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Politics

HONTIVEROS BATS FOR DOH BUDGET HIKE AMID COVID-19

“This is a health emergency. If we want to win against COVID-19 and finally recover as a country, our national budget next year must be a pandemic budget, no ifs, and buts.” This is according to Senator Risa Hontiveros who pushed for a P48.7-billion hike in the Department of Health’s (DOH) budget to put the […]

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Politics

VILLANUEVA : PAY CONTACT TRACERS ON TIME

Senator Joel Villanueva has asked authorities to ensure that hired coronavirus disease (COVID-19) contact tracers  are paid on schedule, saying these workers also look after the needs of their families and cannot afford to have debts. Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, issued the statement following reports that some contact tracers hired by the […]

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Politics

LIFT DEPLOYMENT BAN ON HEALTHCARE WORKERS – VILLANUEVA

The incident involving seven Filipino nurses bound for the United Kingdom who were offloaded by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) recently because of the deployment ban on healthcare workers highlights how disjointed this policy is, said Senator Joel Villanueva. Villanueva called on authorities, particularly the Department of Labor and Employment, to immediately sort out the […]

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Politics

CONDUCT REGULAR, RANDOMIZED VIRUS TESTING IN WORKPLACE – VILLANUEVA

Senator Joel Villanueva has reiterated his call for the government to mandate the conduct of regular, randomized testing in the workplace for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that the majority of COVID-19 cases are from the working age groups. Data from the health department showed that as […]

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Politics

PH RED CROSS TO HELP DOH RELEASE COVID-19 TEST RESULTS TO PATIENTS – GORDON

With community transmission a large contributor, along with the country’s increased testing capacity, to the growing number of positive cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country, the Philippine Red Cross has volunteered to help the Department of Health (DOH) release positive test results to patients. Senator Dick Gordon, PRC chairman and CEO, stressed […]

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Government

COMMAND CENTER TO CENTRALIZE USE OF HOSPITAL BEDS FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS – VEGA

To maximize the availability of hospital beds reserved for those infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the government recently launched the One Hospital Command Center (OHCC). The center, located at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Gymnasium in its headquarters in Guadalupe, Makati City, will provide coordinated care for COVID-19 patients, allowing for transfers, referrals, […]

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Government

GOV’T READY TO LISTEN AND GIVE ASSISTANCE TO HEALTH CARE WORKERS – NOGRALES

“The President listens to the pleas of our health care workers (HCWs). He will address the concerns of our medical frontliners. In fact, the IATF will discuss this urgent matter to give concrete solutions to problems facing our HCWs.” Cabinet Secretary and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases co-chair Karlo […]

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Politics

DOH, IATF SHOULD MAKE PERIODIC REPORT ON VIRUS RESPONSE – GORDON

With some sectors finding questionable the official statistics reported on the cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country, Senator Dick Gordon is calling for periodic reporting on the real state of the nation’s health from the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Gordon, chairman […]

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Politics

GORDON CALLS FOR OVERHAUL OF DOH, LONGER TERM FOR SECRETARIES

Senator Dick Gordon noted that the short tenure of secretaries has contributed largely to the lack of consistent and continuous planning in the Department of Health (DOH). In an interview, Gordon, who chairs the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations or the Blue Ribbon, said that throughout the history of the DOH, secretaries […]

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Politics

DISCARD PNP TRAVEL PASS; HEALTH CLEARANCE SHOULD BE OK FOR TRAVEL IN QUARANTINE AREAS — REP. CASTELO

Quezon City Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo is urging the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to do away with the travel pass being issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP) to travelers in quarantine areas. Castelo said the PNP travel pass has no “probative value” in terms of a person’s health and thus […]