When it comes to nails, they have almost all kinds of nail art styles. And they have upcoming massage and pedicure chairs that will surely pamper their customers.

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Presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos Jr. vowed to push for a five-year term for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials should he win in the May 2022 polls.

Speaking before the barangay leaders and health workers of Parañaque City, Marcos said he is not in favor of the postponement of barangay elections.

“[H]uwag na tayong extend nang extend, postpone nang postpone, palitan na natin ‘yong batas para ang termino ng barangay official ay limang taon na at three-term limit (Let’s stop postponing and extending, let’s just amend the law so that the term of barangay officials would become five years with a three-term limit),” he said in a speech.

Marcos Jr. said this would allow the officials to continue and implement more efficiently their existing programs.

Barangay is the smallest political unit in the country where officials are elected to three-year terms.

In 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11462 or the postponement of the May 2020 barangay and SK elections to December 2022.

Under the law, village elections after the December 2022 vote will subsequently take place on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three years thereafter.PNA

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Partido Reporma standard-bearer Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said the Philippines must be fully prepared for a possible spillover to Asia of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The presidential aspirant added the country must walk the talk since it has supported the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

He said this includes allowing the use of the country’s facilities by allies such as the United States.

“Nagpirma na tayo sa UNGA resolution na nakikiisa tayo sa ibang bansa sa pagkondena sa invasion ng Russia sa Ukraine. So dapat lamang na sundan natin sa gawa ang ating salita. Kung sakaling kailangan ang facilities ng Pilipinas, mapa-dagat lupa o ere, tama lang yan (We signed the UN General Assembly resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. So we should walk the talk. If our facilities are needed whether it be on land, sea or air, that is but proper),” he said in a statement.

As early as February, Lacson, chair of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, had called on the Philippine authorities to prepare for the effects of the conflict.

Presently, he noted we are already feeling the effects of the conflict on the economy, with fuel prices already skyrocketing.

While hoping Russia-Ukraine conflict will not lead to nuclear war, Lacson said it is better that the Philippines should prepare for all scenarios.

“Mabuti rin na naka-ready tayo kesa mabigla tayo (It is better to be prepared than be surprised),” he said.

He also pointed out that the present situation shows the value of having allies who can help ensure our security from external threats.

“Sa akin lagi tayong consistent dito na mainam na meron tayong kaalyado pagdating sa ating security, external threat sa atin (We must be consistent — we must maintain close ties with allies who will help ensure our security from external threats),” Lacson added.

Anti-corruption measures

Meanwhile, Lacson said undercover agents posing as applicants will be deployed to catch extorting government employees.

He added that this will be among the drastic measures against corruption should he win in the May 9 elections.

Lacson said such drastic measures will keep even hardheaded members of the bureaucracy on their toes, for fear they would be caught and punished.

“Sa government bureaucracy, pwede tayong mag-field ng operatives na kunwari nag-a-apply… hanggang matanim sa isipan ng government employees and officials na delikado tayo, baka ang kinikikilan natin ay operative (In the bureaucracy, we can field operatives who will pretend as applicants, to catch mulcting employees. The corrupt employees will soon be on their toes because they don’t know if the applicant they are extorting from is a secret operative),” he added.

Lacson said he had done this to get rid of the “kotong culture” in the Philippine National Police when he headed it from 1999 to 2001.

This will jibe with his and his vice presidential bet Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s campaign theme of fixing the government’s ills (Aayusin ang Gobyerno, Aayusin ang Buhay ng Bawat Pilipino).

He also said he plans to have the Plunder Law revisited, to correct its weaknesses and make it easier to implement, so it will deter the corrupt from stealing from public coffers.

Lacson, who said corruption is one of the scourges that threaten to ruin his day, especially when he learns of Filipinos victimized by it, reiterated that should he be elected President, he will set the tone for the government in his first day in office by signing a waiver of his rights under the Bank Secrecy Act and undertake a massive sustained internal cleansing of the bureaucracy.

He stressed anew his vow to put a premium on transparency in government dealings, including the procurement of vaccines to address the Covid threat.

“Ang essence ng paglaban sa corruption, transparency (Transparency is the essence of fighting corruption),” he said.PNA

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“Kumbaga na-i-start na naming ‘yan. Never na nashelved ‘yan,” Panelo said in an interview after he paid a courtesy call on Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol Thursday afternoon, Aug. 20.

In July 2016, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) introduced the Panay-Guimaras Negros bridge as among the projects included in the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure modernization program.

Panelo said he called DPWH Secretary to personally ask the status of the long overdue project.

“[Sabi niya] nadelay lang because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he told reporters.

Last June, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-6) said the construction of the P27.1-billion may start in 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2030.

The project will be built in two phases – 14.3-kilometer Panay-Guimaras link and 5.7-kilometer Guimaras-Negros link.

The Iloilo-Guimaras bridge will start in Leganes, Iloilo and will end in Buenavista, Guimaras while the Guimaras-Negros bridge will start and end in San Lorenzo, Guimaras and Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, respectively.IMT

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“Kumbaga na-i-start na naming ‘yan. Never na nashelved ‘yan,” Panelo said in an interview after he paid a courtesy call on Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol Thursday afternoon, Aug. 20.

In July 2016, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) introduced the Panay-Guimaras Negros bridge as among the projects included in the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure modernization program.

Panelo said he called DPWH Secretary to personally ask the status of the long overdue project.

“[Sabi niya] nadelay lang because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he told reporters.

Last June, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-6) said the construction of the P27.1-billion bridge may start in 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2030.

The project will be built in two phases – 14.3-kilometer Panay-Guimaras link and 5.7-kilometer Guimaras-Negros link.

The Iloilo-Guimaras bridge will start in Leganes, Iloilo and will end in Buenavista, Guimaras while the Guimaras-Negros bridge will start and end in San Lorenzo, Guimaras and Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, respectively.IMT

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“The nicotine itself is not the problem. The global health catastrophe we face is due to the way it’s delivered. In short, for anyone wishing to tackle the global toll of 20,000 lives a day lost due to cigarette smoking, we need to remember just four words: ‘it’s the smoke, stupid’,” Prof. David T. Sweanor, chair of the advisory board of the Centre for Health Law, Policy & Ethics at the University of Ottawa, said.

He stressed that contrary to popular belief, nicotine is not the substance that causes these deaths. “There have been many decades of research on the health effects of cigarette smoking, and we have known since at least the 1970s that the primary cause of the cancers, heart and lung disease is the repeated inhalation of smoke,” he said.

The professor made the distinction to differentiate the risk profile of non-combustible alternatives (NCAs) like vapes, heated tobacco products (HTPs) and oral products like Sweden’s snus which deliver nicotine without burning tobacco. He said by eliminating combustion or the burning process, these innovative products provide smokers less harmful alternatives to smoking.

Sweanor said the human body is simply not designed to inhale smoke. It is the tar from combustion, and not nicotine, that contains carcinogens and toxicants. “We see similar disease patterns in those who cook food over open fires with poor ventilation and in firefighters exposed long-term to smoke inhalation,” he said.

He likened nicotine to caffeine, saying it is a psychoactive substance that is addictive and gives assorted benefits to many users. He, however, noted that “by themselves, neither have significant health risks when used at normal dosage levels. But if obtained through a toxic delivery system such as smoking, great injury can be caused.”

Sweanor said that making NCAs available to countries such as the Philippines will help millions of smokers reduce their exposure to smoke and illnesses.

Mounting evidence from scientific studies around the world confirm that NCAs are significantly less harmful than traditional cigarettes. According to Public Health England and the Royal College of Physicians, e-cigarettes are at least 95-percent less harmful to humans than combustible tobacco.

A February 2019 clinical trial by UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) found that e-cigarette was twice as effective as nicotine replacement treatments such as patches and gum at helping smokers quit. NCAs offer a similar ritual and pleasure as cigarettes with less exposure to the dangerous toxins and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke.

“We now can get rid of cigarette smoking much as many countries have got rid of various infectious diseases and transitioned consumers away from a broad range of other overly hazardous products. We can use science, technology and reason to draft regulations that can end cigarette smoking, and thus address the 20,000 daily deaths globally that are caused by that smoking. We can make public health history no less significant than the eradication of smallpox,” Sweanor said.

Citing Japan’s experience, Sweanor said the it reduced cigarettes sales by more than 30% in just over three years following the introduction of HTPs.

“Product substitution works and appears to work better than any other strategy we have used to date in reducing cigarette smoking. We have also seen this impact in Sweden, Norway, Iceland and other countries as well, and with a variety of low-risk non-combustible alternatives to cigarettes,” he said.

He noted, however, that many governments can’t keep up with the advances in science and technology.

“They often fail to understand the absolutely enormous differences in risk between different nicotine products and inadvertently protect the cigarette business by seeing low-risk alternatives as a threat rather than an opportunity,” he said.

“The combined offering in terms of consumer needs and wants, and the information, availability and pricing of the low-risk alternatives should ensure that the safer choice is an easy choice,” he said.

“Viable alternatives to cigarettes can reduce cigarette consumption dramatically. We can seize the opportunity technology now makes available to end the cigarette epidemic,” Sweanor said.

Photo from Pixabay

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As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the country, making sure that you have some sort of safety net in case you—knock on wood—catch the virus has become a real necessity. And while, yes, having a comprehensive insurance policy and being on the priority list of your family’s life-long physician are ideal, fact is not everyone has the means for these.

With netizens reporting six or seven figure hospital bills on top of the many struggles that come with securing hospital beds, is there something that regular Filipinos can do to sleep better at night knowing that someone’s got their back in case misfortune strikes?

The good news is, there is! And it may be an unlikely solution, but Globe At Home has the answer. The company recently announced the launch of UNLI FIBER UP, its line of enhanced postpaid broadband plans that not only offer upgraded and more reliable speed but free modern essentials as well, including free medical coverage for COVID-19 and Dengue via GInsure, and subscription to telemedicine app, Konsulta MD.

The COVID-19 and dengue insurance gives people GCash assistance medical coverage of up to P140,500 while the telemedicine subscription ensures that you have access to doctors for a consult, any time of the day, any day of the year.

Barbie Dapul, VP for Marketing of Globe At Home, said UNLI FIBER UP represents Globe At Home’s leveled-up commitment to help the nation win against COVID-19 and its ripple effects.

“We continue to reinvent not just our offerings, but also how we operate in order to effectively respond to new challenges. I am proud to say that now—more than ever—Globe at Home is Powered by Care. And we shall continue to move towards that direction in the days to come,” she shared.

In addition to these, Globe At Home’s UNLI FIBER UP plans also come with three months subscription to streaming services, Viu Premium, HBO Go, and Amazon Prime Video.

“We understand the worries of our customers as they go through the new normal. That’s why our efforts have been geared towards levelling up customer experience with proactive care at the core of everything we do. More than connectivity, we aim for reliability and consistency in our services—from application to retention—to give them the best care they deserve,” said Darius Delgado, Globe VP and Head of Broadband Business.

To learn more about Globe At Home’s new UNLI FIBER UP plans, you may visit https://www.globe.com.ph/broadband. You can also download the Globe At Home app and follow Globe At Home on Facebook.

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The number of active coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Western Visayas is now close to 5,000.

The Department of Health of (DOH-6) reported 368 new cases on Saturday, April 24, raising the region’s total caseload to 4,929.

Negros Occidental accounted for the highest number of new infections at 179.

It was followed by Bacolod City with 97 additional cases; Capiz, 39; Antique, 18; Iloilo province, 19; Iloilo City, 12; and Aklan, 2.

No new cases were recorded in Guimaras.

Of the total active cases in the region, 2,456 came from Negros Occidental, 850 from Bacolod City, 552 from Antique, 403 from Iloilo province, 234 from Iloilo City, 233 from Aklan, 189 from Capiz, and 12 from Guimaras.

Active cases are patients who are still infected with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March last year, Westen Visayas has registered 33,818 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 28,021 have recovered and 862 have died.IMT

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In his regular press conference on Thursday, March 4, Defensor said while he condemned the incident, he has yet to sit down with IPPO Director, Col. Gilbert Gorero, for a briefing.

He said as a lawyer, he could not simply attribute the incident to any group and instead wait for the police to do its task.

“We are giving them time to investigate,” Defensor said.

In his report furnished to the media on Wednesday afternoon, Gorero said soldiers of the 603rd Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB6) were traversing the boundary of barangays Pangilihan and Canauili in Janiuay on their way to Barangay Agcarope when they heard an explosion at about 9:30 a.m.

They were supposed to conduct a clearing operation for the groundbreaking of an agroforestry support facility sub-project in Barangay Panuran that afternoon, the report said.

The Iloilo City Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine Unit (EOD) found an improvised explosive device (anti-personnel mine), the directional type, measuring 6 inches in diameter and 8 inches in height.

It made use of an orange PVC pipe containing 714 pieces of shrapnel made of 9 mm. corrugated steel bar.

“Two suspects fled immediately after the explosion,” the police report added.

No casualty was reported after the incident.

In an interview over radio station RMN Iloilo, Major Gary Tungala, team leader of the EOD unit, said they also recovered a firing wire of about 30 meters to 40 meters.

Most likely, Tungala said, the target was the police patrol car but the device exploded after it passed the area.

He added that it was likely the blasting cap failed to ignite the explosive, otherwise, its “detonation distance” could have reached 50 meters to 100 meters.Perla Lena/PNA

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The beneficiaries of the one-day digipack training were 30 municipalities with a Multi-Sector Integrity Circles in place. 

The Integrity Circles is composed of the municipal and community-based civil society organizations, private business and enterprises, and the Local Government Units (LGUs) mostly represented by the Local Economic and Investment Promotions Office (LEIPO).

The digipack aims to capacitate network members under the LoGIC Project so that they can combine the use of digital tools with face-to-face work making them “digitally ready” to transition to online work as required under the new normal in carrying out monitoring and evaluation of Integrity Mechanisms on their respective locality. 

The LoGIC Project is a 3-year initiative that aims to establish a culture of integrity in LGUs all over the Philippines through the institutionalization of the LoGIC Network. The project involves around 300 LGUs across different regions. 

The project is co-funded by the European Union and by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development Cooperation. 

The project implementation is supported by the Iloilo Provincial Government and the chief executives of 30 LGU partners. 

Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. has issued Executive Order No. 039, Series of 2020 which reorganized and reconstituted the Integrity Circle of the Province of Iloilo. Project partners have likewise issued the same EOs at the LGU level to institutionalize the mechanisms that will maintain a culture of integrity.

Digipack is tailored for grassroots orgs

The digipack was designed for Iloilo Integrity Circles by the Iloilo Caucus Development NGOs Network (Iloilo CODE-NGOs) and the Local Economic Development and Investment Promotions (LEDIP) Center of the Iloilo Provincial Government as directed by Gov. Defensor, Jr.
The digipack is a compressed set of capacity building tools for effective online work under the new normal. It is composed of soft and technical orientation, step-by-step tutorial, trial run, and actual exercises.

The participants was able to learn the basic technical aspect of starting online work like installation of wi-fi router, resetting of wi-fi router, downloading of applications, and synchronization of mobile devices such as laptop computers and smart phones, among others.

It also enabled participants to get a refresher through a tutorial on how to set-up an E-mail account using Gmail, its interlinking usage like Google Drive, Google Map, and its meetings platform like Google Meet and also Zoom, the most popular application these days used for webinars, meetings and conferences.

The resource persons also reintroduced Facebook and the Facebook Page by presenting the many features that were integrated with the app and which participants can utilize for their livelihood activities, enterprises, or to simply establish the presence of their organizations online through social media. 

The effectiveness of using the Facebook Page to reach out to producers and consumers or on how to connect them was illustrated using the Iloilo Wholesale Tindahan, an application developed because of the pandemic. 

Moreover, participants was able to apply their skills through a trial run on the use of Zoom, Google Meet and Messenger Room with role play exercises in organizing a meeting, hosting a meeting, and being a webinar participant.

They also learned how to use digital wallets like GCash and PayMaya, a facility that most community-based CSOs were not familiar before the training. 

Participating municipalities 

The participation of 30 municipalities we clustered into five groupings. 

Cluster 1 is composed of Oton, Tigbauan, Miagao, San Joaquin, Leon and Alimodian. Cluster 2 includes Pavia, Sta. Barbara, San Miguel, Zarraga, Leganes and New Lucena.

On the other hand, Cluster 3 has Cabatuan, Janiuay, Badiangan, Calinog, Bingawan and Lambunao; Cluster 4 – Dumangas, Dingle, Btac. Nuevo, Passi City, Pototan and Mina; and, Cluster 5 Barotac Viejo, Sara, Ajuy, Concepcion, Balasan and Carles.

All of the participants across 30 municipalities were highly appreciative of the effort calling the initiative relevant and necessary for it responded on their needs. They were also committed to practice the knowledge and skills that they have acquired from the training and to share it within their respective sectors and organizations.

It is implemented in the Philippines by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Philippines together with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), Centrist Democracy Political Institute (CDPI), League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), and League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP).

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