2 minute read

IN BRIEF

MMDA, Makati City open three new parks

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Makati City government on Wednesday unveiled the three AdoptA-Park project sites in the city.

The three parks - EDSA-Buendia Park, EDSAPinagkaisahan Park and Magallanes Interchange Phase A - Mini Park - have a combined lot area of 3,000 square meters. The parks were designed by the city’s Department of Environmental Services. MMDA chairman Romando Artes, deputy chairman Undersecretary Frisco San Juan Jr. and Makati administrator Claro Certeza led the inauguration and turnover of the parks.

Artes said improvement of the facilities serves as an avenue for social interactions and family gatherings to be enjoyed by the residents living in Makati.

“These parks could give the residents of Makati the opportunity to spend quality time among members of the families and communities,” Artes said, adding that the agency is in constant coordination with the local government for future projects.

Certeza, for his part, expressed his gratefulness to the MMDA for its initiatives to provide open spaces in the city. Joel E. Zurbano

PH passes 66k mark in COVID deaths—DOH

THE Philippines has surpassed the 66,000 mark in COVID-19 deaths, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

As of February 21, a total of 66,039 patients died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, the DOH COVID-19 tracker showed.

Quezon City had the most number of COVID-related deaths with 2,672, followed by Cebu with2,612; Bulacan with 2,207; Cagayan with 2,047; and Manila, 1,925.

The Philippines logged the first COVID death outside China in February 2020, in a 44-year-old man who arrived from Wuhan, China.

Meanwhile, a 67-year-old woman in Manila was the country’s first local death due to the coronavirus.

As of February 20, the Philippines has 9,211 active COVID cases.

Since the pandemic started, the country has recorded over 4 million coronavirus infections, of which majority have recovered from the disease.

To date, more than 73.8 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated against COVID.

Of this number, around 21.5 million people have received their first boosters while 3.9 million given their second boosters. Willie Casas

Taguig so far chalks up P4.38b revenues

in ’23

THE Taguig City government has collected business taxes amounting to ₱4.38 billion through its Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) this year, a whopping ₱1.17 billion increase over the figure reported for the same period in 2022.

Mayor Laarni Cayetano thanked the traders for doing business in Taguig and paying their taxes, emphasizing that the revenues go back to the people in the form of services and benefits.

City treasurer Voltaire Enriquez noted the marked improvement not just in collection of taxes, but in the overall operation of BOSS and customer satisfaction: “Payment and releasing were fast; taxpayers did not line up until midnight to settle their taxes or wait for their business permits; there was no rush to beat the deadline; and there were no irate customers protesting,” he said.

Carrying out the orders of Mayor Cayetano, Taguig rolled out a new system that allowed business owners to apply for permits and pay taxes quickly, accurately, and hassle-free.

The Business Permits and Licensing Office and the City Treasurer’s Office integrated the payment of Barangay fees. Business owners no longer needed to secure clearances from the barangays separately.Joel E. Zurbano

This article is from: