IN BRIEF

DENR taps Isla Lipana for bureau systems review

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) partnered with Isla Lipana & Co./ PwC Philippines to review the systems and processes at the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Environmental Management Bureau.

The partnership was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding between DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga, and Alex Cabrera, chairman emeritus of Isla Lipana & Co. PwC Philippines is a professional services firm engaged in delivering audit and assurance, and tax and advisory services within and outside the Philippines. Rio N.

Araja

Subic port assures full cooperation with SBMA

THE Port of Subic has assured it will collaborate with other government agencies and stakeholders in line with the reform initiatives of Customs Commissioner Bien Rubio and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

SC’s Morales to law grads: Fight injustice

By Rey E. Requejo

SUPREME Court (SC) Justice Jose

Midas Marquez has exhorted the country’s law graduates, many of whom are expected to take the Bar examinations in September to be fullfledged lawyers, “to maintain your indignation at injustice and your anger at corruption.”

“When you see wrong being done, don’t be afraid to speak out. In this world, justice and fairness are never guaranteed. It is our collective actions, our struggle against injustice, which bend the moral arc of the universe towards justice,” Marquez said in his speech during the graduation ceremony on Thursday for law graduates at the Jose Maria College Foundation, Inc. (JMCFI) in Davao City.

Marquez reminded the soon-to-be lawyers and all lawyers in the country: “Keep in mind that lawyers are meant to solve problems for others, not to create them.”

“Lawyers are not often told to be kind, but I believe that when faced with a choice, one should always err on the side of kindness and compassion,” he stressed.

He encouraged the law graduates that “consistently choosing compassion, kindness, and respect for others will set you on the right path: the path towards slowly but surely building a legacy of which you can be proud.”

The SC magistrate then told the graduates that the SC has been in the “period of rapid and extensive change” due to information and communications technology that brings about the operation of hybrid digital courtrooms, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, case management, e-filing, smart buildings, and sustainable energies.

DOH: Dengue cases reach over 48k from Jan. to May

THE Department of Health (DOH) reported that dengue infections in the country reached 48,109 from January 1 to May 13, 2023.

According to the DOH, the latest figure is 38% higher compared to 34,963 infections recorded in the same period last year.

The health department further said that based on its surveillance report, most dengue cases were reported from Metro Manila (6,395), Calabarzon (5,135), Davao Region (4,842), Central Luzon (4,722), and Northern Mindanao (4,278).

So far, some 176 dengue-related deaths or a 0.37% case fatality rate was reported, the DOH said. The DOH said for the same period in 2022, there were 203 deaths due to the mosquito-borne disease or a CFR of 0.58 percent. The health also reminded the public to follow dengue protection advisories.

The dengue virus is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito, according to the

World Health Organization.

While most dengue cases are asymptomatic or show mild symptoms, it can manifest as a severe, flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults, but seldom causes death, the WHO said.

Symptoms usually last for 2–7 days, after an incubation period of 4–10 days after the bite from an infected mosquito, it added.

State weather bureau PAGASA declared the onset of the rainy season last week, Dengue is among the top diseases prevalent during the wet season in the Philippines.

INDEPENDENCE

DAY PREP.

A man wearing a Katipunero outfit is seen fixing water containers with Philippine Flaginspired colors at SM Bacoor on Thursday in time for the celebration of the 125th Philippine Independence Day on Monday, June 12.

Norman Cruz

Herbosa eyes digitizing DOH to boost efficiency, serve rural sites

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

NEWLY-appointed Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teddy Herbosa said he plans to digitalize the country’s health department.

Herbosa said this is to make the DOH “very efficient” in delivering healthcare services to the people, especially those in rural areas. He noted that digitizing the agency would help address issues of corruption linked to the department.

Earlier, the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the DOH over P30 billion in unobligated and undisbursed COVID-19 funds. “I want to also digitize the financ- ing, the disbursement, the spending and procurement of these billions of pesos of people’s tax money. I want them all to go healthcare,” he said.

DOH Usec. Eric Tayag, appointed as the DOH chief information officer, said they will “make sure that we digitize healthcare so it becomes accessible in the most remote areas of the public.”