German air travel up 27.3% during 2021, but far below pre-pandemic level

A night-time photograph of a plane parked at Munich airport

Air travel all over the world took a pounding during the pandemic. New figures from Germany's statistics office show that 2021 had moderately more air traffic than 2020, with domestic flights in particularly low demand.

Germany's statistics office has reported a rise in passenger numbers in 2021, which are still far below the levels seen before the pandemic

There were around 73.6 million air passengers taking off and landing at German airports during 2021, according to the country's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

While this figure was a 27.3% recovery on coronavirus pandemic-hit travel figures from 2020, it was still a whopping 67.6% down from the record high seen in 2019, when around 226.7 million passengers passed through German airports.

Domestic flights are more affected than international.According to Destatis, pandemic restrictions had a varying impact on air traffic.

Domestic air travel was 19.3% down from 2020, and was a meager one-fifth of the numbers seen in 2019 before curbs to movement came into place.

This was in contrast to air traffic with other countries, which increased by 32.6% year-on-year to 68.8 million passengers.

European air travel that gave the numbers a boost during 2021.

International air traffic increased by a slim 6.7% year-on-year, to a level still 75.4% down on the numbers seen in 2019.

Destatis considers the numbers of embarking and disembarking passengers in international traffic, while only departing passenger numbers are collated for domestic travel. Transit travel does not form part of these numbers.

Air freight is on the rise. Growth in air freight bucked the trends seen in passenger travel.

In 2021, a record 5.3 million tons of air freight, including air mail, passed through Germany's airports, an increase of 17.5% on the previous year.

The 2021 figure was also up 12.7% from the pre-pandemic level of 2019.

(C) 2022 by DW

Philippinen: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise (Teilreisewarnung und COVID-19-bedingte Reisewarnung)

Das Auswärtige Amt Berlin gibt bekannt:

31.01.2022

Letzte Änderung: Aktuelles - COVID-19 (Einreise)


Lagen können sich schnell verändern und entwickeln. Insbesondere die COVID-19-Bestimmungen unterliegen laufenden Änderungen.

Wir empfehlen Ihnen:

- Verfolgen Sie Nachrichten und Wetterberichte.
- Achten Sie auf einen ausreichenden Reisekrankenversicherungsschutz. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-gesundheit/-/350944
- Abonnieren Sie unseren Newsletter https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/newsroom/newsletter/bestellen-node oder nutzen Sie unsere App „Sicher Reisen". https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/app-sicher-reisen/350382
- Folgen Sie uns auf Twitter: AA_SicherReisen https://twitter.com/AA_SicherReisen
- Registrieren Sie sich in unserer Krisenvorsorgeliste. https://krisenvorsorgeliste.diplo.de
- Erkundigen Sie sich vorab bei den Behörden/Botschaften Ihres Reiselandes https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/vertretungen-anderer-staaten zu den aktuell geltenden, verbindlichen Einreisebestimmungen sowie bei Flug- und Bahngesellschaften nach den geltenden Beförderungsbestimmungen.
- Beachten Sie unseren Haftungsausschluss https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/haftungsausschluss/2500954 und den Hinweis zu Inhalten anderweitiger Anbieter. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/inhalte-anderweitiger-anbieter/2500956

Aktuelles
COVID-19

Die Ausbreitung von COVID-19 https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-gesundheit/gesundheit-fachinformationen/reisemedizinische-hinweise/Coronavirus/-/2309820 kann weiterhin zu Einschränkungen im internationalen Luft- und Reiseverkehr und Beeinträchtigungen des öffentlichen Lebens führen.

Vor nicht notwendigen, touristischen Reisen in die Philippinen wird gewarnt.

Epidemiologische Lage

Die Philippinen sind von COVID-19 stark betroffen und sind als Hochrisikogebiet https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Risikogebiete_neu.html/ eingestuft.

Aktuelle und detaillierte Zahlen bieten das philippinische Gesundheitsministerium https://doh.gov.ph und die Weltgesundheitsorganisation WHO https://covid19.who.int/region/wpro/country/ph.

Einreise

Bestimmungen zur Einreise ändern sich mit der Pandemielage häufig. Bitte informieren Sie sich zusätzlich auf der Webseite der Regierung der Philippinen. https://www.doh.gov.ph/

Bis zum 9. Februar 2022 ist Ausländern die Einreise für touristische Zwecke in die Philippinen verboten. Erteilte philippinische Einreise-Visa wurden für ungültig erklärt, neue touristische Visa werden derzeit grundsätzlich nicht ausgestellt. Ausnahmen gelten für Familienangehörige (Ehegatten, Kinder, Eltern) von philippinischen Staatsangehörigen, für Ausländer, die bereits im Besitz von Langzeitvisa sind, für Diplomaten und Angehörige internationaler Organisationen, die in den Philippinen akkreditiert sind, sowie für Flugzeug- und Schiffsbesatzungen,

Die Quarantänevorgaben richten sich nach dem Impfstatus der Reisenden:
• Vollgeimpft, negativer PCR-Test nicht älter als 48 Stunden vor Abflug → keine Quarantäne, Selbstbeobachtung auf Symptome für sieben Tage. Verpflichtende Kontaktaufnahme mit den lokalen Gesundheitsbehörden bei Auftreten von Symptomen.
• Ungeimpft, nicht vollständig geimpft, Impfstatus nicht feststellbar, negativer PCR-Test nicht älter als 48 Stunden vor Abflug → Quarantäne in Quarantäne-Einrichtung, Buchung muss bei Abflug vorliegen, PCR-Test am fünften Tag, nach negativem Ergebnis Entlassung und Heimquarantäne bis zum 14. Tag.
• Die Quarantänevorgaben für Kinder unter 12 Jahre, die nicht geimpft werden können, richten sich nach den Vorgaben für begleitende Sorgeberechtigte/Eltern.
Als vollständig geimpft gilt, wer einen Impfnachweis über eine in den Philippinen erfolgte vollständige Impfung oder einen von den Philippinen anerkannten ausländischen Impfnachweis vorlegt. Deutsche Impfnachweise in Form des gelben WHO-Impfbuches oder das Digitale COVID-Zertifikat der EU werden anerkannt. Kreuzimpfungen werden akzeptiert, eine einfache Impfung nach einem durchgemachten Infekt ist hingegen nicht ausreichend.

Mit Wirkung vom 10. Februar 2022 ist die Einreise für vollständig geimpfte Ausländer auch für touristische Aufenthalte und Geschäftsreisen möglich, wenn sie unter Executive Order No. 408 (s. 1960) fallen und durch diese von der Visumspflicht befreit, sowie bei Einreise im Besitz eines noch sechs Monate gültigen Reisepasses sind und einen Flugschein über einen Rück- oder Weiterflug vorlegen können. Die Staatenliste kann auf der Webseite der philippinischen Botschaft in Berlin http://philippine-embassy.de/visas/ abgerufen werden. Deutschland gehört derzeit zu diesen Ländern. Es gelten die oben aufgeführten Quarantänevorgaben. Kinder unter 18 Jahre müssen nicht voll geimpft sein und auch keinen Nachweis über ihren Impfstatus vorlegen.

Nähere Informationen können bei der philippinischen Botschaft http://philippine-embassy.de/ erfragt werden.

Alle Reisenden (ausgenommen Diplomaten) müssen sich vor Einreise über das Portal „One Health Pass https://www.onehealthpass.com.ph/e-HDC/“ registrieren. Der Nachweis in Form eines QR Codes ist den Fluggesellschaften beim Einchecken vorzulegen.

Durch- und Weiterreise
Reisen zwischen den Provinzen sind eingeschränkt möglich. Es müssen Gesundheitszeugnisse, gegebenenfalls ein negativer PCR-Test oder philippinische/anerkannte ausländische Impfnachweise vorgelegt und in der Zielprovinz im Einzelfall Quarantäne abgeleistet werden. Die Nutzung öffentlicher Verkehrsmittel ist zunehmend nur noch für geimpfte Personen erlaubt. Dies betrifft auch Inlandsflug- und Fährverbindungen.
Die Ausreise ist Ausländern, die sich im Land aufhalten, jederzeit erlaubt. Viele Fluggesellschaften verlangen für den Reiseantritt in den Philippinen einen negativen PCR-Test oder einen Impfnachweis.

Reiseverbindungen
Für die Einreise über die Flughäfen in Manila, Clark und Cebu bestehen Kontingente für ungeimpfte Reisende. Fluggesellschaften erhalten ihre Kontingente mit geringem zeitlichen Vorlauf, was zu kurzfristigen Umbuchungen oder Flugstornierungen führen kann.

Beschränkungen im Land
Die Quarantänemaßnahmen sind regional unterschiedlich. Derzeit gilt im Großraum Manila eine Quarantänestufe mit Einschränkungen in der Versorgung und der Bewegungsfreiheit sowie eine nächtliche Ausgangssperre für Minderjährige. Stadtbezirke können diese Einschränkungen eigenständig verschärfen.
Die zwischenzeitlich unterbrochenen regulären Verkehrsverbindungen zwischen den Inseln des Landes wurden wieder aufgenommen, können jedoch jederzeit kurzfristig wiedereingestellt werden.
Die touristische Infrastruktur ist eingeschränkt, zahlreiche Hotels und Resorts sind geschlossen.

Hygieneregeln
Im öffentlichen Raum (in Gebäuden, aber auch im Freien) gilt die Pflicht, einen Mund-Nasen-Schutz zu tragen, in medizinischen Einrichtungen zusätzlich einen Gesichtsschutz (face-shield). Es gibt das Gebot, sozialen Abstand zu wahren. Massenansammlungen sind verboten. Verstöße sind mit Geld- bis hin zu Gefängnisstrafen bewehrt. Im Fall einer Infektion erfolgt die Isolierung grundsätzlich in staatlicher Unterbringung.

Empfehlungen

• Seien Sie bei allen Reisen weiterhin besonders vorsichtig und beachten Sie unsere fortlaufend aktualisierte Infobox zu COVID-19/Coronavirus.
• Achten Sie bei Einreise nach Deutschland auf die geltenden Einreisevoraussetzungen zu Anmelde-, Quarantäne- und Nachweisregelungen (vollständige Impfung oder Genesenennachweis oder aktueller negativer COVID-19-Test).
• Achten Sie auf die Einhaltung der AHA-Vorschriften und befolgen Sie zusätzlich die Hinweise lokaler Behörden. Bei Verstößen gegen die Hygienevorschriften können hohe Geldstrafen oder Gefängnisstrafen verhängt werden.
• Informieren Sie sich über detaillierte Maßnahmen und ergänzende Informationen der philippinischen Regierung.
• Falls Sie im Besitz eines Langzeitvisums sind oder eine Sondereinreisegenehmigung mit Touristenvisum beantragen möchten, erkundigen Sie sich bei den philippinischen Behörden, in Deutschland z.B. bei der Philippinischen Botschaft, ob Sie zur Gruppe derjenigen gehören, für die eine Einreise möglich ist.
• Erkundigen Sie sich bei Ihrer Fluggesellschaft über die genauen Vorgaben.
• Bei COVID-19 Symptomen oder Kontakt mit Infizierten kontaktieren Sie das lokale Gesundheitsamt.
Sicherheit - Teilreisewarnung
Vor Reisen in folgende Regionen oder Gebiete wird gewarnt:
- Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX)
- Northern Mindanao (Region X)
- Davao-Region (Region XI) mit Ausnahme des Stadtgebietes von Davao City
- Soccsksargen (Region XII)
- Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
- Inseln des Sulu-Archipels
- Süd-Palawan mit Ausnahme von Puerto Princesa
Von nicht erforderlichen Reisen in andere Regionen von Mindanao und in der Mindanao-See wird abgeraten.

Phivolcs: 'Very weak' phreatomagmatic bursts recorded in Taal Volcano

(MANILA BULLETIN / FILE PHOTO)

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz, Manila Bulletin

Eight “very weak” phreatomagmatic bursts have been recorded in Taal Volcano on Saturday, Jan. 29, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

In its advisory late Saturday night, Phivolcs said short phreatomagmatic bursts, which lasted only 10 seconds to two minutes, occurred between 3:50 p.m. and 9:57 p.m.

 

Phreatomagmatic burst occurs when hot magma comes into contact with groundwater.

Phivolcs said the “very short-lived” bursts “produced only traces in the seismic record but were accompanied by distinct infrasound signals.”

However, the events generated steam-rich plumes between 400 meters and 900 meters high as detected by visual and thermal cameras around Taal Lake.

“Sulfur dioxide flux since the beginning of 2022 has averaged 10,668 tons per day, with the highest average emission at 18,705 tons per day on January 27, 2022,” Phivolcs said.

Meanwhile, “almost no volcanic earthquake activity has been recorded since Dec. 19,” it pointed out, adding that the volcano island has been deflating since October 2021.

Phivolcs said that Taal Volcano remains under alert level 2, which means that the volcano continues to manifest “increased unrest.” The volcano has been under alert level 2 since July 23, 2021.

It warned that gas-driven explosions and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and affect areas within and around the Taal Volcano Island.

Phivolcs reiterated that entry into the Taal Volcano Island, which is a permanent danger zone, especially the vicinities of the main crater and the Daang Kastila fissure, is strictly prohibited.

Boating and other activities on Taal Lake are also prohibited, Phivolcs said.

“Local government officials are advised to continuously assess and strengthen the preparedness of previously evacuated barangays around Taal Lake in case of renewed unrest,” it added.

NCR, 7 provinces under Alert Level 2; 90 areas under Alert Level 3 on Feb. 1-15

(FILE PHOTO BY ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)

by Argyll Cyrus Geducos, Manila Bulletin

The government’s pandemic task force has placed the National Capital Region (NCR) and seven other provinces under the coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert Level 2 starting February 1 to February 15, while 90 other areas will be under Alert Level 3, Malacañang announced.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the statement amid the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country that came after a surge possibly caused by the Omicron variant.

In a statement on Sunday, January 30, Nograles said the following will be under Alert Level 2 on February 1 to 15:

Metro Manila

Batanes

Bulacan

Cavite

Rizal

Biliran

Southern Leyte

Basilan

Meanwhile, the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases placed the following cities and provinces in Luzon under Alert Level 3:

Abra

Apayao

Baguio City

Benguet

Kalinga

Mountain Province

Dagupan City

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Sur

La Union

Pangasinan

City of Santiago

Cagayan

Isabela

Nueva Vizcaya

Quirino

Angeles City

Aurora

Bataan

Nueva Ecija

Olongapo City

Pampanga

Tarlac

Zambales

Batangas

Laguna

Lucena City

Quezon Province

Marinduque

Romblon

Occidental Mindoro

Oriental Mindoro

Puerto Princesa City

Albay

Camarines Norte

Camarines Sur

Catanduanes

Masbate

Naga City

Sorsogon

The IATF also placed the following areas in Visayas under Alert Level 3:

Aklan

Antique

Bacolod City

Capiz

Iloilo City

Iloilo

Negros Occidental

Guimaras

Cebu City

Lapu-Lapu City

Mandaue City

Bohol

Cebu

Negros Oriental

Siquijor

Ormoc City

Tacloban City

Eastern Samar

Leyte

Northern Samar

Western Samar

The following cities and provinces in Mindanao was also placed under Alert Level 3 by the IATF:

City of Isabela

Zamboanga City

Zamboanga Del Sur

Zamboanga del Norte

Zamboanga Sibugay

Bukidnon

Cagayan de Oro City

Iligan City

Lanao del Norte

Misamis Occidental

Misamis Oriental

Davao City

Davao Del Sur

Davao Del Norte

Davao Oriental

Davao de Oro

General Santos City

North Cotabato

Sarangani

South Cotabato

Sultan Kudarat

Surigao del Norte

Surigao Del Sur

Agusan Del Norte

Agusan del Sur

Butuan City

Maguindanao

Cotabato City

Lanao Del Sur

According to Nograles, the Alert Level 3 status in the said areas are also from February 1 to 15, 2022.

Meanwhile, he said that the IATF is yet to decide on the Alert Level for the province of Ifugao. They shall approve the risk classification on January 31, 2022.

DA and Philrice grant agricultural assistance to DdO Farmers

Davao de Oro Province--- More farmers in Davao de Oro recently received agricultural grants from the Department of Agriculture and PhilRice to lessen their cost of production since weather conditions in the province affected their farming in the past few weeks.

DA-RFO XI provided a total of 853 bags of certified rice seeds (40 kg per bag), while PhilRice also provided 3,000 bags (20 kg per bag). Rice farmers from the municipalities of Nabunturan, Montevista, Compostela, Mawab, and Laak received the said assistance through the Provincial Agriculturist Office (PAGRO) of DdO.

Further, another set of farmers’ associations all from insurgency-free and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the province received another batch of Abaca seedlings (35,000) from DA’s SAAD Program (Special Area for Agricultural Development Program). 

The distribution of the assistance was initiated by PAGRO on January 24-28, 2022 to Tagbaros Integrated Farmers Association (TIFA) in Tagbaros, Maco, Sitio Estabillo Rural Association of Farmers (SEAFA) in Andili, Mawab, Golden Valley Upland Farmers Association, Brgy. Golden Valley, Mabini, Anitapan Improvement Community Farmers Association, Brgy. Anitapan, Maragusan, Parasanon Multipurpose Cooperative, Brgy. Parasanon, Maragusan,  Tugunan Cadan Farmers Association, in Brgy. Katipunan, Nabunturan, and Camlon Buhay Association, Brgy. Camanlangan, New Bataan. 

(JA, PAO-IPRD, photos by PAGRO)

Bigger problem, stronger hope, greater grace

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

WE should always remember this comforting triad. When we encounter big problems in life, let’s react with stronger hope, and expect some extraordinary grace, favor and mercy from God, our Father.

This truth of our faith is somehow dramatized in that gospel story where Christ was confronted with a man so possessed by a legion of devils that “no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.” (cfr. Mk 5,1-20)

That gospel story somehow demonstrates what can happen to us individually or collectively as a society. If we are not careful, we can allow the devil to enter and possess us. And things can get worse when, God forbid, a demonic infestation can occur.

We should always be wary of the devils and be ready to handle them properly. They exist. And their only purpose of their existence is to do evil, to go against God and to everyone and everything that God loves. They were originally good angels who rebelled against God upon their creation.

Being pure spirits and therefore free and intelligent beings, the devils misused their intelligence and freedom by choosing to replace God upon their creation. That choice has plunged them, being pure spirits, into an irreversible eternal state of enmity against God and against everything else that comes from God and is still with God.

Many if not all the temptations that come our way originate or are being orchestrated by devils. The proper attitude we should have when temptations come is to reject these temptations immediately, never giving them a chance to advance in their plot by dialoguing with them, and to go to God immediately.

Let’s remember that when temptations come, it is because we have let down our guard. It means that our union with God has loosened, if not completely broken, often without even our noticing it. 

Thus, when temptations come, we really should intensify our prayers and hope in God’s merciful providence, since only with God can we resist them. We should also submit our body to some severe discipline because when tempted the body easily falls and drags our spirit with it.

We have to reassure ourselves, based on what Christ has promised and has actually done for us, that there can be no crisis that is too big for the grace of God to handle.

We have to remember that nothing happens in this life without at least the knowledge and tolerance of God. And if God allows some really bad things to happen, it is because a greater good can always be derived from them. 

We just have to put ourselves in God’s side to tackle whatever crisis plagues us. That is the real challenge we have to face. And just like what Christ did and continues to do to redeem us, we have to follow the formula he once spelled out: deny ourselves, carry the cross and then follow him. (cfr. Mt 16,24)

If we are willing to do that, then we can even gain a lot more than what we appear to lose and to suffer. In other words, we can say that the bigger, the more serious the problem is, the bigger, plentier and stronger also the grace God will give us. So, let us just be game and do our part of the bargain.

It’s not easy, of course. But neither is it impossible. If we consider God’s abundant grace, even the impossible can be possible for us.

.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Filipino films win at Sundance Film Festival 2022

The Philippines’ entries to this year’s Sundance Film Festival bagged major nods. Martika Ramirez Escobar’s directorial debut film “Ang Pagbabalik ng Kwago” (“Leonor Will Never Die”) took home the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Innovative Spirit, while filmmaker Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan’s featurette “The Headhunter’s Daughter” won the Grand Jury Prize in the Short Film category.

by John Legaspi, Manila Bulletin

“Hello, Sundance jury. Thank you for recognizing our team’s labor of love. This is special coming from a film set that felt like one giant friendship film. I’d like to say thanks to the entire Sundance team for treating us like family. I’d like to thank everyone who had showed their love and support for our film,” Escobar said during her virtual speech. “You are proof that finally after eight years, our film is alive.”

It took eight years for “Leonor Will Never Die” to complete its production. Its plot centers on Leonor Reyes, a retired action film writer and director in the ‘80s, who enters the world of her unfinished screenplay after experiencing a coma when a television landed on her head. Leading its cast is stage veteran Sheila Francisco as Leonor, alongside actors Rocky Salumbides, Bong Cabrera, Anthony Falcon, Rea Molina, Tami Monsod, Allan Bautista, and Dido de la Paz.

On the other hand, Eblahan, an Ifugao-Visayan director, isn’t new to having his works featured in international festivals. Among them are the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival, San Diego Asian Film Festival, and the Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival where his short film “Hilum” won the Student Prize and Special Mention from the International Jury.

As COVID-19 infections decline, de-escalation of alert levels and easing of restrictions imperative

Manila Bulletin EDITORIAL

After nearly a month of severe restrictions, there is ample basis for a more hopeful scenario that would enable the government’s anti-pandemic task force to consider easing health and safety protocols to “pre-Omicron” levels.

Based on internationally-developed COVID Act Now indicators used by OCTA Research Group, Metro Manila — the epicenter of the “severe outbreak” since the start of the year — is now classified at “moderate risk” from a “high risk” due to the steady decline of COVID infections in the capital region.

An even more optimistic scenario is a further de-escalation to Alert Level 2 sometime in early February, if the rapidly declining benchmark indicators would justify this.

Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship Jose ‘Joey’ Concepcion III has spearheaded the private sector’s thinking-through process. This would enable business and industry — as well as the citizenry in general — to make the necessary adjustments for resuming a more energetic pace that would be helpful to the country’s recovery on three fronts: health, the economy, and in learning and education.

Enforcement of a three-day quarantine for the fully vaccinated, which was approved and implemented prior to Omicron has been proposed. Home quarantine for fully vaccinated individuals has also been suggested in lieu of the facility-based quarantine.

Granting more mobility and exemption from mandatory testing for on-site workers should further incentivize vaccinations. In contrast, the unvaccinated will still have to undergo the more stringent quarantine and testing protocols. In particular, there is a “No vax, no ride” policy being enforced in public transportation that restricts the movement of unvaccinated individuals. Unvaccinated workers who have been exempted from the strict enforcement of this policy have been given only until Feb. 25 to get them vaccinated.

Fr. Nicanor Austriaco of OCTA Rsearch, who is also a doctor in molecular biology has expressed the view that the Philippines should follow Thailand’s “test-and-go” system where arriving passengers only need to spend one night in a hotel while they await their COVID-19 test results. He said that by the end of February, the National Capital Region (NCR) and the rest of the country will have moved past the Omicron wave, paving the way for the government to re-examine its travel and mobility protocols.

On the educational front, the easing of restrictions would enable more students to have increased opportunities for face-to-face classes. Prolonged school shutdowns aggravate serious deficits in the development of young learners’ basic skills and aptitudes.

Observing the sluggish pace of economic recovery in 2021 due to the on-and-off quarantine restrictions, Concepcion said: “The Philippines’ economic health is now a serious issue. Whatever we decide now will impact the country’s economy for years to come.”

Metro Manila now down to 'moderate' risk COVID-19 case classification—DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) said that Metro Manila is now under the “moderate” risk classification after a decreasing trend of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases was observed in recent days.

“Moderate-risk na po ang NCR (National Capital Region) kahapon pa. Bumababa na po ng husto ang ating mga kaso at nakarating na tayo sa moderate case classification (NCR is now at moderate-risk since yesterday. The cases are declining significantly and we have reached the moderate case classification),” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire during the Malacanang press briefing on Friday, Jan. 28.

(C) 2022 Manila Bulletin

Pagasa sees warmer days ahead

Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star 

January 29, 2022 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Though the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is yet to declare the end of the northeast monsoon season, it is now predicting warmer days ahead for Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

In a three-day weather forecast yesterday, the state weather bureau said the National Capital Region can expect temperatures ranging from 23 to 33°C from Saturday to Monday.

Baguio City, the country’s summer capital, is also starting to warm up a little, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 24°C during the next three days.

PAGASA said the shear line or the meeting of the northeast monsoon and the easterlies is affecting Northern Luzon, thus bringing warmer weather despite cloudy skies and isolated rainshowers.

The easterlies or the warm air coming from the Pacific Ocean will affect Central Luzon down to Mindanao, resulting in warmer weather but with localized thunderstorms.

PAGASA said no low-pressure area is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility until the end of the month.

The state weather bureau declared the onset of the northeast monsoon season in late October 2021 which was expected to cold temperatures to Metro Manila and the rest of Northern Luzon until January to February this year.