Inquirer Breaking News

    COTABATO CITY---Former Cotabato City Mayor and National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) head Ludovico Badoy succumbed to lingering illness and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Sunday, his brother Solomon said. He was 69. "It is with deep sorrow and pain that we let you know that Ludovico D. Badoy---(husband) to Dutch, stepfather to Tin, brother, uncle, mayor, leader and many more to us all and a second dad to us---passed away at 11:57 a.m. in Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, Tala, Caloocan City," his brother Solomon Badoy said in a statement on Sunday. "We thank you for all your love, care and prayers! Please continue to pray for hi...

Keep on reading: Former Cotabato City mayor Ludovico Badoy passes away

    MANILA, Philippines --- The Maginhawa community pantry along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City, which recently made headlines for its noble objective of sharing donated food and other essential items to needy residents in the community is temporarily closed, its organizer said due to red-tagging issues. Ana Patricia Non, the organizer of the Maginhawa community pantry, made the announcement on her Facebook account Monday night. "Hindi magandang balita. Bukas po pause po muna ang #MaginhawaCommunityPantry para sa safety po namin ng mga volunteers," Non said. (Bad news. The Maginhawa community pantry will temporarily cease operations tomorrow for the safety...

Keep on reading: Maginhawa community pantry halts operations over red-tagging fears

    MANILA, Philippines --- Participants for the Philippines' clinical trials on the use of anti-parasitic drug ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment will be sourced from at least six quarantine centers near the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). "Yung mga quarantine centers around PGH, yun po ang ating kukunan ng participants, siguro at least mga anim po na quarantine centers," Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato dela Pea said in an interview on Teleradyo on Tuesday. (The quarantine centers around PGH, that's where we will source our participants, maybe at least six quarantine centers.) "Ito po most...

Keep on reading: COVID patients in quarantine centers eyed for ivermectin clinical trials – DOST

https://youtu.be/vYV9XTz-M0M MANILA, Philippines --- Three groups in the Philippines were able to develop locally-made ventilators, Secretary chief Fortunato de la Pea of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said on Monday during the regular briefing of President Rodrigo Duterte. Two of the groups are from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) and Don Bosco Technical College, Dela Pea announced. There's another group that he did not identify. The ventilators devised by the TIP group have already passed a third-party certification and will now need to be tested in hospitals. The same goes for the ventilators developed by the Don Bosco group. M...

Keep on reading: Three groups develop locally-made ventilators for COVID-19 patients

    MANILA, Philippines --- Typhoon Bising further weakened while moving north, the state weather bureau said Tuesday. In its 5 a.m. update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the typhoon was last spotted 505 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon. Pagasa said Bising was moving north slowly with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 215 kph. The state weather bureau forecast "heavy to intense rains"over Catanduanes while the eastern portion of Camarines Sur and Rapu-Rapu Islands will have moderate to heavy rains. "Under these conditions and ...

Keep on reading: Typhoon Bising weakens, Signal No. 2 in Catanduanes, parts of CamSur, Albay, Sorsogon

https://youtu.be/pPKVbV9L51Q MANILA, Philippines --- The Philippines is set to conduct clinical trials to determine whether the controversial anti-parasitic drug ivermectin can be used to treat COVID-19 patients, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Pea said Monday during the pre-recorded briefing of President Rodrigo Duterte. This developed a week after the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said it saw no need for conducting such a clinical trial. According to Dela Pea, ivermectin was discussed on April 15 during President Rodrigo Duterte's meeting with COVID-19 task force officials, and on April 17, he and Health Secretary Duque III discussed poten...

Keep on reading: Philippines to conduct clinical trials on ivermectin as COVID-19 treatment

https://youtu.be/nPiYvzW7J-4 MANILA, Philippines --- President Rodrigo Duterte lauded the country's performance in vaccinating Filipinos on Monday, saying its "good record" showed how hard the government had worked to secure COVID-19 vaccines. "Our record is good despite unfounded criticisms> I mean, we expect it. The Philippines was able to get the upper berth of the countries that are inoculated. That record is good, and to think people were almost in a quandary on where to get the next vaccination," Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino in a pre-recorded address. Duterte was reacting to the remark of Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the country's vaccine manager, that the...

Keep on reading: Duterte lauds ‘good record’ of PH in COVID-19 vaccination

    GENEVA - The world can bring the global COVID-19 pandemic under control in the coming months provided it distributes the necessary resources fairly, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) told a news briefing on Monday. Global climate change activist Greta Thunberg, joining the briefing as a virtual guest from Sweden, took a swipe at "vaccine nationalism" and said it was unethical that rich countries were prioritising their younger citizens for vaccination ahead of vulnerable groups in developing countries. "We have the tools to bring this pandemic under control in a matter of months, if we apply them consistently and equitably," said the head o...

Keep on reading: World can bring pandemic under control within months – WHO chief

      Patients with COVID-19 who have been consistently physically inactive have a significantly higher risk of severe outcomes than patients who were getting at least some exercise or regularly met physical activity guidelines prior to the illness, researchers found. Among the 48,440 patients in their study, 14.4% were consistently inactive in the two years before their COVID-19 diagnosis, 79.1% had some activity, and 6.4% consistently met recommended physical activity guidelines of at least 150 minutes per week. Compared with those who consistently met activity guidelines, people who were consistently inactive were more than twice as likely to be hospi...

Keep on reading: Physical inactivity tied to higher COVID-19 risks

https://youtu.be/ZRRl5MDCPnk MANILA, Philippines --- President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he would only send warships to "stake a claim" in the disputed West Philippine Sea if China should start drilling for oil and taking other resources from the area. Duterte said the West Philippine Sea was no longer in the possession of the West Philippine Sea, with China ships taking over it. He said the Philippine government could only regain control of the area by force. "I am addressing myself to the Chinese government. We want to remain friends. We want to share whatever it is. I already told you, the Chinese government: I'm not so much interested now in fishing. I don't t...

Keep on reading: Duterte says he will send warships to West PH Sea if China starts drilling for oil

MANILA, Philippines --- Typhoon Bising slightly weakened on Monday night, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. According to the latest data from Pagasa, Bising was last located 500 kilometers east of Infanta in Quezon Province. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kph near the center with a gustiness of up to 230 kph. It was moving north at 10 kph. Bising was seen to continue its northward or take on a north northwest track, which means that it would be around 370 kmeast of Casiguran, Aurora by Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning it would be around 315 km east of Aparri, Cagayan. It would start curving back t...

Keep on reading: Bising slightly weakens as it continues moving north over Luzon waters

    OTTAWA, Canada - Canada's finance minister announced Can$101.4 billion (US$80.9 billion) in spending Monday to help its battered economy recover from the pandemic and set a greener course with a new climate target. The measures in the government's first full fiscal plan in two years are to be rolled out over the coming years. "This budget is about finishing the fight against COVID," Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a speech to parliament. "It's about healing the economic wounds left by the COVID recession. And it's about creating more jobs and prosperity for Canadians in the days -- and decades -- to come." "We must punch our way out of the COVI...

Keep on reading: Canada to spend big to ‘punch way out of COVID recession’

  GENEVA, Switzerland - 2021 must be the year of action for protecting people against the "disastrous" effects of climate change, the United Nations said on Monday ahead of a crucial US-convened summit. Time is fast running out to tackle the climate crisis, the UN warned, with the Covid-19 pandemic having failed to put the brakes on "relentless" climate change. The call comes alongside a major report ahead of US President Joe Biden's climate summit beginning Thursday. Forty world leaders have been invited to attend Biden's virtual talks aimed at galvanising efforts by the major economies to tackle the climate crisis. "We are on the verge of the abyss," UN Secretar...

Keep on reading: World running out of time to tackle climate crisis: UN

  NEW YORK - An alleged stalker of pop superstar Taylor Swift was arrested after she suffered a break-in at her New York apartment, police said Monday. Hanks Johnson, 52, was charged with criminal trespassing after police responded to an emergency call on Saturday, reporting that someone was breaking into Swift's home in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. Johnson was released on his own recognizance following an arraignment in Manhattan criminal court Sunday night. According to the New York Daily News, Johnson had shown up at Swift's building to ring the doorbell at least five times over the past six months. The 31-year-old Swift -- who is back on top of the c...

Keep on reading: Stalker-plagued Taylor Swift has break-in at New York home

https://youtu.be/s7UQFcbVqyM MANILA, Philippines --- President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday admitted he felt "downhearted" when he learned of talks that some military men planned to withdraw their support to him. He even said he would willing to step down if he would no longer have the support of the military. "I was really downhearted because I expected the military to perform. I said: I am here because I thought I could be of help to the nation, to the Philippines," he said in Filipino in his weekly public address, "Talk to the People." "If we cannot work together, maybe we cannot work together on bigger things. What's the point?" he added. Duterte said that, during...

Keep on reading: Duterte says he’s willing to step down if military, police no longer support him

MANILA, Philippines --- Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion praised the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday for allowing the continued use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for people under the age of 60. "This is good news for us, the private sector and the LGUs, who ordered a total of 17 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines. We are glad that the FDA changed its position and allowed the AstraZeneca vaccine to be used by individuals 18 years old and above.," Concepcion said, according to a statement. "This decision is vital for us because the majority of the economic frontliners both from the LGU and the p...

Keep on reading: Concepcion praises DOH, FDA for allowing AstraZeneca use on those aged 60 and below

MANILA, Philippines --- President Rodrigo Duterte has a question for retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who has been staunchly defending the country's rights to the West Philippine Sea (WPS): "If the United Nations will ask China to surrender because of that award given to us, will China give it?" Duterte posed the question during a pre-recorded briefing that aired Monday night. It was his way of responding to calls by netizens and several active and retired government officials to assert Philippine sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea where 220 Chinese Maritime Militia ships had been found staying at the Julian Felipe Reef, which is part of the country...

Keep on reading: Can UN order China to surrender sea claims? – Duterte to Carpio

The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) said on Monday that the offenders in the controversial Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup match could face heavy sanctions from the revocation of licenses to the filing of criminal charges. "There are [several] possible, like suspensions and even withdrawal of licenses, plus maybe even cases if we gather enough evidence depending on our ongoing investigation," chair Baham Mitra told the Inquirer. The development comes on the heels of a meeting with officials of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), which also seeks to punish the erring individuals in the match between Siquijor Mystics and ARQ Builders Lapu-Lapu Heroes in Alcantara, Cebu, Wednes...

Keep on reading: Stiff penalties await erring cagers, coaches

MANILA, Philippines --- The Philippines is not in complete possession of the West Philippine Sea, President Rodrigo Duterte admitted on Monday, saying that the only way to recover it would be to use force. Duterte finally spoke about the issue in his pre-recorded briefing weeks after the Philippine Coast Guard reported the presence of Chinese Maritime Militia around Julian Felipe Reef, which is inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. "I asked [Defense] Secretary [Delfin] Lorenzana: Can we go there? Can we send our ships to the Spratly Islands? Of course, it should be the Coast Guard. We do not send gray ships, or warships, there," Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino....

Keep on reading: Duterte insists force needed to regain control over West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines --- The Philippines is expected to receive at least 13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines of various brands in this second quarter of 2021, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the country's vaccine manager, said. In a pre-recorded meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte, Galvez reported that more than 2 million doses of vaccines would arrive this April. On April 22, Galvez said 500,000 doses of Sinovac BioTech's CoronaVac and 20,000 doses of Gamaleya Institute's Sputnik V would be delivered. "This is what we call a mini rollout because this has a different component. So we will conduct testing first with the 20,000," Galvez explained in Filipino. Another 500,000 ...

Keep on reading: COVID-19 vaccine deliveries expected in 2nd quarter