MINDANAO DAILY TRUTH | JUSTICE | PROGRESS
Volume IX, No. 385
www.mindanaodailynews.com
Fri-Sat, January 22-23, 2021
Davao to get Pfizer vaccine in February By ANTONIO L. COLINA IV MindaNews
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(Photos Everyone)
DAVAO CITY -- The city will receive initial doses of PfizerBionTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines from the national government by late next month, as the area grapples again with recordhitting new daily cases due to the post-holiday surge. This was announced by Dr. Ashley Lopez, Davao City Health COVID-19 focal person said in his program over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Wednesday. Lopez said local authorities are doing all they can to prepare the logistical support,
particularly the storage facilities that can support ultra-cold temperature of -70°C, which is required to maintain the efficacy of vaccines developed by the US-based drug maker. Asked how many doses will be allocated for Davao City, Lopez said in a separate text message on Thursday that he had no figure yet since this will be decided by the national government. But he assured that it will be sufficient to cover frontline health workers of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) who, along with health professionals from private hospitals, are high up on the priority
list of the government. He said the vaccines will not be made available to the public, as the national government will give priority to frontline health workers, indigent senior citizens, remaining senior citizens, remaining indigent population, and uniformed personnel. “We will prioritize health professionals of the SPMC because that’s the center of our isolation. There are a lot of cases there so we need to protect the health professionals. They will be the ones to first benefit from the vaccines,” he added. The Food and Drug Administration announced last January See GET, page 11
Agusan guv sees decline of COVID cases with testing lab already running By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN Contributing Editor
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur -- Gov. Santiago Cane Jr. expressed confidence of a decline of the positive COVID-19 cases in this province with the
operation of the COVID-19 molecular laboratory testing facility at the D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital which could release results within 24 hours. Already, an initial 61 See SEES, page 11
Laboratory technicians at the DO Plaza Memorial Hospital COVID testing facility test swab samples from patients showing symptoms of the dreaded disease. Photo courtesy of A lexis C abardo of PTV 8 A gusan del S ur
P15.00
SSS appeals to Congress not to defer the new contribution rate THE Social Security System (SSS) on Thursday appealed to members of the House of Representatives for an objective decision on the proposed measures to postpone the contribution rate hike scheduled for this year, as it emphasized that the pension fund’s financial viability may be disadvantaged by its deferment. SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Aurora C. Ignacio, at the hearing of the House Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization chaired by Paranaque Rep. Eric L. Olivarez on Thursday urged the legislators to consider the effects of delaying the scheduled contribution hike to benefits given to members, pensioners, and their beneficiaries. Ignacio explained that See APPEALS, page 8
No tsunami threat after 7.1-magnitude quake: Phivolcs By CHE PALICTE
DAVAO CITY – Following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Davao Occidental and other parts of Mindanao on Thursday night, the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOSTPhivolcs) said there is no destructive tsunami threat. At around 8:23 p.m., a 7.1-magnitude earthquake jolted Jose Abad Santos. Davao Occidental. Phivolcs traced the epicenter of the tremblor in the town of Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental with a depth of 116 kilometers See QUAKE, page 11