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IN MET R MANILAO
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 313 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES DECEMBER 24, 2023
DONE AFTER 12 YEARS.
Kim Chiu (right) and Xian Lim pose for photos during the ABS-CBN Ball in this file photo.
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COVID RATE RISING IN NCR, ‘LIKELY’ TO SPREAD—OCTA MASK USE URGED AS VIRUS ‘STILL ALL OVER THE PLACE’
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HE COVID-19 positivity rate in the National Capital Region seems to be peaking, but infections were likely to spread to the provinces,
OCTA Research fellow Guido David said on Saturday. The Metro Manila positivity rate jumped to 22.4% on Thursday from the 18.4% recorded on Dec. 14, David said in a GMA News report. This developed as health reform advocate Tony Leachon urged the government to impose a two-week mandatory wearing of face masks, as he observed that COVID-19 is still “all over the place.” Earlier, infectious diseases expert and Philippine College of Physicians President Dr. Rontgene Solante said a rise of COVID cases was expected this holiday season due to the increase of gatherings and parties following the relaxed pandemic protocols. While hospitalization and ICU admission rates remained low, Solante said the spread of influenza-like infections and the possible presence of the highly contagious COVID-19 JN.1 variant
City on Friday. The government was urged to require the wearing of face masks to contain the rising cases of COVID-19, especially in Metro Manila. Oliver Marquez
remained a threat to the public. The Department of Health’s last COVID-19 bulletin reported 557 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total nationwide caseload to 4,132,200. The National Capital Region had the most recorded new cases within the past 14 days at 2,293 cases in total, while Quezon City was the top city at 645 cases in total. “COVID is increasing because President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. just recov-
ered, Mayor Vico Sotto and a lot of personalities as well. It’s all over the place,” Leachon told ANC’s Headstart. A former adviser of the government’s national task force on the coronavirus disease, Leachon said severe and critical cases of COVID-19 are also on the rise. “So we need really right now time for the government, on a transitory period, to impose a mandatory face mask in the next 2 weeks given the escala-
tion... and [us] going into the holiday season,” he suggested. While the fatality rate is low, Leachon said he is more concerned with the other effects of the coronavirus. “I’m concerned more on the quality of life, the morbidity, isolation, plus the occurrence of long COVID syndrome and we cannot afford this kind of situation considering were not actively vaccinating right now,” he said. Macon Ramos-Araneta
to all heroes and martyrs of the Philippine revolution,” they said. “This ceasefire declaration is also in solidarity with people’s traditional holiday celebrations,” the statement added. Although the communist army will not carry out offensives during the ceasefire, it said it will “act in self-defense to counter and frustrate any hostile movement or actions of enemy units within the scope of the NPA’s guerrilla fronts and areas of operations.” The government and the National
Democratic Front of the Philippines in November announced they are preparing to return to talks towards “a principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict.” Despite the agreement to prepare for peace talks, both sides of the decades-old conflict have said their operations will continue. While there is no final peace framework, the Philippine Army would “continue its efforts to sustain the gains in Internal Security Operations by dismantling the weakened guerrilla fronts and neutral-
izing the remaining armed groups,” it said in November. The CPP-NPA announcement of a ceasefire comes days after a clash in Balayan, Batangas, where the military said six rebels and an Army soldier were killed. In the aftermath, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte urged Filipinos not to be deceived by the CPP-NPA-NDF, as she sent her condolences to the family of Sgt. Jernell Ramillano who recently died in an encounter with the insurgents. Vince Lopez
MARCOS FORMS LGBTQIA+ COMMITTEE By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Marcos has issued an executive order creating a special committee to tackle issues from the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBTQIA+) community. Under Executive Order 51, the Special Committee on LGBTQIA+ Affairs, which will be under the reconstituted Diversity and Inclusion Committee (DIC), will be led by a chairperson with a rank of an undersecretary and will have three members with the rank of assistant secretary. The President will choose the chairperson and members of the special committee from reputable organizations representing the LGBTQIA+ com-
ACTRESS and TV host Kim Chiu on Saturday confirmed that she and longtime partner Xian Lim have broken up after months of speculation. In an emotional Instagram post, Chiu announced that she and Lim have called it quits after a nearly 12year relationship, calling it the “end of a love story.” “We owe our supporters the truth, but we also respect each other’s time of healing. In a relationship, love is always a significant factor, but sometimes love is not enough,” said Chiu. “We shared more than a decade of love, each other’s support system, and many beautiful memories.” According to the “Linlang” star, the breakup was a mutual decision. “It was our mutual decision to transition our relationship into what we hope to be a lifelong friendship. We thank all our followers for their love and support, but now we ask you to appreciate our honesty and give us the privacy we need as we begin new chapters of our lives. Angelica Villanueva
MASKS A MUST. Teenagers wear face masks outside their homes in Saint Dominic Subdivision, Novaliches in Fairview, Quezon
NPA TO OBSERVE 2-DAY CEASEFIRE FOR CPP’S 55TH ANNIVERSARY THE New People’s Army will observe a two-day ceasefire to mark the 55th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines on Dec. 26th. The ceasefire will start past midnight on Dec. 25 and end at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 26, the CPP and NPA said in a statement. “The two-day ceasefire aims to allow the peasant masses and NPA units in their area to conduct assemblies, meetings, or gatherings to celebrate the Party’s anniversary, look back at past achievements, and pay tribute
KIM CHIU BREAKS UP WITH XIAN LIM AFTER 12 YEARS
munity, according to the EO. The five-page EO No. 51, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin on Dec. 22 and released on Saturday, reflects President Marcos’s “recognition of the imperative to fortify the DIC and reorganize its Inter-Agency Committee to ensure the nation’s ongoing adherence to its commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” President Marcos emphasized that the creation of the Special Committee on LGBTQIA+ aims to enhance existing mechanisms addressing persistent discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community, providing them with a platform to participate in government policy formulation actively.
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HOLIDAY CHEER. A man dressed in the iconic attire of Santa Claus spreads holiday cheer via delightful Christmas treats to the children of Barangay Krus na Ligas in Diliman, Quezon City on Friday. Manny Palmero instagram.com/ manilastandard
MISS EARTH-AIR. The Philippines’ Yllana Marie Aduana flaunts the figure that won for her the Miss Earth-Air title in the pageant won by Drita Ziri of Albania on Friday in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
PH BET ADUANA 2ND IN MS. EARTH WON BY ALBANIAN THE Philippines’ Yllana Marie Aduana was named Miss Earth Air 2023 on Friday night, just missing the top prize in the pageant won by model and television host Drita Ziri of Albania in the grand coronation night in Vạn Phúc City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Aside from claiming the secondhighest honor, Aduana also bagged the Miss Bikini special award, while local bet Đỗ Thị Lan Anh and Thailand’s Cora Bliaut were named Miss Earth Water 2023 and Miss Earth Fire 2023, respectively. Ziri edged out 84 other candidates from around the globe to clinch the coveted Miss Earth 2023 crown, making her the first Albanian to win a major beauty pageant. The 18-year-old was crowned by last year’s winner Mina Sue Choi of South Korea. In the final Q&A, the Top 4 delegates were asked: “An official at the recent climate conference was quoted as saying there is no science behind the phaseout of fossil fuels. Do you agree with this? Why or why not?” Nickie Wang and Eton Concepcion
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