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PBBM taps ex-journo to run DSWD as OIC Tulfo’s fate hangs in the balance
VOL. XXXVI • NO. 317 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
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RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Undersecretary Eduardo Punay as officer-in-charge of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The Palace, however, remained mum American citizen, Zubiri said. on the status of DSWD Secretary Erwin A source in the department said TulTulfo, whose ad interim appointment fo’s appointment as DSWD chief was was bypassed by the Commission on Next page Appointments before Congress went on recess earlier this month. The CA deferred the deliberations on the ad interim appointment of Tulfo as they raised the issues on the latter’s American citizenship and his conviction on four counts of libel. “An announcement on Sec. Tulfo will be made soon,” Office of the Press Secretary OIC Cheloy Garafil said when asked whether Tulfo resigned, was let go by the President, or will eventually be reappointed. On the citizenship issue, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tulfo confirmed he was using an American passport until 2021. He was reported to have served in the US Army from 1988 to 1992. Tulfo would need to show the CA panel additional documents such as a certification that he is no longer an DSWD OIC Usec. Edu Punay
Glitches mar SIM card registration, thousands affected Death toll in X’mas
floods climb to 17, with 20 still missing
By Darwin G. Amojelar and Rey E. Requejo THOUSANDS of mobile phone users were unable to register their SIM cards on the first day of mandatory registration as technical glitches—and the sheer number of users—bogged down online portals set up by telecommunications companies to accept their information. Globe, with about 87 million subscribers, launched its SIM registration portal early on Dec. 27, in compliance with the law but had to take the site offline just a few hours after going live. Globe said several customers were able access the site and register between 4 a.m. and 7
THE death toll from intense rains and flooding that hit the country on Christmas weekend rose to 17 on Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. Agricultural damage reached P62.69 million, affecting Bicol Region and Northern Mindanao. Meanwhile, damage to infrastructure rose to P20.5 million. Of the total fatalities, nine were in Region 10, five in Region 5, two in Region 8 and one in Region 9. Only 2 deaths, however, have been validated, the NDRRMC said, while the rest are still under investigation.
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SIM mass listing may trigger e-wallet scam AS THE country starts implementing the SIM Registration Law, mobile wallet firm GCash on Tuesday warned against scams that may take advantage of the mass enrollment. GCash has been receiving reports that some telco subscribers are getting messages that their accounts have been restricted if they don’t pre-register their SIM cards, it said. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian earlier warned of the scam a day before the official start of mass SIM card registration. “We would like to reiterate our warnings to our users that GCash will never send links via SMS, email, and
INFO CAMPAIGN. Infographics help mobile
phone users navigate the SIM registration site set up by a local network provider at a mall in Malate in Manila on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. Danny Pata
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DOH makes final push to extend expiring pandemic calamity state By Willie Casas THE Department of Health (DOH) has asked the Office of the President (OP) to further extend the state of calamity in the Philippines due to COVID-19, which is set to expire on Dec. 31, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said Tuesday. “We already submitted our memo to the President, requesting the extension of the state of calamity in consideration of the fact that the CDC bill was not enacted on time,” she said, referring to the proposed measure creating the country’ Center for Disease Prevention and Control. She said they were just waiting for an official response from the Office of the President. Earlier this year, President Ferdinand
Marcos Jr. extended the state of calamity due to COVID-19 to the end of the year upon a recommendation from the National Disaster Risk-Reduction and Management Council. Former President Rodrigo Duterte placed the country under a state of calamity until Sept. 12, 2022. Duterte said the state of calamity throughout the country was needed “in order for the national government and the local government units to continuously deliver COVID-19-related interventions such as but not limited to COVID-19 vaccination program; use appropriate funds... in their Next page
BLESSING OF REPLICAS. Devotees of the Black Nazarene witness the start of a three-day period for the blessing of replicas in front of Quiapo Church on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. Danny Pata
Gov’t rushes solutions to save 400k seamen’s jobs By Vito Barcelo THE Department of Migrant Workers on Tuesday said it is “actively pursuing solutions” for the Philippines to comply with an audit by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), with a
deadline set at yearend, as the jobs of more than 400,000 Filipino seafarers are at stake, according to a Deutsche Welle (DW) report. DMW Assistant Secretary Jerome Pampolina made the statement after the EMSA found 13 shortcomings and 23 grievances, among them the lack of
training equipment, inconsistencies in teaching and assessment, and deficiencies in the country’s seafarers’ education, training, and certification system. “The country has not been able to pass the EMSA Audit since 2006 or for more than a decade. This is the final Next page
No plan to import onions despite price spikes—DA SAFE AND JUST AS NOISY. A sidewalk vendor in Cubao, Quezon City shows off his air horn or “torotot” ahead of the New Year. Manny Palmero
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday said it is not considering the importing onions given the expected harvest in the coming months, even as current prices breached the P500 per kilo level.
DA deputy spokesperson Rex Estoperez said prices of onions have already reached up to P520 per kilogram in select markets in Metro Manila, with farmgate prices up to P300 per kilogram.
Estoperez said the DA will focus on possible interventions for the commodity, including credit for farmers, and providing them assistance in terms of logistics, transportation, cold Next page