READ: Metro Manila's Covid cases spike
The seven-day average of Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila spiked by 62 percent, with 2,823 new cases logged last Saturday, independent OCTA Research said on Sunday. OCTA said the caseload is the highest since May 2, when a modified enhanced community quarantine was clamped on the National Capital Region (NCR). The group said the 62-percent rise translates to an average of 2,066 cases a day. The reproduction rate number also increased to 1.80 from 1.56 a week ago. According to OCTA, the surge suggests the possibility that the surge is driven by the Delta variant and that the steady increase in the reproduction number may be due to the replacement of the Delta variant over the previous dominant variants. The latest data from the Department of Health (DoH) showed the Delta variant has been detected in 31 percent of sampled cases, up from 16 percent two weeks ago. The positivity rate has risen to 14 percent, from 10 percent one week ago.
READ: Lacson wanted to 'share' Sotto with Robredo
SEN. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said he had proposed to Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo to make Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto 3rd their common running mate in the 2022 elections. Lacson revealed his proposal in a radio interview after Robredo said she turned down the senator's "unification formula." The plan calls for all opposition candidates to file their certificate of candidacy (CoC) and wait for surveys to determine who has the best chances of winning. The candidate who tops the surveys becomes the acknowledged opposition bet and the others will withdraw their CoC.
READ: Mission accomplished for PH Olympic team
The Tokyo Olympics ended on Sunday with the Philippines accomplishing its mission of winning its first-ever Olympic gold medal while delivering its biggest medal haul in the Games. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz brought home the country's first Olympic gold by ruling the women's 55-kilogram class. She also did it in style, setting a new Philippine record of 97 kilograms in snatch, an Olympic record of 127 kilograms in clean and jerk, and another Olympic record with her total of 224 kilograms. The boxing team produced the most medals. Nesthy Petecio bagged the silver in the women's featherweight division and Carlo Paalam claimed his own silver in the men's flyweight division. Eumir Marcial was good for a bronze in the men's middleweight class. Petecio also became the first Filipino female boxer to win a medal at the Games. The Philippines, which first joined the Olympics in 1924, had three medals at the 1932 Los Angeles Games, turned in by Teofilo Ildefonso in swimming, Simeon Toribio in high jump and Jose Villanueva in boxing. By winning a gold, two silvers and a bronze, the Philippines also finished first among the Southeast Asian countries competing in Tokyo. Indonesia came in second with one gold, one silver and three bronzes. Thailand is third with one gold and one bronze, while Malaysia is fourth with one silver and one bronze. The last time the Philippines led its Southeast Asian neighbors in the Olympiad was in the 1964 Olympics, which was also held in Tokyo. Anthony Villanueva was the only medalist from the region, taking the silver in men's featherweight boxing. The country finished 10th among Asian countries and shared 49th place with Slovakia at the Tokyo Games, which was delayed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Philippines sent 19 athletes to compete in 11 sports in Tokyo. Boxer Irish Magno, weightlifter Elreen Ando, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, rower Cris Nievarez, gymnast Carlos Yulo, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, rifle shooter Jayson Valdez, sprinter Kristina Knott, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, golfers Juvic Pagunsan, Bianca Pagdanganan, Yuka Saso, and swimmers Remedy Rule and Luke Gebbie made up the Philippine delegation. Yulo, Ando and Gebbie did not make the podium, but set new national records in Tokyo.
SPORTS: More cash rewards, house and lot for Olympic medalists
Speaking of the Philippine Olympic medalists, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is set to add more rewards for Filipino medal winners Hidilyn Diaz, Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial at the Tokyo Olympics. POC president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino announced on Sunday that the national olympic committee is to give an additional P3 million reward for gold medalist Diaz, P2 million for silver medalists Petecio and Paalam, and P1 million for bronze medal winner Marcial. The additional cash windfall hiked Diaz's base incentive to P36 million, Petecio and Paalam's to P19 million each, and P8 million for Marcial.
READ: Dengvaxia controversy led to decline in jabs – study
In other news, the country's immunization efforts suffered significantly from public distrust about the effects of the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, according to a study commissioned by the Department of Science and Technology (DoST). DoST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña revealed the findings of the study, Dengue Communication: Discovering Prevailing Perceptions Toward Dengue and Dengvaxia, during the agency's weekly program. De la Peña said other factors that contributed to the decline in vaccinations are illiteracy and the lack of information about vaccines. Dengvaxia was considered a breakthrough vaccine for dengue. In 2016, the Philippine government approved it for inoculating schoolchildren.
READ: Gatchalian warns vs surge in violence against children
SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian cautioned against the possible surge in cases of domestic violence amid the imposition of enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and other areas. The senator said it is possible that violence against children will again increase. He cited data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and children's organization Save the Children that showed an increase in crimes committed against women and children during the lockdown in 2020.
BUSINESS: Q2 GDP growth pegged at 11%
In business, the Philippine economy likely grew by more than 11 percent in the second quarter of the year on the back of low base effects and rebound in household consumption, economists polled by The Manila Times said. Projections for the month ranged from 8.5 percent to 15.2 percent, a turnaround from the steep -16.9 percent recorded in the same quarter last year. If correct, it would also be the first growth following five quarters of consecutive decline due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Official second quarter Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) data will be released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on August 10.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino are today's front page columnists. Tiglao believes democracy in the Philippines is in danger, while Fr. Aquino discusses about deconstruction and the law.
Today's editorial calls on the government not to break their promises to the country's Olympic medalists. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
For more news and information, get a copy of The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and Keep Up With The Times.
On behalf of The Manila Times, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. Have a safe week ahead.