Latest news with #P6
GMA Network
16-07-2025
- Health
- GMA Network
Up to P15B lost yearly due to weak PH vaccination program — PIDS expert
The Philippines loses as much as P15 billion every year due to its "under-prioritized" immunization program for adults, as Filipinos and government grapple with mounting healthcare costs and lost productivity, a researcher from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said Wednesday. "If we try to balance the costs of vaccination that could be through administration, etc., the benefit really outweighs the cost," Valerie Ulep, a senior research fellow and program director for PIDS' health economic and finance program, said in a forum. Among the working age population, Ulep cited that the total hospitalization cost among Filipino adults because of flu is estimated at P1.6 billion. Meanwhile, foregone wages among adults due to flu-related hospitalizations costs around P64 million. Ulep also reported that the total hospitalization cost among adults due to flu is estimated at P5.5 billion. Further, data showed that the estimated average number of days lost during sickness is four days with productivity losses at nearly P6 billion. "The productivity losses due to sick days, there are a lot of empirical evidence saying, suggesting that around, on average, the number of days are four days. So when we try to compute that, you will arrive at P6 billion productivity losses," said Ulep. "So these are substantial losses around P14 to P15 billion every year. And almost all these are preventable with a functioning adult vaccination program." Among seniors Meanwhile, infectious disease specialist Rontgene Solante said research data show that most influenza-related deaths are recorded among Filipinos aged 60 years old and above. "Majority of the deaths here is not among the children, it's mostly among the 60 years old and above. So kapag tinitignan mo itong excess mortality rate, mataas talaga ito, 5.3 per 100,000 person. That tells a lot especially for our population, we have 107 million and we have like 10 to 14 million who are 60 years old and above. That's the reason why when we will be prioritizing flu vaccine, this should be the population na kailangan natin mabigyan agad," said Solante. Further, Ulep said there will be consequences if the country will not improve its adult immunization program. "With under-prioritized adult vaccination, health system costs will continuously rise. As our population ages, pneumonia and flu vaccines will increase simply because more people are at risk. Second is that because of non-communicable diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases will intersect, causing complications that are harder and more expensive to treat," he said. "Third is there is labor productivity reduction, labor productivity will decline. Especially in the context of the Philippines, where you have a high informal sector where workers do not have paid sick leaves or health protection. So that will have more negative impact," Ulep added. "And finally, it widens inequity, poor and working age adults are hit the hardest when public programs do not provide protection." The PIDS senior researcher said the government must invest in awareness campaigns for adult immunization. "The government might want to invest more in awareness and advocacy… Maybe the government may start regulatory and procurement reforms to reduce vaccine prices in the market… This could be a policy agenda that requires working with a private insurance and employers to cover adult vaccination as part of the supplemental benefit," said Ulep. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
10-07-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
1 reported dead in Metro Manila due to Bising, Habagat —NDRRMC
One fatality was reported in Metro Manila due to the impact of Tropical Cyclone Bising and the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Thursday. In its report, the NDRRMC said the information on the reported death has yet to be validated. GMA News Online has reached out to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) for more details about the reported fatality but the agency has yet to respond as of posting time. According to a report of GMA Integrated News' Mark Salazar on 24 Oras on Wednesday, a one-year-old girl died after she was swept away by floodwater during evacuation in Las Piñas City. The baby was found along a riverbank in Barangay Talon 3 after her father allegedly lost hold of her while they were evacuating in Barangay Almanza Uno. She was brought to the hospital but later on passed away. A total of 103,274 people or 32,606 families were affected by Bising and Habagat in the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and National Capital Region, the NDRRMC said. Of the total affected population, 419 people or 104 families were staying in evacuation centers while 3,026 people or 1,022 families were taking shelter in other places. Floods were still reported in 35 areas. Landslides occurred in two areas as well as falling debris incidents in two areas. A total of 16 houses were damaged—12 partially and four totally. One road remained impassable to motorists. Classes in 247 areas and work schedules in 36 areas were suspended. Assistance worth P6,957,926 has been provided so far to the victims, according to the NDRRMC. On July 4, a low pressure area inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) developed into Tropical Depression Bising. At 2:00 p.m. on the same date, Bising exited PAR. On July 6, Bising as a typhoon re-entered PAR. Bising on July 7 again exited the area as a severe tropical storm. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
01-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Bill penalizing public officials for red-tagging filed
A bill penalizing red-tagging has been filed in the House of Representatives. Red-tagging is the practice of accusing people and groups of having ties to communist rebels or terrorist groups, and during the Duterte administration was wielded against government critics, including lawmakers, activists, progressive groups, private citizens, and schools. Several deaths have been linked to red-tagging, and in 2024 the Supreme Court ruled that it poses "threats to a person's right to life, liberty, or security." In House Bill 213, Party-list Representatives Antonio Tinio of ACT and Renee Co of Kabataan cited the high court's ruling. 'This judicial affirmation validates the lived experiences of activists and the long-held position of human rights advocates that red-tagging is a direct and credible threat that warrants decisive legislative action,' the lawmakers said. Under the bill, a public official, employee, and/or their agent who red-tags any individual will be meted a jail time of six months to six years. If the individual was injured by reason or by any cause arising from the red-tagging by a public official, employee, and/or their agents, the public official, employee, and their agents will be punished by a degree higher than those in accordance with Articles 262 to 265 (Physical Injuries) of the Revised Penal Code and a fine not exceeding P6,000 plus damages. In the event the individual is killed by reason or by any cause arising from the red-tagging by a public official, employee, and/or their agents, the public official, employee, and their agents will be punished in accordance with Article 248 or Murder of the Revised Penal Code. If the individual involuntarily disappears by reason or by any cause arising from the red-tagging by the public official, employee, and/or their agents, the public official, employee, and their agents, will punished under An Act Defining And Penalizing Enforced Or Involuntary Disappearance. Lastly, any public officer, employee, and/or their agents who are found guilty of any of the aforementioned offenses will be perpetually disqualified to hold public office. The bill defines red-tagging as the act of publicly labeling, vilifying, branding, naming, accusing or caricaturing individuals, groups, or organizations of being state enemies, subversives, armed rebels, communists or terrorists, or fronts thereof, thereby implying or insinuating involvement or engagement in armed rebellion, acts of terrorism or any wrongdoing or criminal acts; provided, that such act is committed with the use, directly or indirectly, of public position and/or of public funds. 'To allow red-tagging to continue with impunity is to sanction violence perpetrated by the state. It is to surrender our fundamental freedoms and allow the state to operate as an instrument of repression rather than a protector of rights,' the lawmakers said. 'Criminalizing this heinous act is an urgent and necessary step to defend our democracy, uphold the rule of law, and protect the lives of the Filipino people,' they added. — BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
27-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
AirAsia MOVE gets P6M fine for ‘excessive airfares'
Flights, accommodations, and rides booking platform AirAsia MOVE was slapped with a P6 million penalty after government officials flagged it over alleged 'excessive' one-way plane tickets. In a statement on Friday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it welcomed the Civil Aeronautics Board's (CAB) 'swift action' in penalizing AirAsia MOVE 'after it posted excessive and unreasonable airfares on its booking platform.' 'The P6-million penalty imposed on AirAsia MOVE sends a clear message: the government will not tolerate any form of abuse to Filipino passengers,' the DOTr said. 'The DOTr will continue to protect the rights of the commuting public and to hold accountable those who violate established consumer protection regulations,' DOTR added. GMA News Online reached out to AirAsia MOVE for comment. The story will be updated once a response has been received. Previously, AirAsia MOVE chief executive officer Nadia Omer said it does not manually set or manipulate airfares, as it clarified that it is an online travel agency that displays flight inventory and pricing as provided by its authorized upstream suppliers. 'The discrepancies in fare displays for certain routes, including domestic flights operated by Philippine Airlines, were caused by temporary data synchronization issues with flight pricing partners,' she said. Omer also said that they have taken 'immediate steps' and brought up the matter with the third-party pricing provider for resolution and have since enhanced safeguards to prevent a repeat of the situation.. 'MOVE has been working closely with relevant authorities and is fully compliant with all regulatory requirements applicable to Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) operating in the Philippines,' she said. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon earlier said he was seeking the filing of charges and closure of AirAsia MOVE, citing Leyte Representative Richard Gomez's report that the lawmaker and his wife bought two one-way tickets from Tacloban to Manila for P77,704 through the Malaysia-based booking platform. Dizon also said that airline firm AirAsia does not have anything to do with the platform. 'They're affiliated but I don't think AirAsia, in fairness to AirAsia Philippines, no, the airline… I don't think they have anything to do with this,' Dizon said. The controversial flight rates came to light amid the ongoing repair of the San Juanico Bridge, which disrupted movement in the Eastern Visayas causing passenger and cargo fares to spike. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
15-06-2025
- GMA Network
Fishermen who recovered shabu in Pangasinan seas detail story
In Pangasinan, supposed packs of imported durian and tea were found in its waters. The sacks were later revealed to hold methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu. According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), 38 sacks of shabu have been recovered from Bolinao since June 5. There is an estimated 903 kilograms of shabu, amounting to more than P6 billion. Rodelito Fisherman Rodelito found the floating shabu in the morning of June 5. He was out 20 to 35 nautical miles from Bolinao in Pangasinan, which is part of the West Philippine Sea, when he hit floating items. "'Di ko naman alam kung ano 'yun. Basta kinuha ko lang. Paghawak ko, tinaas ko. Mabigat," Rodelito said on "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho." ["I didn't even know what it was. I just took it. When I held it, I lifted it. It was heavy."] When he opened the packages, he found 25 packs, each with different packaging. One was a pack of dried durian with printed Chinese characters, while the other was a container of refined Chinese tea. Both were packed tightly with plastic. But upon opening, he saw that its contents were white. Rodelito eventually realized that it was shabu. "Napapanood ko sa pelikula na ganun ang hitsura. Natakot ako." ["I've seen things like that in movies—that's why I got scared."] He immediately reported it to the authorities. The Dalmacia barangay captain then reported it to their chief. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed that the sacks tested positive for suspected shabu. It is estimated that the shabu Rodelito collected and surrendered to the authorities weighs 56 kilos, priced for more than P380 million. Cornelio On June 7, fisherman Cornelio was having a challenging day at work. Eventually, he spotted a floating sack right beside his boat. When he opened it, Cornelio was sure it was drugs. "Alam na alam ko kasi na droga talaga. Alam kong mahal 'yan." ["I knew for sure it was drugs. I knew it was worth a lot of money."] Although Cornelio knew that the drugs cost money and could help his family if he ever sold it, he was aware that drugs are dangerous. "Kahit mahirap ang buhay namin sa pangingisda, hindi ko naisipan na magbenta, hanggang kaya ko pang magtrabaho, magtatrabaho ako," he added. ["Life as a fisherman is tough, but I never once considered selling [drugs]. As long as I'm able to work, I'll keep going."] Because of this, he surrendered the drugs to the PNP. Darrel and John Lloyd It was father-and-son Darrel and John Lloyd who found the most floating shabu, collecting 56 sacks. They found these on the way home in the afternoon of June 6, in the towns of Bani, Agno, and Suan. "Expected ko na po na drugs 'yun. Kasi po may nauna po nung nakapulot kaysa sa amin," Darrel said. ["I already expected it was drugs because someone else had found some before we did."] They found a total of 96 kilos of shabu, priced more than P600 million. John Lloyd added, "Kahit mahirap 'yung pangingisda, hindi namin kayang ibenta 'yun. 'Pag ibinenta mo 'yun, masisira 'yung buhay mo." ["Even though fishing is difficult, we couldn't bring ourselves to sell it. Because once you do, it will ruin your life."] Weeks after the first reports of floating shabu in Pangasinan, there were more floating contrabands found in Masinloc, Zambales, found by "Randy" and his fishermen's group. There were 10 people aboard the boat when they came across the two floating sacks. At first, they thought that these held food as they were used to receiving food packs from the Vietnamese. It was only upon opening that they realized that the sacks held drugs. They surrendered them to the PNP and received P1,000 from their local government unit. The other fisherfolk are also hoping to receive honorariums for surrendering the floating shabu, as these would also help their families. "Wala po kaming pagsisisi, na sinurrender 'yung mga drugs na 'yun. Kasi po para sa kapakanan ng maraming kababayan na Pilipino," Darrel said. [We have no regrets surrendering those drugs because it was for the good of our fellow Filipinos."] Ongoing investigations Also in June of 2024, blocks of shabu amounting to almost half a billion pesos were found floating in the sea in Ilocos Sur. According to the Philippine Coast Guard, an investigation is still ongoing into whether the two events are connected. PCG added that the syndicate threw the shabu into Philippine waters possibly because of the strictness of the Bureau of Customs. "Nilalaglag po nila ito on these specific coordinates saka po ito kukunin ng kanilang mga contact," PCG said. "Possible po 'yung mga floating drugs, meron po naka-attach na GPS pero inaalam pa rin po natin. Mas mahirap bantayan po ang ating karagatan dahil mas malawak po ito." ["They drop the drugs at specific coordinates, where local contacts retrieve them. Some of these floating packages may even have GPS trackers, but that's still under investigation. The vastness of our waters makes surveillance much more difficult."] The agency added that Bataan or Zambales are where the floating shabu originated but because of the bad weather and strong current, the packages would drift to Pangasinan until Ilocos Sur. The floating shabu may also possibly come from the "Golden Triangle," located within the boundaries of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos which is where shabu production happens. Another possible suspect is Sam Gor, a giant international drug syndicate. PDEA said, "That's a multinational drug syndicate. They are operating dito sa Asia Pacific region. Sila ang nagko-control ng 40-70 percent of distribution, sale ng methamphetamine." ["That's a multinational drug syndicate operating across the Asia Pacific region. They control 40 to 70 percent of the methamphetamine distribution and sales in the area."] The suspect behind the group is dubbed the El Chapo of Asia. He was never arrested in the Philippines, but there were drug incidents where he was connected with a group. PDEA said that in terms of recovery from the seas, this is the largest in the history of their agency. Whether or not the syndicate would be held liable would depend on the procured evidence. Meanwhile, PNP said the shabu will be disposed. PDEA also calls on fisherfolk or those in coastal areas to turnover any floating sacks for proper disposition. "We are still waiting for the final laboratory analysis to determine kung ano 'yung quantity and quality of the dangerous drugs that were discovered because this will be the basis for the rewards to be given out in this fishermen." ["We are still awaiting for the final laboratory analysis to determine the quantity and quality of the dangerous drugs recovered, as this will serve as the basis for the rewards to be given to the fishermen."] "Ang Philippine Coast Guard ay patuloy na nagpa-patrolya dito sa ating West Philippine Sea para masiguro natin na ma-check po natin ang ating karagatan kung may illegal activities na ginagawa," they added. ["The Philippine Coast Guard continues to patrol the West Philippine Sea to ensure that our waters are monitored for any illegal activity."] —JCB, GMA Integrated News
