LEGAZPI CITY – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is keeping an eye on the tugboat with crew members who have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) to ensure compliance with quarantine protocols and prevent other vessels from getting near.

This was after Dr. Ruben Fortuno, head of the Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ) in Albay, said on Tuesday the M/V Tug Clyde and Barge Claudia’s infected crew remain asymptomatic.

Fortuno said they were coordinating and closely monitoring the situation of the crew while the tugboat is anchored in the waters off Barangay Lidong in Sto. Domingo, Albay.

“In high spirit(s) sila while we chat kanina at mabuti naman daw ang kanilang mga pakiramdam. (They were all in high spirits when we chatted with them earlier and they were feeling good),” he said, adding they have been monitoring the men's body temperature and oxygen saturation.

“The Philippine Coast Guard continues maritime security to ensure the crew members’ compliance (with) the quarantine protocols and no fishermen can come closer to the vessel,” Philippine Information Agency (PIA) 5 (Bicol) Director Marlon Loterte said in an interview after the meeting with the Incident Management Team headed by the PCG.

Jessar Adornado, Office of Civil Defense 5 assistant director, in a text message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA), confirmed that eight of the 19 crewmen were Bicolanos.

"The crew of the tugboat were from Bicol - eight; Bulacan - three; Zamboanga - two; Romblon – one; Nueva Ecija- two; Aklan – one; and from Cavite - two," he said.

Adornado also added that based on the report, 12 crew members were confirmed Covid-19-positive but one of them disembarked in Butuan.

Based on news reports, that crew member is now under isolation.

Loterte added that the Pherwin Shipping Corp., the owner of the tugboat and barge, would provide all the needs of the crew while on quarantine, and expressed willingness to comply with all requirements of the task force.

“Patuloy namang pinaghahandaan ang paraan ng pagdidiskarga ng steam coal cargo mula sa Barge Clyde habang may nakadaong pang 2 LCT na sa pantalan sa Barangay Lidong (We are preparing for the unloading of the 8,000 metric tons of steam coal from Barge Claudia),” he added.

Options considered during the meeting include the pulling of the barge by another tugboat to unload the coal without anyone coming into contact or being exposed to the infected crew members.

Loterte added that health officials have been coordinating with the company’s medical team for the health and medical needs of the crew.

"The vessel (crew) will be quarantined with strict 14 days of isolation. No boarding and disembarking while on the seventh day, all crew will be subjected to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, and despite negative results, they need to continue the 14-day quarantine period," he added.

Specimen samples were collected from the infected crew members for whole-genome sequencing to determine the Covid-19 variant.

The vessel came from Indonesia and arrived at the port of Butuan at 12:30 a.m. on July 14. (PNA)

MARAWI CITY–Hundreds of Meranaws flocked on Tuesday morning to the Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol grounds here to say their prayers for Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice.

Despite the movement restrictions due to the pandemic, elderly men and women, as well as children, gathered at the Capitol complex to perform the prayer while facing the masjid.

Police Col. Rex Derilo, director of the provincial police, said Lanao del Sur, including Marawi City, is under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine. The mass gathering has been allowed provided they maintain the 50 percent capacity of the venue and observe standard health protocols.

Aleem Alibasher Abdulatif, the Imam who led the prayer, said the subject of their prayer is to ask for forgiveness and to do sacrifice like what the Meranaws did in the past five celebrations of Eid al-Adha.

"Itong mga ginagawa natin ay humihingi tayo ng patawad sa mga nagawang pagkakamali dahil marami sa atin ang nagkakamali. Ang ginawa ng Panginoon na isinakripisyo niya ang kanyang anak, yan din ang nangyayari sa amin na dalawang taon, tatlong taon na, nangyari ang Marawi siege, ito na namang pandemic. Isang malaking sakripisyo ito para sa amin (What we are doing is ask forgiveness for the wrongdoings we have made, as we have committed trespasses. God’s deed to sacrifice his son is similar to our experience in the past two, three years – the Marawi siege, the pandemic. This is a big sacrifice for us)," Abdulatif said.

He added that in their prayers, they seek more patience to endure the situation of Meranaws who have been displaced by the siege and for the health experts to be guided in their efforts as they respond to the call to end the pandemic.

"Hiniling namin sa Allah na gabayan sila dahil hindi nila (kaya) kung sila lang (We pray to Allah to guide the health experts because they can't do it alone)," Abdulatif said.

Sandosin Teraop, a senior citizen, said she joined the gathering with her family despite the risk to her health.

"This celebration is important to the Muslims because this is the time when we are going to ask for forgiveness for the sins we have committed," Teraop said. (PNA)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Duterte administration has implemented over 15,000 infrastructure projects in Central Luzon in a span of five years as part of its mission to propel countryside development.

Since 2016, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed the construction, maintenance, widening, upgrading, and rehabilitation of a total of 2,438 kilometers of road and 489 national bridges despite the last 16 months marred by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Likewise, a total of 13,219 classrooms were built while 1,617 flood mitigation structures were completed.

Twenty-three evacuation centers were constructed to provide livable temporary shelters for residents and minimize the use of school buildings during typhoons and other natural calamities.

Under the “Build, Build, Build” program, notable projects included the Plaridel Bypass, Pulilan-Baliuag Diversion Road, Subic Freeport Expressway, New Clark City Phase, Clark International Airport new terminal building, and Central Luzon Link Expressway Phase 1, all seen to pave the way for the desired economic growth of the region.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said that not even the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic could stop them from realizing the national government’s goal to erect more vital infrastructures across the country.

“The DPWH has been working 24/7, even in the face of this pandemic to finish all projects committed under the Build, Build, Build program following the instructions from the Chief Executive to meet our target, before he steps down as the country’s 16th President,” Villar posted on social media on Tuesday.

Community-based

Aside from the flagship infrastructures, there were projects to improve the lives of communities.

For residents in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, the Sibut Bridge provides convenient and safer travel.

Mario Pallacer said the new bridge makes travel easy from the city to neighboring towns.

“Noon wala pa ang bagong tulay, ang pagbiyahe ay matagal, trapik at maalikabok. Ngayon mabilis at convenient (Before the construction of the new bridge, the travel took too long, traffic was slow, and it is dusty. Now, it is faster and convenient),” Pallacer said in an interview.

Furniture shop supervisor Reynaldo Beltran said the new bridge opens up more economic opportunities for residents.

“Malaking pagbabago. Lumakas 'yung furniture namin (There is a big change. Our furniture business has grown stronger). Our travel time before was 15 to 30 minutes before reaching the city proper. Now, it only takes five minutes. Napapabilis ang transactions sa lahat (Transactions are faster for everyone),” Beltran said.

The construction of the Berang Hanging Bridge in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, on the other hand, provides relief to residents, especially to parents who no longer have to worry about the safety of their children who cross the river on a makeshift raft.

“My grandchildren almost got killed because the makeshift raft that we made was unstable. That’s why when we learned about the bridge, I felt relieved,” Elizabeth Quibuyen, a resident of Barangay San Pedro, said.

Norberto Mangalinao, chair of Barangay San Pedro, said the new bridge benefits farmers and students.

“They do not need to use makeshift boats anymore. The transfer of goods to the other barangays is a lot easier,” Mangalinao said.

Businesswoman Queenie Mendoza said the new hanging bridge made a huge difference on their lives.

“It opened up a lot of different business opportunities. When the people saw the beauty of the hanging bridge, it instantly became famous because of the scenic view,” Mendoza said.

Convenience

Meanwhile, the completion of the Diaman-Dikildit Road in Maria Aurora, Aurora meant improved mobility and access to services.

“With the completion of the two-lane road, we no longer have to cross the Diaman River and traverse rough trails especially when transporting our farm products to the nearest market,” farmer Roy Santillan told the Philippine News Agency.

Likewise, residents and farmers no longer have to endure unpaved and muddy roads, especially during the rainy season, with the completion of a concrete road project in Concepcion, Tarlac.

Prior to the construction of the 1.2-kilometer road, residents had no choice but to walk or ride carabao-driven carriages as motorized vehicles cannot pass through.

“With the concrete road, people here and even motorized vehicles can now pass by and enjoy shorter travel time,” Lino Dimaano, a resident of Barangay San Isidro, said.

Two flood control structures were likewise finished in Camiling, one of the towns in Tarlac identified by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as vulnerable to flooding.

“Camiling is considered as one of the fastest-growing towns of the province but is also one of the areas in Tarlac that is prone to flooding. With the construction of the flood control structures, residents of Camiling will now be less susceptible to flooding,” DPWH District Engineer Erelina Santos said in a previous statement.

With these projects, residents agreed that President Rodrigo Duterte will leave the next administration with a robust pipeline of infrastructure projects and ensure that Filipinos will benefit from a legacy of continuity. (PNA)

LAOAG CITY –Hundreds of senior citizens mostly from this city received their first dose of coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday at the mega vaccination site inside the gymnasium of the Divine Word College of Laoag (DWCL).

Organized by the Ilocos Norte vaccination team led by Dr. Norman Rabago in his capacity as head consultant, the first largest vaccination rollout in the province focused on the elder people here who are at a higher risk of developing severe symptoms of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Of the total 5,315 Covid-19 cases with 98 deaths logged in Ilocos Norte as of July 18, the Provincial Health Task Force reported that 80 percent of the patients were elderly as well as persons with comorbidities.

To augment the city government’s initial vaccination rollout at the Laoag City General Hospital and the Holy Spirit Academy to its priority A1, A2, and A3 categories, Rabago said they have sought the help of more health volunteers as well as the DWCL to provide a more spacious and well-ventilated venue to accommodate more than a thousand vaccinees per day.

“Upon the request of our governor, we were able to secure around 5,000 doses of vaccines from the Department of Health which we expect to administer to our priority list groups under A1, A2, and A3 categories starting today (July 20) until Saturday (July 24),” said Rabago in an interview on Tuesday while supervising the administration of AstraZeneca vaccines to most senior citizens.

With barely three days of preparation, Rabago said they were able to encourage more seniors to get vaccinated this time.

Once hesitant to receive the vaccine against Covid-19 for fear of its reported side effects, Helen Ribao Abad, 75, from Barangay Pila, Laoag City said she was finally convinced by her son last Friday to have her name listed as one of the vaccinees today (July 20).

“I felt relieved, my first dose is done. I look forward to my second dose of vaccine on September 22 which will coincide with my birthday,” she said after receiving her first shot from a volunteer health worker who made sure she was comfortably seated and relax while waiting for her turn to get the vaccine.

After registering himself in various online registration sites and at the village level, another senior and a person with disability Marino Guieb from Laoag City said he is thankful to the provincial government’s vaccination team for helping Laoag reduce its vaccination backlog.

“The mega vaccination rollout is very organized and efficient. I never heard any complaint from my fellow seniors because when we arrived at the site a few minutes before our schedule, chairs were already pre-arranged, waiting to be occupied by batch. Once seated, the vaccinators and some volunteer health workers move around to assist us in the vaccination process -- from filling out forms to getting the jab which took us an average of one hour and we’re done,” said Guieb as he narrated his experience at the vaccination site.

While expecting the arrival of more vaccines on Thursday, Rabago said they hope to establish more mega vaccination sites in other towns and cities of Ilocos Norte where the infection is high.

"After Laoag, we are planning to set up another mega vaccination site in Batac City as well as in some other towns if they need us to augment,” said Rabago as he expressed gratitude to the DWCL management and staff for their swift action to host the largest vaccination rollout site in the province so far. (PNA)

BACOLOD CITY – The city government here received its single largest allocation of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) jabs in a day, totaling 51,040 doses, all delivered by the national government on Monday.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia welcomed the arrival of additional vaccines as the vaccination rollout continues in various vaccination centers, including the Ayala Malls Capitol Central and SMX Convention Center.

“We are very pleased to announce the biggest volume we've received in one delivery since the implementation of our vaccination program,” Leonardia said in a statement on Tuesday.

The 51,040 shots included 30,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) single-dose Janssen; 18,700 doses of AstraZeneca; and 2,340 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech.

Leonardia thanked Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer and vaccine czar of the National Task Force Against Covid-19, “for keeping his word to keep Bacolod among the priorities” for vaccine allocation.

“We are sure this volume will help us accelerate the implementation of our vaccination program,” he added.

Leonardia said the 18,700 doses of AstraZeneca that arrived on Monday are already part of the supply procured by the city government through a tripartite agreement with the national government and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Philippines Inc.

“And with this, we expect our locally-funded vaccines to come on a regular basis," he said.

"This is good news to the many who are waiting considering that we had already been allowed to include priorities A1 until A5,” Leonardia added.

Frontline personnel in essential sectors, including uniformed personnel, belong to A4 while indigents fall under A5.

Currently, the vaccination rollout here continues for individuals belonging to the A1, A2, and A3 priority groups, which include front-line health care workers, senior citizens, and adults with comorbidities, respectively.

“We again appeal for the participation of our people in our vaccination program even as we thank those in the malls and in the barangays who have been tirelessly working to inoculate as many and as fast as can be,” Leonardia said.

As of July 18, a total of 88,489 doses have been administered, including 66,012 first doses, and 22,477 for second doses.

The vaccines comprised 22,605 doses of AstraZeneca, and 65,884 doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac.(PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Local authorities are tracking down four people, including a 19-year old female who has gone into hiding after she tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said Tuesday the three being tracked down are residents of Barangay Vitali who boarded a fish carrier from their village and disembarked at Corcuera Street near the public market in the afternoon of July 16.

Salazar, who chairs the local Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), said the three are believed to have been exposed to Covid-19, as another passenger who boarded the same fish carrier in Cagayan de Oro City was later found to be positive and is now under isolation.

“The three passengers are advised to immediately turn themselves in for necessary quarantine procedures and to avoid endangering public health,” Salazar said.

She said the index case is a crew member of an international barge whose routes include Indonesia, a country with confirmed Delta variant Covid-19 cases.

She said the Department of Health (DOH) is still determining if he's infected with the Delta variant.

The index case was allowed to board the fish carrier by its driver after showing pertinent documents but with pending swab test results.

His Covid-19 test result was released when he arrived in this city and relayed to the City Health Office by health counterparts from Cagayan de Oro, according to Salazar.

Fish carriers fall under essential services and are allowed unhampered movement across all borders.

Meanwhile, the Covid positive is a 19-year-old woman, who has gone into hiding before health authorities could escort her from her boarding house on July 18.

Salazar said she is a native of Basilan province who has been renting a room here but fled the premises when her swab test came back positive.

The mayor said a search conducted by the local IATF-EID revealed that she sought refuge in one of the residences in Barangay Talon-Talon but efforts to contact her have been futile.

Salazar said the asymptomatic woman, as well as the house owner who is sheltering her, were advised to immediately coordinate with the City Health Office or the nearest police station.

“Concealing as well as aiding people with infectious diseases is a violation and is punishable under the law,” she warned. (PNA)

COTABATO CITY – Two persons were arrested for possession of a gun and ammunition during a Commission on Elections (Comelec) voters registration hearing in Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao on Monday.

In a report, Lt. Pasigan Abas, Datu Blah Sinsuat police officer-in-charge, identified those arrested as Datu Anabe Batua and Abe Lumalag, both of Barangay Tambak of the municipality.

Abas said the two were apprehended by policemen following a minor commotion at the venue of the Comelec hearing at the municipal hall.

The Comelec hearing intends to determine inactive or double registrants in an area, to clean the Comelec list of voters.

Police, backed by members of the Philippine Marines, prevented the commotion from going out of hand after two groups traded barbs during Monday’s hearing of the local Election Registration Board (ERB) when the application as a registered voter of Bai Ingrid Sinsuat, daughter of the Sinsuat political clan in the province, was questioned.

Authoritiesintervened when followers of Bai Ingrid and those of village chair Asanal Sinsuat of Barangay Resa were exchanging words.

Four residents, including Asanal, contested her application for registration as voter-resident of Barangay Resa.

“It was at this point, where a compact .45-caliber pistol fell from the waist of Batua, prompting authorities to nab him,” Abas said.

A further search on Lumalag, a colleague of Batua, yielded three .45 caliber magazines with ammunition.

Both are supporters of Bai Ingrid, who insisted that Batua is authorized to carry a gun.

Bai Ingrid was the wife of the late Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, son of the late former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.

Locals said Bai Ingrid has been planning to run for town mayor, but she did not respond when asked by reporters.

She insisted though that she is a resident and that her family has an ancestral home in the village.

Asanal said Bai Ingrid resides in Davao City and has not been a resident of the village for the past six years.

Datu Blah Mayor Marshall Sinsuat also said that Bai Ingrid is no longer staying in Barangay Resa.

The issue was not resolved and tension ran high when supporters from both sides gathered at the town government center.

The Comelec’s ERB is yet to schedule another hearing on Bai Ingrid’s application.

Charges for violation of R.A. 10591 or the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act” were filed against Batua and Lumalag, now detained at the Datu Blah Sinsuat police station. (PNA)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The provincial government has rolled out a vaccination drive against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) for Kapampangan overseas workers bound to depart the country.

Angelina Blanco, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said on Tuesday the move is in recognition of the sacrifices of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their vital contribution to the economy.

“Ang atin pong ni-roll out ay for OFWs (What we rolled out is for OFWs). Those certified OFWs. We checked if may contract na sila sa kanilang employer and passport nila. Isa sila sa mga nagko-contribute ng income sa bansa natin and of course, kailangan natin ang mga OFWs to uplift the living condition of our people (We checked if they have a contract with their employers and their passports. They are one of those who contribute to the income of the country and of course, we need the OFWs to uplift the living condition of our people),” Blanco said in an official social media account post.

Sheryn Manabat, a native of Floridablanca town, one of the OFWs who flocked early to the vaccination site which started Monday, is thankful to the provincial government as she was given the second shot of the vaccine.

Manabat said she got her shot in Winnipeg, Canada before returning to the country to seek medical treatment.

Manabat said she was required to get the second shot in the country before returning to Canada.

“Sobrang mahalaga kasi pag hindi ako nag-second dose magbabayad ako ng 2,000 to 3,000 Canadian dollars (It is very important because if I was unable to get my second shot here, I would pay 2,000 to 3,000 Canadian dollars),” she said.

Like Manabat, Alvin Santos also needs to get his second jab before going back to Singapore.

“I was supposed to go back to Singapore the second week of June. However, our travel was deferred. We were advised to have our vaccination in our home country for us to go back to Singapore,” Santos said.

He likewise thanked the provincial government because aside from free vaccination, he is one of the beneficiaries of the “Balik Pinas, Balik Pampanga” program.

“We are grateful for this vaccination not only for myself but for my family as well,” Santos said.

As of July 18, a total of 5,183 Kapampangans have so far benefited from the “Balik Pinas, Balik Pampanga” program since it was launched by the provincial government on June 30, 2020.

The program fast-tracks the processing of repatriated Kapampangan overseas Filipino workers, including non-working individuals, to their families after months of being stranded across the globe. (PNA)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Some PHP1.7 million worth of illegal drugs were seized from five suspected peddlers during an anti-illegal drug operation in Angeles City on Monday.

Colonel Rommel Batangan, chief of Angeles City police, said on Tuesday that joint elements of Angeles City Drug Enforcement Unit and Angeles City Police Office Station 3 conducted the buy-bust operation in Barangay Pandan, Angeles City that led to the arrest of Saif Boko, listed as a high-value individual; Mamad Datu, and Amin Ibrahim, all residents of Jaoville Compound, Barangay Pandan; and Ibrahim Limbona and Samad Omar, both residents of Lourdes North West, all in Angeles City.

Batangan said confiscated from the suspects were four pieces of heat-sealed plastic sachets and three pieces of knot-tied plastic bags all containing suspected shabu, weighing approximately 250 grams with Dangerous Drug Board estimated street value of PHP1.7 million.

Appropriate charges for violations of Section 5 concerning Section 26 and Section 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act) are being readied against the suspects.

Brig. General Valeriano T. De Leon, regional director of the Police Regional Office 3, said they will continue to carry out pro-active operations to wipe out all forms of illegal drugs in the region. (PNA)

CEBU CITY –Former Cebu Governor Emilio Mario “Lito” R. Osmeña Jr. died on Monday in Cebu. He was 82.

His son, Mariano “Mimo” Osmeña confirmed in his social media post the death of his father.

“So long Dad! You will always be part of us. Thank you is not enough,” Mimo’s post read.

Reports said he died of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), but none from the family confirmed it.

In a separate post, Mimo said: “My father was a visionary and workaholic until the last week of his life. I strongly feel the withdrawals from unproductivity had a large impact on his declining health.”

With the demise of the known architect of “Ceboom,” a rapid economic development of Cebu province in the early 1990s, words of sympathy flooded the social media communities here.

Lito Osmeña became governor of Cebu from 1988 to 1992.

“Your death came like the proverbial thief in the night. Although you have long embraced the inescapable fact of mortality… death, or the idea of death, was not pronounced lately as the brewing political season has, again, caught your fancy. This time… as you put it… to be more interesting as (this is) also the season of the passing of the torch. Are we not supposed to blow the clarion for genuine devolution of powers and initiatives, relevant education, tactical nuclearization and competent leadership?” lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda said in his post.

Sepulveda helped Lito’s presidential bid in 1998 under the political party, PROMDI, which means Probinsiya Muna Development Initiative, with Ismael Sueño from South Cotabato as his running mate. He lost to Joseph Estrada.

Lito won as governor in Cebu in 1988 shortly after the ratification of the 1987 Constitution and his incumbency became timely with the reorganization of local government units after the 1986 Edsa Revolution.

During his reign in the provincial capitol, Lito made an unprecedented project establishing road link between Cebu City and the western town of Balamban via the upland villages in what is now known as Transcentral Highway.

In 1992, he accepted Fidel Ramos' invitation to be his running mate, citing his vision to follow his grandfather's footsteps. He, however, lost to Estrada in a seven-way race for vice president.

He served as executive vice president of Lakas-NUCD and chief economic adviser of President Ramos from 1993 to 1997.

Before he was reportedly diagnosed with Covid-19, Lito joined a press conference on June 3 endorsing his son Mimo to run as 1st District representative of this city after being left vacant due to the death of Raul del Mar.

His brother, former Senator John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña died five months earlier in February at the age of 86. (PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Fifty-three new soldiers are preparing for deployment to the 11th Infantry Division’s (11ID) line units that are fighting the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits in Sulu.

The 53 new soldiers of the Candidate Soldiers Course Class 655-2020 graduated on Saturday from a rigorous four-month basic military training at the 11th Division "Mastal" Training School (11DTS) in Camp Bud Datu, Barangay Tagbak, Indanan.

They are now undergoing a 45-day Infantry Orientation Course to ensure their preparedness.

“At the surface, you might see this as an extension of your calvaries. But really, you should look at this as a privilege. With all the learning that you acquire, you gain confidence to face challenges head on. To win war, we need competent and confident individuals. As they say, warriors are made not just born,” the 11DTS said in a statement Tuesday, quoting the message to the soldiers of Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, the 11ID commander.

The 11DTS is responsible for the conduct of basic soldier skills training, specialization, in-service, and unit training for organic personnel and units of the 11ID.

"Mastal" is a Tausug word which means teacher. Its letters stand for the school's mantra -- Mastery, Attitude and Skills, for Training Army Leaders.

Class 655-2020 will become part of the youngest infantry division of the Philippine Army, dedicated to fighting the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria-affiliated ASG.

Candidate soldier Ken Pandacan, 22, from Barangay Man-uling Cauayan in Negros Occidental, topped the class with a general average of 94.75 percent.

He also obtained the highest rating in the physical fitness proficiency with a grade of 98 percent.

In December 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte, accompanied by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, led the activation of the 11ID “Alakdan” Division on at Camp General Teofilo Bautista, which houses the headquarters of the Joint Task Force-Sulu in Barangay Bus-Bus, Jolo. (PNA)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY –Health authorities in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) have not recorded any case of local transmission so far of the new variants of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), even as cases reached 21 as of Tuesday.

Dr. Aristides Concepcion Tan, Department of Health (DOH)-Region 12 director, said they have sustained their intensified biosurveillance for the disease since the initial infections from the mutant strains in the region were confirmed last April.

He said majority of the cases involved returning overseas Filipino workers and travelers, with the patients considered to have recovered before arriving in their respective localities.

Last month, DOH-12 reported a total of 19 cases of Covid-19 variants in the region, including a patient from this city who recovered from the Indian or Delta variant.

Two more cases were added to the list this month involving the United Kingdom or Alpha strains, which comprised most of the recorded cases in the region.

“As of now we’re still considered free from (variant transmission), especially for the Delta (strain),” Tan said in a phone interview.

As such, he urged residents to be more cautious and vigilant, and practice self-protection measures due to the threats posed by the spread of the more contagious and potentially deadly disease.

The official cited the strict compliance to non-pharmaceutical interventions or minimum health protocols such as the wearing of face masks and face shields, observance of personal hygiene, and safe physical distancing.

Residents, especially those with comorbidities, should protect themselves at all times and stay home as much as possible.

Tan said they will continue with their aggressive monitoring in various localities in coordination with the rural health units and local hospitals.

He said flagged cases based on the biosurveillance criteria are sent to the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center for sequencing.

“We’re also tracing and isolating all close contacts of concerned patients while waiting for the genome sequencing results as part of the protocol,” he said.

As of 6 p.m. Monday, the active Covid-19 cases in the region continued to “plateau” and was down to 2,585 after breaching the 3,000-mark a month ago.

The confirmed infections in the area since March last year reached a total of 25,172, with 800 related deaths and 21,783 recoveries. (PNA)

BACOLOD CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has recently completed a 75-meter bridge that allows tourists to reach two popular beach areas in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental without riding a boat.

With the structure in place, the public now has easier access to the pristine beaches of Sugar and Langub beach resorts in Barangay Nauhang.

DPWH-Western Visayas regional director Lea Delfinado said in a statement on Tuesday that the bridge links two sitios (zones) of the village separated by a natural waterway leading to the ocean, requiring tourists to rent a motorboat to reach the shoreline.

“It was a bit uncomfortable travel. With the completion of the project, they can simply drive their own cars to their desired destination. Convenience in the transportation of the locals also greatly improved,” she added.

The bridge construction was undertaken by the DPWH Negros Occidental Third District Engineering Office headed by District Engineer Rodney Gustilo.

Gustilo said the bridge is part of the PHP50-million access road development leading to Sugar Beach Resort and Langub Beach Resort, a convergence project of the DPWH and the Department of Tourism.

It involves the construction of 225-lineal meter concrete road and slope protection, with gabions and grouted riprap, reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings as well as chevron road signs and guardrails to ensure the safety of motorists and travelers.

“The tourism industry in the city is enhanced with the completion of this bridge, which leads to the opening of small businesses catering to the increasing number of tourists visiting these pristine beaches and commune with Mother Nature,” Gustilo said.

Nauhang resident Rowena Montalvo said the bridge project also provides easy access in transporting their agricultural and marine products to a larger market, and in cases of medical emergency, they need not wait for a motorboat to transfer patients to the city proper.

Sipalay, located about 175 kilometers south of Bacolod, is the top tourist destination in Negros Occidental.

It is dubbed “The Jewel of Sugar Island” for its white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters, attracting both foreign and domestic tourists. (PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The number of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) terrorists who surrendered in Basilan province has reached 21 after another five gave up to military authorities, officials announced Tuesday.

The five, followers of the slain ASG leader Isnilon Hapilon, showed up around 11:30 a.m. on Monday at the 68th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Barangay Campo Uno, Lamitan City.

Lt. Col. Napoleon Pabon Jr., 68IB acting commander, identified the ASG surrenderers through their aliases as Nori, 32; Ansar, 44; Dam, 44; Miyo, 42; and, Sharim, 30.

Hapilon also known as Abu Abdulla al-Filipini, was killed in October 2017 during the battle of Marawi City.

They turned over four Garand rifles and one KG-9 semi-automatic pistol with ammunition.

Joint Task Force (JTF)-Basilan and the provincial and local governments will assist the former extremists in their reintegration into mainstream society.

Since January, JTF-Basilan has welcomed a total of 21 ASG bandits, who abandoned the armed struggle.

Of the 21 surrenderers since January, 18 were regular ASG members while the other three were supporters.

“We are optimistic that those bandits who are still hiding will soon come out and avail of the programs and projects that the government offers,” said Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command. (PNA)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Senior citizens situated in remote or geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) will be prioritized in the upcoming rollout of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine in Region 12 (Soccsksargen).

Dr. Aristides Concepcion Tan, Department of Health-Region 12 director, said Tuesday the preparations are underway for the distribution and utilization of the vaccines in selected GIDA areas in the region.

“These are far-flung areas in Region 12 that are usually difficult to reach,” he said in an interview.

The DOH central office delivered to the region on Monday some 148,700 doses of the Janssen vaccine from the 3.2 million doses donated so far by the United States.

Tan said the rollout of the vaccine will be a huge help in the ongoing expansion of mass vaccination activities in the area as it only requires a single dose.

He said it will allow them to accommodate in the process more eligible individuals under the priority group A2 or senior citizens.

The official said they are continually increasing their vaccination coverage daily in coordination with the rural health units to meet the country’s population protection target by the end of the year.

“Our vaccine deliveries have been increasing as more supplies are also arriving in the region,” Tan said.

Last week, the region received some 45,700 doses of AstraZeneca and 2,400 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccines.

These are intended for the first dose of the remaining eligible individuals under priority groups A1 (frontline health care workers), A2, and A3 (persons with comorbidities).

DOH-12 has yet to formally start the region-wide inoculation for those under A4 (essential government and private workers) but some 3,999 private employees here and in Koronadal City have started to undergo vaccination through the initiative of the business sector. (PNA)