Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Christmas Day, December 25, 2020.
THE more contagious strain of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) that came from the United Kingdom had not reached the country so far, according to Dr. Jaime Montoya, executive director of Philippine Council of Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology. He added that the new variant emerged because the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 — the virus causing Covid-19 — was always mutating. The D614G mutation emerged in Europe last February and became the globally dominant form of the virus. Montoya said this mutation was detected in the country by the Philippine Genome Center. Another mutation called A222V has also spread across Europe and was traced to be from Spain.
Meanwhile, Montoya also said that the 50 percent efficacy rate of the Sinovac Biotech vaccine against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is still "acceptable." He said the vaccine, which was found to be fifty percent effective in a late stage trial conducted in Brazil, is still well within the World Health Organization's requirement.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday urged the Filipino people to draw hope from Jesus Christ's birth in a year dominated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and a string of destructive typhoons. In his Christmas message, he said Filipinos continued to "survive and rise" through the pandemic and string of natural calamities "because of our unity, strength and indomitable spirit of [the] Filipino.” In her Christmas message, Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo reminded Filipinos that despite the non-traditional celebration of the holidays this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, they could still rely on the unity and support their fellowmen.
Only half of Filipino families expected a "happy" Christmas this year, a record low, according to the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey conducted in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The survey, conducted from November 21 to 25, is the first to be done by face-to-face interviews since the start of the pandemic. It found that 50 percent of the respondents expected their Christmas to be a happy occasion, down from 79 percent in 2019. SWS said the percentage "is 12 points below the previous record-low of 62 percent in 2013, 2006 and 2005." The record-high 82 percent was in 2002.
SEN. Juan Edgardo Angara has recently filed Senate Bill (SB) 1943, an Act strengthening the digital transformation capacity of all local government units (LGUs), amending Republic Act 7160 otherwise known as the “Local Government Code of 1991.” In filing the bill, Angara said the ongoing coronavirus pandemic had emphasized the role of LGUs at the forefront of service delivery, which has likewise forced them to accelerate digital transformation through the use of information and communications technology (ICT) to stay functional in the midst of the health crisis. He said digital transformation had now become a public sector imperative. Through digital technologies, people can easily access government service through various government portals, transact via e-services and interact with chatbots, among others.
SEN. Panfilo Lacson on Thursday described as “funny, crazy” the act of Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd enforcing a physical distancing protocol at a Bonifacio Global City mall in Taguig City. Lacson said Duque has obviously hired a public relations firm to address his “ball handling” problem.” The senator was referring to allegations that it was Duque who “dropped the ball” when he failed to submit to Philippine negotiators a confidentiality agreement that led to the cessation of negotiations with Pfizer, a United States pharmaceutical firm, for the delivery of vaccines to the Philippines early next year.
In business, a Fitch Group unit revised its forecast for the Philippine exchange rate in 2020 and 2021 to average P49.60:$1 and P47.50:$1, respectively, from P49.75:$1 and P50.10:$1. In a report on Thursday, Fitch Solutions said they see the P48:$1 resistance to become support as the Philippine peso trades in a range of P46 to P48:$1 over the short term. It noted that the peso has been an “outperforming currency” this year, as it improved 5.3 percent year-to-date as opposed to the 3.6 percent of the Asian Dollar Index.
Over to sports, the James Harden soap opera in Houston now comes with a canceled season opener - and a $50,000 fine for the league's leading scorer. Houston's opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) was scrapped after coronavirus cases and Harden's violation of the NBA's Covid-19 protocols left the Rockets without the league-mandated eight players available. It was a dispiriting blow to the NBA on just the second night of an uncertain season launching with the pandemic still raging.
Rigoberto Tiglao is the Times’ front page columnist this Christmas Day. He discusses the origins of the celebrated day.
Today’s Times editorial talks about celebrating Christmas amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Read the full version on the paper's Opinion Section or listen to the Voice of The Times.
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With Dafort Villaseran, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. Have a safe and meaningful Christmas season.