(File photo) MANILA - Despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the restrictions on indoor and outdoor activities in areas placed under the most lenient Alert Level 1 have been lifted, Malacanang said on Tuesday. This, after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) allowed the full operations of establishments in places under Alert Level 1, acting Presidential Spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said. Andanar said the IATF-EID's latest decision was contained in the updated guidelines on the nationwide alert level systems for Covid-19 approved on Saturday. "The government pandemic task force recognizes the need to further identify the establishments and/or activities which are allowed to operate, or be undertaken in Alert Level 1," Andanar said in a press statement. Under the revised guidelines, all establishments and activities prohibited or allowed to operate or be undertaken in limited
BACK TO SCHOOL. President Rodrigo Duterte talks to Baybay City residents during his visit to check on the damage left by Tropical Depression Agaton, on Friday (April 15, 2022). Duterte has agreed that the resumption of face-to-face classes is vital in restoring normalcy to the country amid the ongoing pandemic.(Screengrab from Radio Television Malacanang) MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte agreed on Friday that the resumption of face-to-face (F2F) classes is vital in restoring normalcy to the country amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. This was after Duterte expressed confidence in the Department of Education's (DepEd) readiness to supervise the gradual expansion of in-person classes nationwide. During his visit to typhoon-hit Baybay City in Leyte province, Duterte backed the reopening of physical classes, saying the number of Covid-19 cases in the country is on the decline. "Ang problema pud sa eskuwelahan kay ang desisyon sa Secretary of Educati
(File photo) MANILA - The shift to Alert Level System (ALS) has opened more job opportunities for Filipinos who are bearing the brunt of the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, Malacanang said Thursday. This, after the country's unemployment settled at 6.4 percent in February 2022, according to the data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). However, the number of jobless Filipinos in February reached 3.13 million, higher than the 2.93 million reported in January. Despite this, the PSA noted that the February 2022's unemployment rate was lower than the 8.8 percent or 4.9 million unemployed Filipinos recorded in February 2021. Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, also acting presidential spokesperson, attributed the lower unemployment to the "effective" implementation of ALS. "Unemployed individuals in February 2022 are more than a million lower compared to the same month last year," Andanar said in a press statemen
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (File photo) MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday urged the next administration to adopt "good practices" that are currently being implemented in the fight against Covid-19, noting that these would come in handy should there be another global health threat in the future. Duterte made this remark after Health Secretary Francisco Duque III attributed the decrease in Covid-19 infections in the country to vaccination, natural immunity, and compliance with minimum public health standards. "There is no telling that one of these days, another vicious virus will visit the country or the world all over. At panibagong ano ito (And this will be new), far different from what we have now. Gusto ko lang malaman (I just want to know) what caused the numbers to go down because it would come in handy," Duterte said in a pre-recorded Talk to the People. "It would not be us who would face that problem anymore but the incoming or whoever wins,
DOLE Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay (File photo) MANILA - Some 116 establishments affected by the implementation of Alert Level 3 in many areas of the country, including Metro Manila, have so far applied for cash assistance under the Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) 3 of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). In a virtual forum on Monday, DOLE Assistant Secretary Dominique Tutay said the 116 companies have 1,223 workers who will benefit from CAMP 3. "Latest applicant in the system as of 4 p.m.: 116 establishments involving 1,223," she said. Meanwhile, Tutay also reported that close to 500 individuals have filed their applications for the one-time cash assistance worth PHP5,000. She said the online application was officially opened at 12:01 a.m. Monday. Tutay clarified that those who are covered by CAMP 3 are workers who are affected by temporary closure, permanent closure, and retrenchment of companies. "As of January 23, the number of workers aff