Bill seeks stiffer penalties for hospitals rejecting emergency cases 

A LAWMAKER on Thursday pushed for a measure that seeks to further increase penalties for hospitals and medical practitioners who refuse to treat emergency cases.    House Bill 3046 proposes to amend Republic Act 10932, which strengthened the anti-hospital deposit law in 2017.    Under the measure, any medical practitioner who violates the provisions of the law […]

Senator backs optional face masks in schools

A SENATOR on Wednesday backed the Department of Education’s decision to make the face masks optional in schools, saying this would hasten the return to normalcy after more than two years of distance learning amid a coronavirus pandemic. Schools, however, should ensure proper ventilation, install adequate handwashing facilities and promote vaccination against the coronavirus, Senator […]

DepEd drops masking, just as Covid hits nearly 4,000 school-age children

MORE than two months since School Year 2022-2023 opened and saw the return of face-to-face (F2F) classes, almost 4,000 school-aged children have been hit by coronavirus disease (Covid-19), according to the Department of Health (DOH) Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. The news comes after the Department of Education (DepEd) issued an order Wednesday allowing the voluntary […]

Philippines scraps pre-departure virus testing for travelers

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has approved a pandemic task force recommendation to ease quarantine rules for foreigners and Filipinos entering the country, as it seeks to boost tourism recovery.  Fully vaccinated inbound travelers, whether Filipinos of foreigners, will no longer undergo pre-departure testing for the coronavirus, according to a government memo. Unvaccinated or partially […]

LGUs told: Follow updated mask policy

DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. enjoined all local government units (LGUs) on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, to “move in one accord” in terms of implementing the country’s updated face mask policy amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.“With the signing of EO (executive order) No. 3, we hope that […]

Espinoza: Subject to abuse?

It seems to me that everyone is delighted with the executive order (EO) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that allows voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor settings despite the rising number of Covid-19 infections in some parts of the country. Under EO 3, which is effective immediately, the wearing of face masks is […]

Marcos makes mask wearing outdoors voluntary; Rama eyes ‘united one Cebu Island Policy’

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. issued on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, an executive order (EO) allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor settings across the country amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.Under EO 3, which is “effective immediately,” wearing of masks is no longer mandatory in “open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with […]