coming polls.
Moreno also called for the withdrawal of VP Leni Robredo from the race, a move not backed by other candidates in the event.
Bukidnon shooting involving Ka-Leody denounced
Malacañang denounced on April 19 the shooting in an ancestral land of the Manobo tribe in Bukidnon visited by presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman.
“Violence has no place in any civilized society and we condemn the incident in Bukidnon where gunshots were allegedly fired against the camp of Ka Leody de Guzman,” acting presidential spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a press statement.
De Guzman tagged Quezon, Bukidnon Mayor Pablo Lorenzo III and his group behind the shooting incident during his visit. Lorenzo said he is no longer affiliated with the company involved in the incident since he became the town’s mayor.
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