DepEd to monitor students
vaccinated with Dengvaxia
The Department of Education (DepEd)
vowed on Saturday it will closely monitor students administered with anti-dengue
vaccine Dengvaxia, following reports that the world's first-ever dengue vaccine
poses risk to individuals with no prior dengue infection.
"As the health and safety of
our learners are of principal importance, the [DepEd], in close coordination with
the [DOH], will monitor the condition of learners who have been administered
with the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia,” the DepEd said in a statement.
The department said it will be
"actively participating in the review and consultations" of the
Department of Health (DOH) on the dengue immunization drive.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque
earlier ordered the suspension of the dengue vaccination program on Friday,
December 1, after pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur disclosed that the
Dengvaxia vaccine could lead to more severe symptoms for people who had not
been previously infected by the virus.
Following its analysis, Sanofi
confirmed that Dengvaxia only provides "persistent protective
benefit" against dengue fever in those who had prior infection.
Duque assured the public that there
had been no reports of deaths among children who had no prior dengue infectionn
and were administered with Dengvaxia, and called on the parents of children
that were vaccinated not to panic.
As of November 2017, Duque said
children ages 9 and above were administered with the anti-dengue vaccine in the
National Capital Region, Central Luzon , and
Calabarzon.
The dengue immunization drive was
initiated by the Aquino administration's last health chief, Janette Garin.
More than 700,000 children received
at least one of three doses of Dengvaxia. (PNA)
Climao tenders media
bash at Paseo del Mar
Mayor Maria Isabelle C. Climaco
Salazar tendered a media get together with guest Presidential
Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque last Saturday , December 2, 2017 AT
11:30 a.m in Centro Latino, Paseo del Mar this city.
Mediamen from radio, print and
television to include cable networks were invited thru text messaging last
December 2, 2017 in the morning.
Earlier, a presscon with Sec.
Roque was held with members of the tri-media at the Centro Latino
conference room-2nd floor.
The pre-Christmas party in a form
of a media get together started with a short program where Sec.
Roque gave his inspiration messages.
A Plague of
appreciation to the Zamboanga Press Club led by the President Teofilo
Garica, Jr. was handed with the citation read by PIO Sheila Covarrubias.
Councilor Jimmy Villaflores who
was the emcee called each media outfit to received their respective packs
of grocery items prepared by Climaco Salazar.
A raffle was also held where in
lucky members of the 4th state received a television sets
who was won by Lulu Gerolaga of ABS CBN and Roel Pareno and
one unit refrigerator won by Joey Cordova plus cash prize of five
hundred pesos (php 500.00) each for five winners.
This year Climaco Salazar
pre-christmas party was attended by most of the different media outfit except
for some who failed to attend for some reasons to the other.(Letty M. Militante
)
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SSS to open service
office in Zambo Sur
The state-run Social Security
System (SSS) opened Monday, December 4, a service office in
Molave, Zamboanga del Sur to bring its program closer to members.
Rodrigo Filoteo, SSS vice president
for Mindanao west division, said the setting up of the first service office in
Zamboanga del Sur will help decongest the number of clients in its supervising
branch, SSS-Pagadian
City
Filoteo said the Molave Service
Office, once operational, will cater to 260,476 individuals and 793 commercial
establishments since it will have jurisdiction over eight of the 26 towns and
221 of the 681 barangays in Zamboanga del Sur.
In Molave alone, 70,000 members and
pensioners will benefit from the service office.
“We have been eyeing Molave as the
ideal area to expand the reach of our service delivery in the region. It is a
first-class municipality with growing industries and various operating banks. Our
clients (in Molave) will no longer have to travel 38 kilometers to Pagadian City
The services to be offered by the
extension office will include issuance of forms, Social Security Numbers and
Employer ID Numbers; receipt of requests for data amendment, employer reports
on newly-hired or additional members, and applications for maternity benefits
and salary loans; and, inquiry and verification of SSS records.
SSS Pagadian City Branch Head James
Buckly said the SSS Molave Service Office will be initially manned by two
trained and qualified SSS personnel.
The service office will hold office
at the town hall
of Molave
Under the MOA, the Molave Local
Government Unit offered SSS a rent-free office space with an area of 15 square
meters at the second floor of its municipal hall. (PNA)
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Piston cancels 2-day
Nationwide strike
Transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor
Nationwide (PISTON) announced on Sunday the cancellation of its planned
nationwide transport strike slated December 4-5.
Piston president George San Mateo made the announcement after
Senator Grace Poe vowed to hear their concerns in an "urgent" Senate
hearing on December 7.
"Pansamantalang pinagpapaliban natin ang tigil pasada bukas
at sa Martes nang sa gayon mabigyan din, maharap namin yung public hearing sa
December 7 at mas mapaghandaaan ang mas malaking tigil pasada sa darating na
Enero" (We have temporarily cancelled our transport strike tomorrow and on
Tuesday so that we can face the public hearing on December 7 and prepare for a
bigger strike on January), San Mateo said in a press briefing.
Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, earlier
appealed to transport groups to call off their planned transport strike and
"instead sit down" in a Senate hearing on the jeepney modernization
program.
Last Tuesday, transport groups Piston and No to Jeepney Phaseout
Coalition said they would stage another protest action against the government's
plan to phaseout old jeepney units.
On Friday, three local government units (LGUs) announced the
suspension of classes in anticipation of the planned nationwide transport
strike. These are: Albay — all levels (except schools in islands and far-flung
areas, to be determined by local school authorities); Camarines Sur — all
levels; and Guagua, Pampanga — all levels. (PNA)
Pres. Duterte visits Sulu,
thanks soldiers for gallantry
JOLO, Sulu – President Rodrigo Duterte visited Sulu on Friday to
recognize the gallantry of Filipino soldiers who fought in liberating Marawi City
“Unang-una nagpapasalamat ako sa
inyo mga sundalo ng Republika ng Pilipinas sa sacrifice, sa pagtiis, sa lahat
ng bagay, harapin ang kahirapan, kamatayan (Foremost, I thank all soldiers of
the Republic of the Philippines for your sacrifices in all hardships),”
President Duterte said in his message after awarding the soldiers with the
Order of Lapu- Lapu here in Camp General Teodulfo Bautista.
“We had this crisis in Marawi. And
I know that the Filipino soldiers fought valiantly and we prevailed,” the
President added, noting that he hates war and nobody wins in a civil strife.
He added that he also came to Sulu
to greet the troops Merry Christmas as he invited Muslims to join Christians in
celebrating the holidays.
“So pumunta ako dito to greet you,
well in advance, a very Merry Christmas. And to my Muslim brothers and sisters,
celebrate with us the holidays. We would be glad to have you join us and we
will be proud with your presence,” he said.
“It's all for human kind that time,
kung maaari lang. Wala naman tayong talagang (We really don’t have) hatred for
each other to the point that we cannot talk together. We can celebrate
Christmas together," he said.
He added that he is a President for
peace and does not have authoritarian tendencies as a leader as he obeys the
Constitution.
“Ikaw at ako (you and me), you
know, we swore to protect the people and defend the Republic in its integrity
and territorial bounds,” he said.
The President promised the soldiers
to give them all they need to succeed in their mandate -from weapons to
necessary equipment to be effective in the field.
He also assured that they will
receive adjustment in their salaries by next year.
Meanwhile, he warned of renewed
threats from the communists after the cancellation of peace talks.
He said he halted the peace
negotiations with the communists because of their continued attacks on
government forces.
Duterte said the rebels have been
demanding for a coalition government, which is something that he cannot
compromise.
“So I told them, ‘I cannot give you
what I do not own.’ Sovereignty is always placed in the hands of the elected
people, ‘yung gusto ng tao (that is what people wants),” he said.
In order for the members of the
police and the military to effectively defend themselves whenever they are
outside the camps, the President said he will provide them with pistols.
Aside from conferring the Order of
Lapu-Lapu on soldiers who fought in Marawi
City
Also present during the event were:
Hollywood actor Steven Seagal; Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana; Special
Assistant to the President Bong Go; Presidential Adviser for Military Affairs
Arthur Tabaquero; AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero; Philippine
National Police (PNP) Director Gen. Ronald dela Rosa; Western Mindanao Command
chief ,Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez; Philippine Army chief, Lt. Gen. Rolando
Bautista; and Joint Task Force Sulu chief, Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana. (PND)
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DOE pushes for smart
technologies, e-vehicles
·
The list goes on. High-efficiency
motors, photovoltaic systems, light-emitting diodes, power banks, coolers, and
energy monitoring and control systems are some of the smart technologies the
Department of Energy (DOE) is pushing for, so the country can save on energy,
emit less carbon, that will eventually make businesses profit more.
The DOE is also pushing for
electric vehicles to further promote green technology options and a cleaner
environment.
“Smart energy technologies promote
efficient energy use, reduced energy cost and greener energy options to
households and energy sectors,” said Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola
during the E-Power Mo Energy Smart Utilization Forum and Stakeholders
Conference in Clark , Pampanga on Wednesday.
At the final leg of the E-Power Mo
campaign for the year, the energy department highlighted the efficient use of
energy resources, as well as conservation techniques for the consumers.
The DOE is also implementing the
Government Energy Management Systems (GEMS), which aims to reduce government’s
monthly energy consumptions by at least 10 percent from 2005 levels.
“The DOE will continue to empower
consumers and promote a "whole of nation" approach for efficient
energy utilization to enable the country to be globally competitive,” Delola
said. (PNA)
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DOH
urged to conduct surveillance in wake of dengue vaccine risks
The Department of Health (DOH) was
urged Friday to put in place monitoring and public health surveillance to avoid
medical disasters following an analysis made by a drug company that its dengue
vaccine could pose risks for people who have not been previously infected by
the virus.
Senator Nancy Binay said Sanofi’s
medical report was “deeply shocking and disturbing” to parents whose children
have received the vaccine.
Binay asked both DOH and Sanofi to
launch a nationwide medical advisory and information drive to reach out to
parents whose children have taken the vaccine.
She said that parents needed to
know the circumstances surrounding the vaccine, what symptoms should be
monitored, precautions, indications, contraindications, side effects and
possible adverse effects.
“Obviously, there were shortfalls
and gaps in the vaccine's safety profile, and I believe Sanofi is morally and
ethically obliged to inform the public what severe diseases came out in their
clinical tests," Binay said in a press statement.
In a statement, pharmaceutical
company Sanofi Pasteur said that individuals who have not been previously
infected by dengue virus, vaccination should not be recommended.
“The analysis confirmed that
Dengvaxia provides persistent protective benefit against dengue fever in those
who had a prior infection. For those not previously infected by dengue virus,
however, the analysis found that in the longer term, more cases of the severe
disease could occur following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection,” the
Sanofi statement read.
Dengvaxia was licensed for use in
the Philippines
DOH earlier confirmed that it has
administered the dengue vaccine to about 400,000 school children in Central Luzon , NCR, and Calabarzon. To date, the DOH has
stopped implementation of its program.
Binay said the DOH should always
consider safety as the paramount concern when it comes to any immunization
program.
Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito,
chair of the Senate Committee on Health, said the DOH’s procurement of dengue
vaccines should be probed.
"That should be investigated
by Blue Ribbon Committee as primary, with Committee on Health as a secondary
committee since it’s about corruption and accountability," Ejercito said
in his official Twitter account. (PNA)
xxxx
Makati suspends its anti-
dengue vaccination drive
The Makati
City
Mayor Abby Binay also ordered Makati Health Department (MHD)
Officer in charge Dr. Bernard Sese to coordinate with Dep-Ed Makati and closely
monitor the condition of students who were given the vaccines.
The vaccination drive for city government employees was also
suspended until the DOH issues a clarification as well as concrete guidelines
on their course of action.
“The best thing we can do right now is to closely monitor the
health of students as well as employees who received the anti-dengue vaccines.
We will track down everyone who has been vaccinated and monitor their condition
for any developments,” Binay said in a statement.
Last August 14, Makati Makati
Dr. Sese said there are still several public high schools which
have not received the anti-dengue vaccine. The schedule for these schools have
been postponed indefinitely until DOH releases an advisory.
On Wednesday, Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of the dengue
vaccine Dengvaxia, released a statement saying the drug may be harmful when
administered to individuals not previously infected with dengue.
The Philippines
was the first country in Asia to approve the
dengue vaccine for individuals aged 9 and 45 years old in December 2015.
The MHD noted however, that the vaccination drive for Japanese
Encephalitis (JE) for both city government employees as well as public school
students will continue. (PNA)
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AFP
urges Reds Surrender
or suffer the consequences
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday urged New
People’s Army (NPA) rebels to surrender or suffer the same fate of their
cohorts who were killed in military operations.
“While we are hopeful that more NPAs will surrender in the coming
days, our troops on the ground will continue with our relentless operations
against them who remain active in their violent and destructive criminal
activities against our people in the communities,” AFP public affairs chief
Col. Edgard Arevalo said in a statement.
This comes after the death of 14 NPA members in a clash with
police and troops from the Philippine Air Force’s 730th Combat Group in
Nasugbu, Batangas on Tuesday.
Among those killed were the secretary of NPA Guerilla Unit 3 and
one platoon leader while two other fighters were wounded.
Government troops also seized 12 high-powered firearms from the
encounter site.
Five soldiers, meanwhile. suffered minor injuries but are now in
stable condition.
Last November 23, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation
No. 360 which scrapped peace negotiations between the government and the
Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front
(CPP-NPA-NDF).
“Prior to the President’s proclamation, we have been actively
conducting counterinsurgency operations against the NPA since the peace
negotiations broke down in February 4,” Arevalo said.
In November alone, the military was able to neutralize 119 NPAs.
Of this, 21 were killed in operations, 29 were apprehended, and 69 voluntarily
surrendered.
Government troops also gained 62 high-powered and low-powered
firearms from the rebels in the past month.
With this, the AFP said it is bracing for more NPA atrocities,
primarily in the nature of economic sabotage.
“These violent activities by the NPA seek to falsely project that
they are still a force to reckon. There is an ostensible leadership vacuum
caused by the death of ranking NPA members in the past months resulting to the
decreasing capability of the rebel group,” Arevalo said.
As of November, the AFP recorded 47 NPA-initiated atrocities that
include harassment and ambush of military troops, and kidnapping of
civilians. (PNA)