DOH activates inter-agency task force against avian flu
In the wake of the reported bird flu outbreak in Hong Kong where the alert level for the disease has been raised to “serious,” the Department of Health (DOH) activated an inter-agency task force to strengthen the country’s preparedness and reduce the opportunities for the virus to enter the country.
The inter-agency task force against avian flu is composed of experts from the Bureau of Quarantine, Department of Agriculture (DA), airport authorities and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The composition of the task force was included in the briefer submitted to President Benigno S. Aquino III by Health Secretary Enrique Ona.
The Bureau of Quarantine, DOH and airport authorities are in charge of screening passengers coming from overseas: the DENR’s task is to monitor migratory birds, while the DA monitors poultry.
Health authorities explained that the avian influenza or bird flu is a disease in birds which can be transmitted in humans through droplets or secretions where it causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, body weakness or muscle pain, cough, sore throat, sore eyes, diarrhea, and difficulty in breathing in a week’s time from the onset of the cough.
The progression of the disease is quick and the virus is virulent. The case fatality ratio of the disease is 60 – 70 percent which means 6-7 out of 10 cases can die of the virus.
Thermal scanners were again installed at the Ninoy International Airport, while the DENR has kept a tight watch over pet and cage birds being transported at entry points, such as airports and seaports.
The virus does not usually infect humans, but in 1997, the first case of human infection was reported. According to World Health Organization (WHO) figures, at least 508 people around the world have been infected by the virus with a 60 percent mortality rate.
Indonesia and Vietnam remain as the two countries with the most number of people infected by the bird flu with 170 and 119 cases, respectively. (PCOO)
Dengue cases declining, says DOH
Government efforts to combat dengue appears to be bearing fruit as shown by the steady decline in the number of new cases according to Health Secretary Enrique Ona.
Ona said in a briefer submitted to President Benigno S. Aquino III that there are now only around 4,000 new cases weekly compared to 7,000 to 8,000 cases last August and September.
Ona cited as a big lift its continuous advocacy campaign, the 4S—Search and destroy, Self-protective clothing, Seek early consultation, Say no to indiscriminate fogging, and D.E.N.G.U.E. strategy (Daily monitoring of patient’s status; Encourage ORESOL for hydration; Note warning signs for hemorrhagic fever; Give paracetamol Not aspirin for fever; Use mosquito net; Early consult is advised).
Strengthened coordination among government agencies, he said, also contributed to the decline in the number of dengue cases.
The efforts of the Department of Interior and Local Government and the local government units to mobilize communities to institute vector control strategies such as dengue clean-up drives, search and destroy activities is also paying off, he added.
The Department of Education’s continuous advocacy and clean ups in public schools and the Department of Science and Technology’s research on prevention and treatment of the disease prevalent in tropical countries also contributed to the prevention of the disease, Ona said.
The DOH said it continues to monitor cases and to cluster new cases to contain possible new outbreaks as well as verify accuracy of diagnosis. (PCOO)
Aquino elated over latest SWS survey
President Benigno S. Aquino III is happy over the highest ever net approval rating he received from the latest Social Weather Stations survey among Philippine presidents since 1989.
“Nakakagalak,” the President replied when asked during a press conference this afternoon about the latest SWS survey published in Business World Tuesday.
The survey indicated that 73 percent of Filipinos gave a thumbs up for the Aquino administration's performance and only 9 percent against for a net satisfaction rating of +64.
The "very good" net satisfaction rating beat the previous record of +36 notched in November 1998 by then President Joseph Estrada.
He said the new survey reflected the continued optimism of the people on the capability of his administration to change their lives for the better.
He said the high satisfaction rating he got will be translated into the the continuation of the conditional cash transfer program, the administration’s peace and order campaign and eagerness to pursue the peace negotiations with the Moro and communist rebels.
“It really shows the confidence of the people in our administration, our openness, our transparency that we will continue to establish a daylight of transparency and accountability on all fronts. Despite bigger opposition from those who want to revert to the old ways of deceit and dishonesty for personal gains,” the President said. “We have shown our nature.”
He assured that his administration will keep his promise of transparency and to translate into reality his campaign slogan of “kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.”
Of the total of 1,200 adults who participated in the nationwide study conducted Sept. 24-27, the survey noted that the new satisfaction ratings received by Aquino reversed a run of negative net scores of the Palace since Dec. 2007.
It said satisfaction with the national administration improved in all areas and classes, from -57 to +68 in Metro Manila, -45 to +66 in the rest of Luzon, -44 to +61 in Mindanao and -39 to +60 in Visayas. The scores were +66 from -47 among the class D or masa, +65 from -47 in class ABC and +57 from -41 in class E. (PCOO)
Aquino wants Mindanao to become Land of fulfilled promises
President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on Tuesday assured the people of Mindanao of his support by pushing measures that will make the southern island a “Land of fulfilled promises”.
The President issued the assurance at the presentation of “Mindanao 2020,” a peace and development framework plan expected to be fulfilled in 20 years, 2011 to 2030.
“I am here to serve you, not boss you around. Mindanaoans are also my boss just as every citizen in every part of the archipelago,” Aquino said.
Two key advocacy groups from Mindanao, the Mindanao Lawmakers Association (MLA) and the Confederation of Provincial Governors, City Mayors and Municipal Mayors League Presidents (CONFED-Mindanao), through a joint resolution, presented the program to President Aquino today in Malacañang.
The program envisions the people of Mindanao from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds to attain a sustainably uplifted quality of life through collective achievement of a peaceful, developed and integrated Mindanao.
Witnessing the program presentation were various Mindanao stakeholder groups from the business sector, local government, civil society, youth, peace and development advocates and donor agencies.
The key projects to be delivered in Mindanao are in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture, peace and security and poverty alleviation, among others.
“We will ensure that appropriate intervention is immediately targeted and sent to highly-impoverished and vulnerable areas. Mindanao will be at the core of our social development and poverty alleviation program, such as the Conditional Cash Transfer program”, the President said.
The President said that long-term programs are being set for internally displaced persons in cooperation with development partners such as the European Commission.
To capitalize the agricultural strengths of the region, the government will push for the agricultural development of Mindanao by transforming it into a modern agricultural center and the nation’s food basket.
Also part of the government’s programs is the harnessing of the halal industry, particularly in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) area, making Mindanao the food processing hub of the country and its neighboring nations in the Asean.
Peace being the foundation of progress, the President said he will not rest unless solutions are found for the problem of armed conflict in the region.
“Our administration is facing the challenges head-on, so that we can create a unified peaceful Philippines where our citizenry can fulfill their dreams and where the nightmare of conflict is a thing of the past,” President Aquino said. “Mindanao will be the land of promises fulfilled.”
In infrastructure development, the Chief Executive said he will be directing the director-general of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) to study the feasibility of placing a central airport to make it more economically sensible.
President Aquino called on the people of Mindanao to cooperate among themselves for the realization of the said developmental project at the soonest possible time.
“Undoubtedly there will be a lot of tensions as to where to actually site this central airport. I promise you, you cooperate with each other that will be a reality sooner rather than later,” the President said. (PCOO)
Education budget up 11.4 percent next year -- Palace
The budget for education next year including those for state universities and colleges (SUCs) increased by 11.4 percent to P271.67 billion from P240.59 billion this year.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a news briefing that under the proposed 2011 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the 2011 education budget represents 16.5 percent of the national budget, compared to the 15.6 percent of the pie this year.
“There are some who are trying to sow disinformation. With respect to our budget we have again emphasized that budget for education is our number one priority. In fact, it has the biggest budget in the 2011 NEP or the National Expenditure Program,” Lacierda said.
Last Friday, President Benigno S. Aquino III pointed out that the proposed P23.4-billion budget for SUCs for 2011 is higher than the P21 billion the previous administration proposed in 2010.
Given a limited budget for this year, Lacierda said government has focused on basic education (elementary and high school) to give more poor children opportunities to go through college education.
Lacierda said the budget for basic education increased by 18.5 percent, from P175 billion in 2010 to the proposed P207.3 billion for 2011.
Based on a World Bank study on our education system, Lacierda said that for every 100 students who graduate in high school, only 14 students proceed to finish their college education.
Aside from the World Bank study, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang added that the Department of Education (DepEd) and other multilateral institutions have found that the big number in drop-out rates in elementary and high school were a result of poverty and low quality primary and secondary education.
“There are parents who view their children’s time in school as time that could be spent generating income. So, some of them are sometimes forced to drop out because of poverty, so they have to help augment the income of their parents,” Carandang said.
Carandang said the quality of education in primary and secondary has deteriorated over time, where many students do not acquire the necessary skills in order to enter college and succeed in their courses.
“So that is the situation. And it is not true that there are budget cuts. In fact, tumaas po ang education budget, tumaas po ang ating budget sa State Universities and Colleges,” Lacierda said. (PCOO)
DOLE to lift deferment order for OFWs in SoKor by Dec. 7, Palace says
The Department of Labor and Employment is eyeing to lift the deferment order on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers to South Korea by Dec. 7 Malacanang said today.
In a press briefing this afternoon, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the lifting of the deferment order would be done after Ambassador Roy Cimatu has given his assessment on the security situation in the peninsula.
Lacierda said Labor Secretary Liza Baldoz had clarified that the national government did not issue a deployment ban for South Korea.
Instead, he said, the labor department issued only a deferment or a temporary stoppage and prevented OFWs from going to South Korea.
He said the DOLE had deferred the deployment of 55 South Korea-bound OFWs who are supposed to leave on Tuesday (Nov. 30). Lacierda said their departure has been reset to Dec. 7 depending on the security situation assessment to be submitted by Cimatu.
The deferment decision of the deployment of Filipinos to South Korea was implemented due to the tensions created following last week’s artillery exchange between North Korea and South Korea. (PCOO)
Aquino upbeat on success of peace talks
President Benigno S. Aquino III is optimistic of achieving a lasting solution to the more than four decades of insurgency in the country.
This, after the government peace panel led by Alexander Padilla and its National Democratic Front (NDF) counterpart have reportedly agree to an initial meeting on Wednesday.
In a media interview in Malacanang on Tuesday afternoon, the President said he has no specific instructions to Padilla but looks forward to the opening of formal talks with the NDF to finally put an end to the 41-year-old insurgency.
“They have my entire support behind them so I will not pressure them to coming up with something just like a good sound bite. We really want to achieve the lasting solution towards this longest running insurgency,” the President said.
About a month ago, Aquino reconstituted the government panel led by Padilla to pursue peace negotiations with the NDF and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
The President added that the government is keen on restarting negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) once stakeholders agree on the Philippine request for a new facilitator on the resumption of talks.
“We have brought this up to the highest levels of the Malaysian government and through various channels. So we are waiting for their response,” the President said. (PCOO)
