FROM 59, the number of schools participating in the pilot run of the Department of Education’s face-to-face classes set to start on November 15 is down to 30.

In an online press briefing yesterday, DepEd Assistant Secretary Macolm Garma said the local government units of the 29 schools no longer participating in the dry run, along with the parents of the students, refused to participate.

Last September 20, President Duterte approved the pilot run of limited face-to-face classes in areas with low COVID cases upon the recommendation of the Department of Education, which initially said the pilot testing will involve 100 public and 20 private schools.

Last October 6, however, the DepEd said only 59 schools have so far been identified for the kindergarten level (12 students) Grades 1 to 3 (16 students), and technical vocational students in senior high school (20 students).

The 30 schools are: Region V — Gutusan Elementary Schools and Sinalongam Elementary School in Masbate City, Masbate and Mary B. Perpetua National High School in Milagros Masbate;

Region VI — Mayabay Elementary School in Barbaza and Igsoro Elementary School in Buhasong and Laserna Integrated School in Nabas Aklan;

Region VII — Basak Elementary School in Samboan, Mahankud Elementary School in Malabuyoc, Cabahdalan Elementary School in Balamban, Luyongbaybay Elementary School in Bantayan, Cañang-Marcelo Luna National High School in Oslob, Busay National High School in Mialbaol, Pilar National High School in Pilar, and Siocon Elementary School in Bogo City;

Region IX — Siloh Elementary School in Siay and San Vicente Elementary School in Payao and six schools in Zamboanga del Sur — Manga National High School and Elementary School and Lala Elementary Schools in Pagadian City, Sominit National High School in Sominot Don Mariano Marcos, Tabina Elementary School in Tabina, and Guipos National High School in Guipos;

Region X — Lanao del Norte – Dalama Central Elementary School in Baroy, Babalaya Elementary School in Bacolod, Napo Elementary School in Linamon, Masibay Integrated School in Nunungan, Tambacon Integrated School in Magsaysay, and Marcela T. Mabanta National High School in Kauswagan;

Region XIII — Paco National High School in Kidapawan City and Bato Elementary School in Makilala. — Noel Talacay

TWENTY five areas in Quezon City have been tagged as special concern lockdown areas (SCLAs) by the city government due to an increase in their number of coronavirus disease (COV ID-19) cases.

In an announcement on its official Facebook page, the city government said the SCLA imposition will be in effect for 14 days.

The announcement said a part of Luke Street in Hobart Subdivision 2, Barangay Kaligayahan; part of Quirino Highway, and Barangay Gulod have been under SCLA since July 20, 2021.

On July 22, a part of ROTC Hunters at Cluster 7 in Barangay Tatalon, part of G. Araneta Avenue in Barangay Santol, and part of GKHSIA in Upper Banlat, Barangay Tandang Sora were placed under a 14-day lockdown, while Tabigo Street in Barangay Commonwealth was also placed on lockdown on July 23.

Meanwhile, a part of Alex Apartelle in Virgo Street, Solville Subdivision in Barangay Talipapa, and part of Ilang-Ilang Street in Barangay Batasan Hills were placed under SCLA on July 26, while a part of Davao Street in Barangay Alicia and four areas in Shelter Homes in Barangay Batasan Hills were placed on lockdown on July 27.

Another part of Cotabato Street in Barangay Alicia, part of Agueda Street in Barangay Toro, part of Esteban Abada Street in Barangay Loyola Heights, and part of Emerald Lane in Morning Star Drive in Barangay Culiat are also under lockdown since July 28.

The city government also placed on lockdown two more areas – part of Ipo Street in Barangay Salvacion and part of Mang David Street in Barangay Baesa.

Other areas under SCLA are part of Ocampo Street in Barangay UP Campus and Ave Maria Convent in Ave Maria Road, Maligaya Park Subdivision in Barangay Pasong Putik; Labo Street in Barangay San Isidro Labrador, part of Domingo Street in Barangay Holy Spirit, part of Temple Drive in Barangay Ugong Norte, six areas in Dela Cruz Street and part of Manansala Street in Barangay Krus na Ligas, and part of Fatima Street in Barangay UP Campus.

On Sunday, a compound on Cordillera Street in Barangay Doña Aurora and part of Bagong Buhay Street in Barangay Sto. Niño were also locked down,

The city government said food packs, and essential kits have been provided to affected families.

As of August 1, 2021, Quezon City has recorded 107,952 COVID-19 confirmed cases. Of the number, 104,122 are recoveries, 1,222 deaths and 2,608 active cases.

METRO Manila police chief Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. yesterday said 15,000 policemen will be deployed on Monday, July 26, to ensure peace and order during the last State of the Nation Address of President Duterte.

“We are ready. Our policemen are ready to face those individuals or groups that will inflict harm or try to disrupt the peaceful and orderly conduct of the SONA,” Danao said, adding cops will focus on security in and out of the Batasan Complex.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the Batasan Complex will be a “no fly zone” starting on 6 a.m. of Sunday, July 25, up to 6 a.m. of July 27. The “no Fly zone” will be enforced within a five nautical mile radius.

Danao said cops deployed during the SONA will use body-worn cameras to monitor movements on the ground.

“This is to ensure that any suspicious person can’t elude our policemen,” Danao said.He also said they will also ensure safety and health protocols against COVID-19.

“Freedom of expression is also very important but let us always take consideration of the IATF rules,” Danao said.

He guaranteed that Duterte’s last SONA will go smoothly as planned.

Meanwhile, only eight senators led by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will physically attend the SONA.

“Only eight manifested their intention to attend the State of the Nation physically. The rest will be virtual,” Sotto told reporters in an online briefing yesterday.

Aside from Sotto, the seven others are Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Christopher Lawrence Go, Sherwin Gatchalian, Ronald dela Rosa, Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino and Ramon Revilla Jr.

As part of health protocols, the senators and their staff who will attend the SONA are required to present their vaccination cards showing they were inoculated at least two weeks prior to July 26.

Two days before the SONA, they are also required to undergo RT-PCR tests.

An antigen test will be conducted on Monday by members of the Presidential Security Group at the Batasan complex.

Sotto said 90 percent of Senate employees have been vaccinated. — With Ashzel Hachero

THE Quezon City government yesterday shut down the ritzy Cisco’s Bar in San Francisco del Monte for violation of health protocols, particularly the guideline on social distancing and the mandatory wearing of face masks when in public places.

Quezon City Task Force Disiplina head Rannie Ludovica said the bar management will be charged for allowing the holding of a birthday party, where guests were seen in a video partying and drinking alcohol without any face masks and transferring from one table to another.

A video of the party, which supposedly happened during the weekend, went viral on several social media platforms.

“Someone was celebrating his or her birthday. Those who knew each other where transferring from one table to another. Many health protocols were definitely violated during the event,” Ludovica said in Filipino.

Ludovico said the city government will also consult with its legal department regarding the legal accountability of those seen partying in the video, some of whom are supposedly so-called “media influencers.”

“’Yung isa diyan involved pa nga doon sa flight steward incident,” he also said without elaborating.

Quezon City legal officer Niño Casimiro said the gastro bar will be indefinitely closed. “We are going to check and review the video and the result of the investigation, if the bar could still operate or not,” he said.

He added, though, that initial investigation has shown that there is sufficient evidence showing that the bar management was remiss in enforcing the health and safety protocols of the city government and the national government.

In Oriental Mindoro, some resorts in Puerto Galera town, a popular tourist spot, have decided to require fully vaccinated tourists to present negative RT PCR tests when booking for accommodations.

In a radio interview, Puerto Galera Mayor Rocky Ilagan could not immediately say the number of Puerto Galera resorts that are requiring RT-PCR test from fully vaccinated tourists but said it’s “very minimal.”

“We respect their decision to require RT-PCR (test) but majority of the resorts do not require this. Majority of the resort owners allow fully vaccinated tourists (without RT-PCR test),” he said.

Ilagan has given resorts the prerogative to require RT-PCR test to fully-vaccinated tourists, through a resolution issued last Friday.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has issued a resolution allowing fully vaccinated individuals to just present their vaccination cards when traveling from one local government unit to another, without the need to present a negative RT-PCR test.

Amid concerns by some local government officials that this could lead to a possible surge of COVID-19 cases, the task force later decided to give the LGUs the prerogative to require fully vaccinated travelers negative RT-PCR test results.

“We consulted stakeholders, barangay captains and health professionals before arriving at this decision,” Ilagan said, referring to his decision to give resorts in the town the prerogative to require fully vaccinated tourists to present RT-PCR test.

“Many guests are strict, they really want to go to resorts that require RT-PCR test,” Ilagan said.

He said all tourists, including those fully vaccinated, will be required to undergo triage and interview at the border by health professionals.

If the tourists are fully vaccinated, Ilagan said they will be asked about details of their vaccination.

“If there are signs and symptoms (during examination), even if they have vaccination cards, definitely you will have to go back where you came from,” he added.

Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire yesterday seeing local cases of the Delta variant could already be a foregone conclusion just like the Alpha and Beta variants.

“These variants, in our opinion with our experts, there will really come a time that they will be able to enter our communities,” said Vergeire.

This, she admitted, means that the travel bans and strict border control the government is implementing will only just delay its local spread.

“The strategies we are doing will just try to buy us time so that we can prepare, prepare the system, and prepare the people for the time that it will already be in our communities,” said the health official.

“We are just very hopeful that our border control will be able to mitigate or prevent and avoid the entry of these variants (in our communities),” she said, adding: “We think it has been effective so far because we have been able to identify the individuals with Delta variants, isolate them, and prevent them from entering the communities.” — With Victor Reyes and Gerard Naval

THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) yesterday said “volcanic smog” or ”vog” has been observed in the past two days at Taal Volcano in Batangas, warning residents with health problems to take precaution.

Taal remains under Alert Level 2 (increased unrest) which means the threat of sudden steam- or gas-driven explosions can occur. Its last eruption was in January 2020.

Phivolcs said the vog over the Taal caldera resulted from the continued emission of sulfur dioxide from Taal’s main crater.

It said vog is a type of air pollution that consists of fine droplets containing volcanic gas such as sulfur dioxide. It can irritate the eyes, throat, and respiratory tract in varying degrees, depending on gas concentration and duration of exposure.

It said individuals with with asthma, lung disease and heart disease are sensitive to the effects of vog, along with the elderly, pregnant women and children.

It advised the sensitive individuals to avoid outdoor activities, use N95 face masks, and drink plenty of water, among others.

“For the past two days, high levels of volcanic SO2 gas emissions and steam-rich plumes that rose as much as three kilometers high have been observed from the Taal main crater,” it said.

COACH Chot Reyes is not about to hastily pack his bags up and bring his team back to Metro Manila from Laoag City.

The outspoken TNT coach yesterday said he still needs to get clarification on what is allowed in the Big City before transferring their practice sessions from the Ilocos Norte capital.

“Hindi pa malinaw ang guidelines so hindi pa kami nagpa-plano kung kailan kami uuwi,” Reyes told Malaya-Business Insight. “Pero pag sinabi nilang puwede na then saka kami lilipat.”

Reyes was reacting to an announcement from the IATF allowing the re-opening of indoor non-contact sports venues inside the so-called NCR Plus bubble.

In its latest resolution last Thursday but publicly released the day after, the IATF said fitness studios, gyms, skating rinks and racket sports courts inside Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan can operate again at 30 percent capacity.

In his monthly press briefing, Games and Amusement Board Chairman Baham Mitra confirmed that pro teams can practice by groups based on the Joint Administrative Order.

There is one thing not clear in that resolution for Reyes, however. “Ano ba iyung 30 percent? Ng gym ba ‘yon, ng court, ng team?” he posed.

“Kailangan munang malinawan iyon bago kami mag-plano ulit,” added Reyes. “Ano ibig sabihin ng capacity?”

Pending such clarification, Reyes added the Tropang Giga are prepared to extend their stay in the northern capital, where they have been doing their pre-season training under a bubble setup.

“Ang schedule talaga namin hanggang another week pa kami dito. That’s the original plan,” related Reyes. “Pero that was a schedule that was done before lumabas itong huling balita.”

All 12 PBA teams have been conducting practices outside the NCR Plus area since it was placed in a GCQ with “heightened restrictions” last May 15. Such quarantine status prohibits the opening of indoor sports venues.

Ginebra, San Miguel Beer, Magnolia, Phoenix, Rain or Shine, Alaska, NorthPort, Blackwater and Terrafirma have spent the past weeks training in different cities and municipalities in Batangas while NLEX has held practices in Pampanga and individual outdoor training at UP’s Epsilon Chi Center.

Meralco is also in Laoag, alternating practices with TNT at the Centennial Arena.

Although the restrictions are expected to be eased when the quarantine level is downgraded to GCQ on Wednesday, the matter of whether PBA teams could now conduct full-contact, 5-on-5 scrimmages when they return to their usual practice hubs within the Metro need to be ironed out.

THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday warned residents of Metro Manila that sweltering heat may persist in the next three to four days.

It said Metro Manila may experience a heat index of 39 to 41 degrees Celsius, with actual temperature of 34.9 to 39 degrees.

PAGASA defines heat index as the “apparent temperature or what humans perceive or feel as the temperature affecting their body.” It said high air temperatures and high relative humidity will give “high apparent temperatures or indices.” Full exposure to sunshine can increase the heat index by 8 degrees, it also said.

Heat indices of 32 to 41 degrees may result in heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke,

PAGASA also said hot and humid weather is still expected to persist in the country due to the easterlies, or warm winds coming from the Pacific Ocean.

However, isolated rain showers and thunderstorms may occur in some parts of the country, in the afternoon and evening.

Dagupan City in Pangasinan yesterday experienced the highest heat index of 49 degrees, with actual temperature of 34.8 degrees recorded at 2 p.m., and humidity of 68 percent.

Dagupan was among around 20 areas nationwide that recorded a heat index of 41 degrees and higher on Sunday. On May 14, it recorded the year’s record-high heat index of 53 degrees.

Sangley Point Cavite yesterday experienced a heat index of 46 degrees with actual temperature of 39.9 degrees and 44.89 percent humidity.

PAGASA is advising the public to stay indoors as much as possible and out of the sunshine; wear lightweight and light colored clothing; drink plenty of water regularly and avoid drinking liquor because it dehydrates the body; eat small meals but eat more often; and avoid eating foods of high in protein which can increase metabolic heat.