PBBM names new Crop Insurance Corp. chief

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Jovy Bernabe as acting head and CEO of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC), Malacañang announced on Thursday.

Bernabe was included in the list of 23 newly-appointed government officials released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on its official Facebook page.

Bernabe will also serve as a member of the PCIC Board of Directors.

This is not the first time Bernabe will lead the PCIC, having previously served as the president of the agency under the Duterte administration.

In February 2023, Bernabe was tapped as acting member of the Local Water Utilities Administration’s Board of Trustees.

Bernabe also became the deputy executive director of the National Agricultural and Fishery Council and board secretary of the Sugar Regulatory Administration. The PCIC, a government-owned and -controlled corporation, is mandated to provide insurance protection to farmers against losses arising from natural calamities, plant diseases, and pest infestations of their palay and corn crops, as well as other crops. It also provides protection against damage to or loss of non-crop agricultural assets, including but not limited to machinery, equipment, transport facilities, and related infrastructures.

Malacañang also released the latest appointments in several agencies, including the PCO, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Department of Transportation (DOTr). Vince Lopez

DOH allows use of Pfizer as third inoculation against coronavirus

THE Department of Health (DOH) said it has allowed the use of Pfizer bivalent vaccines as third booster dose against COVID-19.

The DOH made the announcement while waiting for the arrival of more COVID-19 bivalent vaccines in the country.

In a memorandum signed by DOH officerin-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire dated March 31, the DOH said a “phased approach” shall be followed wherein adults belonging to A1 (healthcare workers) and A2 (senior citizens) categories will be the first ones to be given the Pfizer bivalent vaccine as third booster dose.

Those who will be vaccinated need to wait at least four months after receiving their second booster shot before they take the next one, the DOH said.

The health department also said select hospi- tals and other health facilities, like city health offices and rural health units, will be used for the pilot roll-out in all regions in the country. continued absence from the chamber on an expired travel authority.

Inoculation for other population groups shall then be opened in succeeding phases, subject to the availability of stocks and possible technical changes.

As of March 20, 2023, DOH’s data showed that 674,471 healthcare workers, and 970,020 senior citizens have received their second booster dose.

The Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) had recommended on February 15 the use of COVID-19 Pfizer bivalent vaccine as a first, second, and/or third booster dose for adults belonging to the A1, A2, and A3 (people with comorbidities) categories, four to six months after receiving the primary series or the last booster dose, according to DOH.

The House adopted the recommendation of the House ethics and privileges panel chaired by COOP-NATCCO party-list Rep. Felimon Espares by a 285-0-1 vote. The chamber also stripped off Teves’ committee memberships.

“His [Teves] actions constitute violation of code of conduct and disorderly behavior warranting disciplinary action. [As a result], the House committee on ethics and privileges recommends to the House of Representatives the imposition of the following penalties: 60 day suspension due to disorderly behavior, revocation of all his rights and privileges as member of the House in said period, and forfeiture of all committee membership,” Espares said. Rio Araja

Sen. Villar vows full support for PH marine areas

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Cynthia Villar renewed her commitment to protect oceans and wetlands and preserve their role in nurturing life and supporting livelihoods.

During the On-the-Spot Poster-Making Contest initiated by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP), Villar underscored the importance of “the conservation, protection, and sustainable management of our country’s coastal and marine resources.”

“It becomes all the more important given that the Philippines is an archipelago endowed with vast coastal and ocean resources, including critical habitats, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, seascapes, and endangered and vulnerable marine flora and fauna, all of which provide both economic and ecological benefits for the present and future generations,” Villar said.

Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change, said: “It is a sad reality that our oceans and wetlands are vulnerable. Habitat destruction and climate change have led to a decline in marine bounties and biodiversity. Wetlands, such as the LPPWP, a legislated protected area, are also under threat.