Duque: 2nd booster dose only for immunocompromised persons

By THIRD ANNE PERALTA-MALONZO, SunStar Manila

HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III said he only approved the administration of second coronavirus disease (Covid-19) booster dose to immunocompromised individuals.

In a Laging Handa public briefing, Duque said this includes individuals who underwent organ transplant; cancer, dialysis and HIV patients; and those with primary immunodeficiencies.

He said the implementing rules and regulations for the administration of second booster dose to these individuals is already being finalized and the implementation is seen next week.

"Sa ngayon, ang aking inaprubahan batay sa rekomendasyon ng Health Technology Assessment Council ay ‘yung second booster dose para lamang sa mga immunocompromised na mga pasyente," said Duque.

(For now, what I have approved based on the recommendation of the Health Technology Assessment Council is the second booster dose only for the immunocompromised patients.)

"Yung para sa A1 or healthcare workers at doon naman din para sa senior citizens, pag-aaralan at susuriin pa ng ating Health Technology Assessment Council," he added.

(The one for healthcare workers and senior citizens will still be under study by the Health Technology Assessment Council.)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved last week the administration of a second Covid-19 booster dose for the vulnerable sector, such as senior citizens, healthcare workers and immunocompromised persons at least four months after their first booster dose.

The Department of Health urged the vaccinated individuals to get booster doses to get better protection against Covid-19, especially against severe and critical infection.

A total of 66,854,770 individuals in the country have been fully vaccinated, while 12,641,887 have received booster shots. (SunStar Philippines)

Sun about to enter ‘Solar Maximum’ phase; large sunspot groups seen – PAGASA

Sunspot group (Image courtesy of PAGASA)

by Charie Mae F. Abarca, Manila Bulletin

The state weather bureau on Thursday, April 21, released images of the Sun showing three large sunspot groups.

“Sunspots are areas on the Sun’s surface that are relatively cooler and appear dark[er] than its surroundings,” said PAGASA.

The patches, according to the state weather bureau, are “roughly the size” of Earth or about 20 up to 40 times larger than a typical sunspot.

Meanwhile, PAGASA likewise explained that the recent increase in solar activities is expected as the Sun is entering a new phase.

“The Sun is entering the Solar Maximum phase of its current solar cycle where there will be an expected increase in solar activities [such as] frequent solar flares, increased number of sunspots and the like,” said PAGASA.

“Do not look at the Sun directly without a special filter to protect your eyes,” the state weather bureau warned.

Magat Dam spilling operations halted

(National Irrigation Administration / File Photo)

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz, Manila Bulletin

Authorities have stopped Magat Dam’s spilling operations on Wednesday, April 20, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its termination of flood precaution advisory.

PAGASA said that the Magat Dam in Isabela has closed its gate at around 9 a.m. Wednesday.

In its latest monitoring, Magat Dam’s water level was at 190.01 meters, which is 3 meters below its 193.0-meter spilling level.

The dam conducted discharge operations on April 14 amid rains from the northeasterly surface wind flow.

In the past 24 hours, PAGASA recorded less than 1.0 millimeter of rainfall over the Magat watershed.

Meanwhile, it projected less than 5 millimeters of rainfall in the next 24 hours.

“With this development and unless significant rain occurs, this is the final dam situationer for this period. Flood forecasting and warning system for dam operation for Magat Dam is now terminated,” PAGASA’s advisory read.

PAGASA said the entire country can expect hot and humid weather with isolated rain showers because of the easterlies, or the warm winds from the Pacific Ocean, in the next few days.

PH reignites travel in Asia-Pacific region — WTTC

by Aaron Recuenco, Manila Buletin

The Philippines has been playing a key role in reigniting travel and tourism in the Asia-Pacific region, a top official of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said on Thursday, April 21.

The assessment was backed by data from the WTTC’s Economic Impact Report (EIR) which showed that the Philippines earned $41billion from travel and tourism and supported 7.8 million jobs in 2021.

Julia Simpson, WTTC president and chief executive officer, said that based on their EIR, the Philippines was the fourth fastest in terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate for travel and tourism last year.

 

She said the improvement in travel and tourism sector since the global plunge in 2020 is an indication of recovery.

“Now, recovery is in our sights. It is not uniform, it is faltering, but it is recovery. Here in Asia-Pacific the reopening is just beginning. I congratulate the Philippines, a nation that has shown determination and courage to reignite travel,” said Simpson in her speech during the second day of the Global Summit Philippines.

The meeting was attended by more than 1,000 delegates from across the global travel and tourism sector, including CEOs, business leaders, government ministers, travel experts and the international media.

In 2019, the travel and tourism sector contributed $9.6 trillion to the global economy.

But when the Covid-19 pandemic struck the world in 2020, Simpson said a massive 50 percent loss was recorded and 62 million jobs were affected.

In the Philippines, the travel and tourism sector contributed 22.5 percent of the country’s GDP, or $92.6 billion, before the pandemic. It plunged to 80.7 percent decrease in 2020.

But everything changes as the world began to recover last year, according to Simpson.

“Peace be with you”

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

AFTER the two disciples who were on their way to Emmaus recognized Christ at the breaking of bread, they hastily went back to Jerusalem to report what they experienced to the apostles and the others with them. 

You can just imagine how these people felt when suddenly Christ appeared to them and greeted them, “Peace be with you!” (cfr. Lk 24,35-48) As the gospel narrates, they were startled and terrified at that greeting, and thought they were seeing a ghost.

That reaction of the apostles was, of course, very understandable. They were witnessing something that purely went beyond the human and natural ways. It is something that we should always expect in our life. There will always be things, being spiritual and supernatural, that will leave us somehow startled and terrified also.

But let’s always remember that Christ always offers peace. So, at the end of the day, when we would be able to take a hold of our all-too-human reactions to supernatural realities, we should be at peace, a peace that Christ himself gives us.

Of course, with that Christ-given peace comes joy also. The two always go together. They cannot be separated, although their expressions may not tally with the worldly standards of joy and peace.

The joy and peace that come from God are always a fruit of a continuing spiritual battle to keep God’s love burning in us. It’s a joy and peace that is compatible with the cross. It is not afraid of suffering which also has an important role to play in our life and in the redemption of mankind.

It’s a joy and peace that comes as a consequence of faith and a growing identification with Christ who bore all the sins of men and the evils of this world and conquered them with his resurrection. In short, it’s a joy and peace that expresses a guaranteed victory even if at the moment we are still fighting and suffering. It’s an all-weather kind of joy and peace.

We need to examine ourselves to see if we have such joy and peace. It is actually offered to us for free. We just have to find a way of having and keeping it.

And one important way of doing so is to learn to pray, since prayer is our basic way of connecting with God that hopefully would lead us to a growing identification with him as we are meant to be. Remember that we are God’s image and likeness. With God’s grace we are supposed to do our part, free beings as we are, in realizing this divine plan for us.

Learning to pray would obviously need some plan. We have to go by stages. First, would be to learn the vocal prayers, which are already very important as they are inspired prayers given to us if not by Christ himself like the Our Father then by many holy men and women down the ages. 

As such, these prayers are very enlightening and would teach us what to say, how to say it, and the kind of attitude or disposition we ought to have. Going through them slowly, trying to figure out what they mean, would certainly help us connect with God.

Then we should just spend some moments everyday doing nothing other than meditating on God’s word as found in the gospel, and on the life and teachings of Christ as reflected in the lives and writings of the saints. This is how we can always have the peace and joy of God and with God!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Help boost the Philippine economy by supporting domestic tourism

by Manila Bulletin

After the two-year ordeal brought about by the pandemic, Filipinos are once again traveling as seen in airports that are full of passengers, roads that are full of vehicles, and restaurants that are full of customers. Last week, hotels and resorts enjoyed high occupancy rates, something they haven’t experienced for a long time. 

Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) President Arthur Lopez said that feedback from their members was very “encouraging.”  “The high demand is a welcome development for the accommodation sector, which has been severely impacted by the pandemic in the last two years. The return to pre-pandemic levels will take a while but at least we are seeing stronger demand across different traveler segments,” Lopez said.

As the summer season rolls in, Filipino families are now taking advantage of the ease of travel, which only requires visitors to present proof of vaccination. The rise in the number of domestic tourists also complements the rise in foreign tourist arrivals in the country, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). The agency said that as of April 7, 2022, arrivals reached a high of 202,700. 

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat expressed “satisfaction with the latest figures, noting such to be a welcome development following the sustained reopening of borders and loosening of travel restrictions.” “The sustained influx of tourists in the Philippines is a good measure of the industry’s success in its preparations to welcome foreign tourists in the new normal. Our high vaccination rate among tourism workers and reportedly low cases around the country have helped restore the confidence of travelers to visit the Philippines during the summer season,” Puyat said.

The continued growth, she stressed, shall aid stakeholders as well as the economy in recovering from the effects caused by the pandemic. 

As the number of Filipinos traveling to countries with more relaxed restrictions such as Singapore, Thailand, or Malaysia increases, there is a clamor for more support for local tourism. It is not enough to only visit popular destinations such as Boracay, Baguio, Cebu, Palawan, or Davao as the country has more than enough attractions for any preference or taste. For history, there is Bulacan or Quezon; for watersports, try Aurora or La Union; for nature, explore Romblon or Marinduque; for extreme adventure, drop by Bukidnon or Agusan. The list is endless. 

This is probably the best time to rediscover these places as your family will not only have a good time, but also help the hospitality workers in that town or city — the guides, the handicraft makers, the resort workers, the waiters, the drivers, to the small businesses that are keeping the area alive and authentic.  

Amid the bright news hangs a cloud of uneasiness. The world is not yet “out of the woods” and we are still officially in a pandemic.  This calls for vigilance in light of the Alert Level 1 classification in almost all provinces and the NCR.   The PHOA, for one, still encourages its members to strictly implement health and safety protocols. There is also a call from the government for Filipinos to take booster shots amid low compliance.  

We all have to remember this — what we do now will have an impact in the long run; so if there is less adherence to health protocols today, there may be more infections come the month of May.  And this, again, is the last thing that our recovering tourism industry needs.

Ausmaß des Meereises in Antarktis erreicht rätselhaften Tiefstand

Eisberge in der Antarktis

Die Ausdehnung des Antarktis-Eises hat wider Erwarten deutlich abgenommen.

Durch die Erderwärmung schmilzt das Eis am Nordpol rasant, während es am Südpol seit Jahrzehnten tendenziell leicht zunimmt – zumindest bislang. Chinesische Forscher registrierten nun auch in der Antarktis einen außergewöhnlich starken Rückgang des Meereises. Die Schmelze stellt sie vor Rätsel.

Das Ausmaß des Meereises in der Antarktis ist in diesem Jahr auf den niedrigsten Stand seit Beginn der Aufzeichnungen Ende der 70er-Jahre gefallen. Der Rekord vom 25. Februar sei schon der zweite starke Rückgang der Eisfläche in nur fünf Jahren, berichten chinesische Forscher der Sun Yat-sen Universität in Guangzhou und des Labors für südliche Meereskunde in Zhuhai im Journal „Advances in Atmospheric Sciences“. Sie sind Meeresströmungen und Wetterphänomenen hinter der Schmelze zwar nachgegangen, stehen aber noch vor Rätseln.

Während das Eis in der Arktis durch die Erderwärmung rapide zurückgeht, legt das Eis in der Antarktis seit Messbeginn jedes Jahrzehnt leicht um ein Prozent zu – wenn auch regional und von Jahr zu Jahr unterschiedlich. Nachdem schon 2017 ein starker Rückgang festgestellt worden war, registrierten Forscher diese Anomalie am Ende des Sommers auf der Südhalbkugel Ende Februar erneut: Erstmals seit Beginn der Satellitenaufzeichnungen 1978 fiel die Ausdehnung des antarktischen Eises sogar auf weniger als zwei Millionen Quadratkilometer. Sie war rund 30 Prozent geringer als im Durchschnitt zwischen 1981 und 2010.

Auch gab es eine ungewöhnlich dünne Eisdecke unter anderem in der Amundsen- und Bellinghausensee sowie im Weddellmeer. In ihrem Bemühen, diese komplizierten Veränderungen zu verstehen, analysierten die Wissenschaftler das Verhalten des Meereises zwischen 1979 und 2022. Unter anderem untersuchten sie die Dynamik des Strömungstransports und thermodynamische Prozesse wie das Einfrieren und Schmelzen im Meer.

Tiefstand des Meereises fiel mit Wetterphänomen „La Niña“ zusammen.

Die Analysen führten die Wissenschaftler besonders zur Amundsensee. „Alle diese atmosphärischen Auswirkungen haben ihren Ursprung in der Intensität und Position des Tiefdruckgebiets der Amundsensee (ASL) und der Meereserwärmung“, stellt das Team mit Blick auf dieses Zentrum atmosphärischen Tiefdrucks über dem tiefen Süden des Pazifischen Ozeans fest.

Der Tiefstand des Meereises in diesem Februar fiel zudem mit dem Wetterphänomen La Niña zusammen. Bei La Niña schieben starke Winde unter anderem warmes Oberflächenwasser von Südamerika nach Indonesien. Das hat in vielen Regionen der Welt Auswirkungen. Eine Rolle habe auch der Zustand eines Gürtels aus starken Westwinden gespielt. Beide Phänomene verstärken das Tiefdruckgebiet in der Amundsen See (ASL). Die Folgen solcher Ereignisse für die Antarktis müssten noch weiter erforscht werden, schreiben die Wissenschaftler.

Auch der Klimawandeldienst des EU-Programms Copernicus hatte bereits berichtet, die täglich gemessene Ausdehnung des antarktischen Meereises habe im Februar den niedrigsten Stand seit Beginn der Aufzeichnungen erreicht.

(C) 2022 by WELT-TV

Magnitude 6.2 quake hits Davao Oriental — Phivolcs

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz, Manila Bulletin

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded off the coast of Davao Oriental at around 9:23 a.m., Tuesday, April 19, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Phivolcs traced the epicenter of the earthquake at 57 kilometers (km) southeast of Manay, Davao Oriental and was shallow at a depth of 18 km.

It was initially measured at magnitude 5.9, but Phivolcs later revised it to magnitude 6.2.

The quake was felt as a “moderately strong” tremor at Intensity IV in Manay, Tarragona, and Lupon, Davao Oriental; Hinatuan, Surigao Del Sur; Mati City; and Bislig City.

Meanwhile, it was “weak” at Intensity III in Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental; Cateel and Baganga, Davao Oriental; Tandag City, Surigao Del Sur; and Davao City.

It was “slightly felt” at Intensity II in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, while it was “scarcely perceptible” at Intensity I in Matalam, Cotabato.

Phivolcs said the earthquake was tectonic, which means it was caused by the movement of an active fault near the area.

It said damage and aftershocks are expected due to this earthquake.

Congratulations!!!

 

Companies to implement oil price hike anew

By THIRD ANNE PERALTA-MALONZO, SunStar 

PETROLEUM companies announced on Monday, April 18, 2022, another increase in fuel prices.

Companies will implement an additional P0.45 per liter for gasoline and kerosene and P1.70 per liter for diesel.

Caltex Petroleum Corporation will implement the price adjustments at 12:01 a.m. of April 19, while Shell Philippines and Seaoil will have it effective 6 a.m.

The Cleanfuel price increase will be effective at 4:01 p.m. Tuesday, April 19.

The Philippines is experiencing a series of oil price hikes due to low supply as an effect of the ongoing invasion of Russia in Ukraine.

This has also resulted in the price increase of basic commodities.Last March, the National Government started with the distribution of fuel subsidy for the transportation and agriculture sectors, which are badly affected by the looming crisis.

To cushion the impact especially to the poor families, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the distribution of additional P500 monthly cash aid to selected families.

The government earlier said it is coming up with a more solid and long-term response to the fuel crisis that will benefit the people, especially the poor.

The Department of Energy said that in the event that Dubai crude reaches $120 per barrel, gasoline prices may reach P78.33 per liter, while diesel may increase to up to P68.97 per liter. (SunStar Philippines)