QC reverts age restriction, only persons aged 18-65 allowed to go out
CALOOCAN CITY, Dec. 6 (PIA) --In line with the latest announcement from the national government's Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the National Capital Region, which is still under GCQ, the Quezo.....»»
Venezuela offers a peek at prison run by gang
Venezuela's Tocoron prison was like a town all unto itself, boasting restaurants, a pool, a zoo, a playground for inmates' kids, and so much more as a powerful gang ruled the roost, using the facility as a criminal operations center. "Steak House. Enjoy," reads a sign on the wall of one of the restaurants in the prison, which thousands of soldiers and police stormed this week. Tocoron is now empty of the 1,600 prisoners who lived here and have been moved elsewhere. Gone is the gang that controlled it, called Tren de Aragua, which has tentacles in various countries of Latin America. "Life was nicer and safer in prison than out on the street," said the wife of a prisoner transferred elsewhere, declining to give her name. Venezuelan authorities took some 30-odd journalists on a controlled and limited tour of the prison on Saturday. The reporters did not get to see the concrete tunnels that the prisoners dug -- pictures of them are circulating on social media -- or what is left of the zoo with its pink flamingos. On one door is written "GNB: the train has stopped." That is the acronym of the Venezuelan national guard, and train refers to the gang. That was a message aimed at the visiting journalists but which the government is also presumably trying to spread nationwide amid the embarrassment of having a gang running a prison and living in relative luxury. Interior Minister Admiral Remigio Ceballos has said four prison officials had been arrested and charged with complicity with the criminals. The Tren de Aragua, which reportedly numbers some 5,000 criminals, emerged in 2014, specializing in classic mafia activities: kidnapping, robberies, drugs, prostitution, and extortion. It has extended its influence to other activities, some legal, but also to illegal gold mining. The head of the gang, Hector Guerrero, and other leaders were tipped off before the big raid on Wednesday and managed to flee the prison and the country a week beforehand, according to the Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVV), a group that follows developments in the country's notoriously dangerous detention centers. As reporters toured the prison, bulldozers tore down a small settlement of houses made of brick, wood, and metal. The authorities gave no explanation as the machines rolled noisily over walls, bed linens, curtains, and other housewares. 'Look in the morgue' Rubeles Mejias, aged 25 and the fiancee of an inmate serving a 13-year term for manslaughter, said she lived in the jail for seven months and left only when her four-year-old daughter had to start school. Her man, whom she planned to marry in a few weeks, was one of the so-called "baptized" people in the prison -- devout Christians who wore white and were treated as a separate caste within the prison hierarchy. Gang members would leave them alone. "It was peaceful. There was a swimming pool, a zoo," Mejias, a hairdresser, said Wednesday after the raid as she stood outside the prison. She said her partner worked in a prison shop and sent her money so she could survive Venezuela's hyperinflation and shortages of food, medicine, and other essentials. "It was he who helped me," she said. The few streets that reporters touring the prison were allowed to see were littered with beer bottles, clothing, TVs, appliances, and stuffed animals. Near the pool and a basketball court were abandoned food stands. On the day of the raid, AFP reporters saw police taking away valuables such as air conditioning units, TVs, and motorcycles as women waiting at the gates of the prison for news of their loved ones screamed "Thieves!" On Saturday, three prisoners in yellow jail uniforms walked around the grounds, which include a building labeled as being for "the training of new men." Outside the prison, many people were still waiting, hoping to find out where their loved ones were sent. Claribel Rojas cried as she looked for her brother. Nesbelis Mavares was trying to find her partner, who was in for homicide. "The last message I got from him was a voicemail Wednesday in which he said, 'I love you. God bless you,'" Mavares said. She added: "They are prisoners, not animals. A guard told us to go look in the morgue." The post Venezuela offers a peek at prison run by gang appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bong Go to DSWD: Help uplift lives in the grassroots
During a public hearing on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) budget, Senator Christopher "Bong Go" expressed his strong support for the department's financial allocation and took the opportunity to seek crucial updates on two major welfare programs: the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) program and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Go acknowledged the difficult situation many provincial migrants face in Metro Manila, especially during the pandemic. “Alam n'yo naman po nitong panahon po ng pandemya ay marami pong mga kababayan natin na mga probinsyano na natutulog na lang po diyan sa sidewalk dahil wala silang kamag-anak, wala silang tirahan, gusto nilang bumalik ng probinsya,” said Go. Go underscored the significance of the BP2 Program, and said that it was established through an executive order by former president Rodrigo Duterte. The Senate adopted a resolution in 2020, principally sponsored by Sen. Go, urging the executive department to formulate and implement a “Balik Probinsya” program. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian affirmed the program's effectiveness and the government's commitment to continue the program. “This is a very good program that we inherited, that we planned to keep and, in fact, use all the time. For the record, ang na-serve natin ho for 2023 is 2,426 out of the target na 4,572 families. Ang financial allocation n'ya is P3.5 billion thereabouts, at ang nagamit ho is P1 billion or 29 percent,” Gatchalian said. In 2020, Duterte signed Executive Order No. 114 which institutionalized the said program. As one of the main proponents of the BP2 Program, Go has earlier said that promoting employment and livelihood opportunities in the countryside will boost regional development consistent with the long-term goals of the program that is set to be fully implemented after the COVID-19 crisis. Meanwhile, DSWD plans to expand the program to include other types of interventions for families living in the streets. Gatchalian said, "'Yung BP2 is something that we want to expand, to include other types of intervention na magagamit sa mga pamilya na nakatira sa lansangan." Gatchalian also acknowledged that while local government units have responsibilities, DSWD has launched a mainstay program to assist families and individuals living on the streets. He said when these families return to their provinces, they receive community livelihood grants, which are monitored by the local government units. Go then inquired if street dwellers and beggars are also included in the program. Gatchalian confirmed their inclusion, saying, "Kasama po because we found out that a lot of them are actually stuck in Metro Manila na gustong umuwi rin, kasama na po sila." When asked where these individuals are temporarily housed, Gatchalian explained that the goal is not to keep them in housing facilities but to help them return to their provinces. Shifting attention to the 4Ps, Go highlighted that former president Duterte enhanced the standard benefits for beneficiaries. While the former president initially considered distributing rice, the decision was ultimately made to offer cash assistance instead. Gatchalian confirmed that an extra P600 has been added to the benefits under Duterte's term. He also elaborated that the amount given to beneficiaries depends on the family's circumstances. The maximum amount ranges from P3500 to P3800, depending on the number of school-aged children in the family. When Go asked about the number of 4Ps members, Gatchalian pointed out that the number is capped at 4.4 million families due to budget constraints. “Just to point out, nakasaad po sa GAA (General Appropriations Act) na lagi pong 4.4 million ang numero nila. So, hindi po sila dumadami; hanggang doon lang ang budget allocation. Sana mas lumaki pa dahil maraming waitlisted, pero ang allowed lang sa amin is 4.4 million families,” the Secretary said. Gatchalian also discussed the conditions under which families "graduate" from the program. Families may leave the program if they reach the seven-year limit, no longer meet the conditions, or fail to attend development sessions. At the height of the pandemic, Go appealed to the government to provide cash incentives to vaccinated 4Ps members to encourage more of them to get their COVID-19 vaccines instead of making vaccination mandatory. Such incentives will be on top of what 4Ps beneficiaries receive in accordance with the law. The post Bong Go to DSWD: Help uplift lives in the grassroots appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New Zealand to ban disposable vapes
New Zealand announced a ban on disposable vapes Tuesday, tightening the nation's chokehold on smoking as it also phases in a near-total prohibition on tobacco sales. Disposable vapes -- defined as those without removable or replaceable batteries -- will be banned from August, Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said. "Too many young people are vaping, which is why we're making a number of moves to stop that happening," she said in a statement. New vape shops will not be allowed near schools or marae -- Maori meeting places, she said. Names like "cotton candy" and "strawberry jelly donut" will be barred, the minister added, in favor of generic equivalents such as "berry". Vapes will also need a child-safety mechanism, she said. Verrall said the government wanted to strike a balance between preventing young people from starting to use vapes and allowing people to use them as an aid to quitting smoking. Six months ago, New Zealand announced it would make cigarettes permanently unavailable to anyone currently aged under 14 -- effectively raising the smoking age each year until the whole population is covered. The number of adults smoking in New Zealand is already relatively low at just eight percent. But Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the new vape restrictions were needed for the young. "We have heard from parents, teachers and principals concerned that a life-long bad habit is being established for many at a young age," Hipkins said. Nearly one in five school-aged teenagers vape at least once a day in New Zealand, according to a 2021 study by the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation. The crackdown on disposable vapes comes a month after Australia took similar action, accusing tobacco companies of hooking the next "generation of nicotine addicts" by deliberately targeting teenagers. E-cigarettes were introduced in the early 2000s and initially billed as a less-harmful replacement for traditional cigarettes packed with cancer-causing chemicals. But an emerging body of research has shown vapes can also be highly addictive, and often result in young users turning to cigarettes as a way to get their nicotine fix. The post New Zealand to ban disposable vapes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pupil started deadly Guyana dorm fire over confiscated phone: source
The weekend school dormitory blaze that killed 19 minors in central Guyana is believed to have been started by a disgruntled pupil angry at having her mobile phone confiscated, a government source told AFP on Tuesday. Sunday's inferno gutted the building in the regional capital of Mahdia, which housed girls aged 11-12 and 16-17. Some are still hospitalized. An official police report confirmed that "a female student is suspected of having set the devastating fire because her cellular phone was taken away." The government source, speaking anonymously, said the teenage pupil in question had admitted to the arson attack and was under police guard at the district hospital in Mahdia. Police are seeking advice on whether to charge her, the official said. On Monday, Guyana Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken had already stated that investigators believed the fire was "maliciously set." According to the government source, students aren't allowed to have phones in the dormitory. After the staff took away the girl's phone, she "threatened the same night that she will burn down the building and everybody heard her," the government source said. The official said that minutes later the girl went to the bathroom area and sprayed insecticide on a curtain before lighting a match. Several pupils had recounted the same version of events, the official said. The girls were locked in for the night, and a house mistress told police that in her panic she could not find the front door key. The building had metal bars on the windows preventing pupils from escaping through them. The house mistress "locks up every night at nine o'clock to ensure the girls don't get away from the building," the official said. "According to the female students, they were asleep and were awakened by screams," said the police report. Despite efforts by other students to extinguish the blaze, the official said the fire quickly swept through the wooden ceiling and eventually engulfed the entire building. Some pupils, including the girl who allegedly started the fire, managed to escape when some men broke down a door. "Upon checking, they saw fire/smoke in the bathroom area, which quickly spread in the building, causing several students to receive burns to their bodies and smoke inhalation, while several managed to escape," the police report said. The police report said there were 57 pupils in the dormitory, which was "a one-flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with several windows, all grilled, and five doors." Firefighters did not arrive on the scene until 25 minutes after the fire took hold. The house mistress' son apparently also died in the fire. Thirteen young girls and a boy died in the building, while five more pupils died later at the hospital. As well as the dead, around 20 children were taken to hospital. Seven remain hospitalized, with two in critical condition, according to a hospital source. Six autopsies performed so far revealed the minors died from smoke inhalation and burns, according to the police. The other 13 unrecognizable bodies were being transported to the capital, Georgetown, for DNA testing to confirm their identities. National security advisor Gerry Gouveia said that a forensic team from Barbados had arrived in Guyana to help with the identification. Another team from the United States is expected. Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said that Cuba also offered to provide medical support. Guyana, with a population of 800,000, is South America's only English-speaking nation. It is a former Dutch and British colony, which recently discovered it holds the world's largest per-capita oil reserves. The post Pupil started deadly Guyana dorm fire over confiscated phone: source appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Minors, elderly allowed to leave homes for national ID registration
Minors aged 15 to 17 will be allowed to go out of their houses, but only to register for the Philippine Identification System, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said yesterday......»»
POC amends charter
By 2024, no person aged 75 years old and above will be allowed to seek an elective position in the Philippine Olympic Committee......»»
Neda wants persons aged 5 to 70 to be allowed to go out
MANILA, Philippines — The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) has recommended to the President to allow individuals aged five to 70 to go outside their homes, provided that there are proper safeguards. Acting Neda chief Karl Chua said on Monday during the pre-recorded briefing of President Rodrigo Duterte that further loosening age restrictions, which […] The post Neda wants persons aged 5 to 70 to be allowed to go out appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
IATF relaxes age restrictions in MGCQ areas
The Palace announced Friday the easing of age restrictions in areas under a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), where people aged 10 to 65 years will be allowed to leave their homes starting Feb. 1......»»
QC reverts age restriction, only persons aged 18-65 allowed to go out
CALOOCAN CITY, Dec. 6 (PIA) --In line with the latest announcement from the national government's Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the National Capital Region, which is still under GCQ, the Quezo.....»»
Duterte urged to allow seniors up to 70 to go out
Alarmed that three out of 10 Filipino elderly suffer from depression, Senior Citizen partylist Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes has appealed to President Duterte to include senior citizens up to 70-years-old in the list of persons who can go out. The lawmaker sought the expansion of the coverage of the lifting of age-based stay-at-home restrictions and other benefits as provided by Resolution No. 79-2020 issued by Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF). Under the IATF resolution, those aged 15 to 65 are allowed to go out. “Mr. President, I respectfully recommend that the coverage of the lifting of age-based stay-at-home restrictions and other benefits provided by IATF Resolution No. 79-2020 be expanded to include senior citizens up to the age of 70-years-old, instead of the proposed age of up to 65-years-old,” Ordanes said in a letter to President Duterte dated Oct. 21. “It is this representative’s humble opinion that expanding the coverage of IATF Resolution No. 79 to include senior citizens up to the age of 70-years-old will help alleviate the social and economic difficulties that our 2.5 million senior citizens face due to COVID-19,” he explained. He expressed hope that his request be granted by Duterte by December. Ordanes noted that studies show that there is minimal risk in expanding the coverage of the IATF resolution, given the global decline of case fatality rates among the elderly. There is a minimal difference between the Infection Fatality Rates of those within the age of 65 and those within the age of 70, he said. “If the coverage of the resolution is expanded, 2.5 million of our senior citizens will be lifted out of depression which three out of 10 of our elderly suffer from today, as they will be allowed to engage again in social activities and be taken out of social isolation,” Ordanes said. He said by expanding the coverage of the IATF resolution, the government is economically empowering the elderly up to 70 years , as they are allowed to participate again in economic activities. “Mr. President, an expansion of the coverage of the IATF Resolution No. 79-2020 will pose minute differences from the overall risk that our senior citizen population is facing due to COVID-19. Comparatively, once the coverage is expanded, 2.5 million of our senior citizens will enjoy economic and social upliftment in their lives and welfare,” he said. “Thus, I respectfully ask for your consideration in increasing the exemptions to stay-at-home restrictions imposed on senior citizens up to the age of 70-years-old.”.....»»
Metro Manila mayors recommend extended GCQ in NCR until end of 2020
The Metro Manila Council (MMC) has recommended to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) the extension of the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) until the end of the year. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN) The MMC, the policy-making body of the MMDA is composed of 17 mayors in the NCR. “All our mayors agreed to recommend to the IATF to extend GCQ until December 31. It is easy to adjust gradually while under GCQ,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Jose Arturo Garcia disclosed during a virtual press conference Monday, October 19. “Mas mahirap na i-Modified General Community Quarantine or MGCQ na 100 percent tsaka mo babawasan, magkakaroon ng resistance iyan, mahirap i-control. Unlike GCQ tayo tapos gradually tayo nag-a-adjust ng mga capacity. This is the better move para tumakbo ang ekonomiya natin (It is hard to place NCR 100 percent under MGCQ. Then if you decrease the quarantine level, there will be resistance. That’s hard to control. Unlike when we are still under GCQ and we gradually adjust the capacity. This move is better to help our economy),” Garcia explained. NCR is currently under GCQ until the end of October. The MMC also suggested that curfew in Metro Manila be shortened from the current 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. to 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. Garcia said this is also the recommendation of the economic team in order to boost the economy which was badly affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. “This is for our economy, for our establishments to earn more. More people are expected to dine at restaurants due to the change in the curfew hours,” he said. “All the mayors agreed to this. Of course, health protocols must be strictly observed at such establishments,” Garcia added. The mayors likewise agreed to allow persons aged 18 to 65 outside their homes.. “Our mayors pointed out that individuals aged 18 are the ones who are allowed to work, therefore, they are not out of their houses for leisure. Those below the said age are more prone to go out their houses just for leisure,” Garcia explained. Garcia said there is still nothing definite about the traditional “Simbang Gabi.” “There are recommendations to adjust the curfew during the start of ‘Simbang Gabi’ to 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. But, this is not yet final. It is too early to talk about this. We will release a guideline by the end of November,” he said. .....»»
Persons aged 15 to 65 now allowed to go out
Persons aged 15 to 65 now allowed to go out.....»»
Persons aged 15-65 can now go out
Noting a downtrend in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, the government expanded yesterday the age group of people allowed to go outside their houses which is now 15 to 65 years old......»»
Persons aged 15 to 65 allowed to go out
Persons aged 15 to 65 allowed to go out.....»»
IATF Eases Age Restrictions, Persons Aged 15-65 Now Allowed to Go Out
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has eased the quarantine age restrictions, expanding the age group allowed to go out amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). According to the Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution No. 79 released on Friday, people aged 15 to 65 are now allowed to go out. […].....»»
IATF to finalize new age group allowed outside homes
The members of the government’s pandemic task force are set to finalize the new age group that would be allowed to go outside their homes as the country reopens the economy despite the ongoing pandemic, the Palace said Wednesday. Under the current policy, those aged below 21 and above 60 are required to stay home […] The post IATF to finalize new age group allowed outside homes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ban lifted on hiring of minors in entertainment
Young celebrities aged 15 to below 18 years old are now allowed to resume their work in the entertainment industry, the Department of Labor and Employment said over the weekend......»»
Church visits are allowed only until 10 p.m. – Police chief
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Church visits on Maundy Thursday will only be allowed until 10 p.m. the chief of the Cebu City police announced on Thursday, March 28. Police Colonel Ireneo B. Dalogdog, City Director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said that the public is not allowed inside religious places past 10:00 p.m......»»
7 nanlaban drug suspects dead after Baste Duterte declares drug war
Less than a week after Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte declared a "war on drugs" in the city, at least seven drug suspects were killed during a buy-bust operation in the city — violence that highlights the seriousness of the mayor's recent threat of outright killing persons caught using illegal drugs......»»
Hope for more survivors from Baltimore bridge collapse fades
BALTIMORE – The coast guard announced on Wednesday that hope of finding more survivors of the Baltimore bridge collapse has dimmed, and efforts have switched to searching for the bodies of the missing persons, as well as seeking more answers as to why a container ship crashed into the span. The coast guard announced on.....»»