READ: LPP wants Pacquiao as standard-bearer
The Labor Party of the Philippines (LPP), also known as the Workers and Peasants Party (WPP), on Monday declared that it wants Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao as its standard-bearer in the 2022 elections. Prof. Oscar Morado, LPP senior vice president for operations and party spokesman, said Pacquiao has "leadership clothed with decency and transcendence." The LPP said the whole country is proud of Pacquiao despite his stunning defeat. Pacquiao on Sunday said he will announce his plans for 2022 in September. The senator was ousted as president of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party in July following a protracted dispute with other officials and members of the party. He was replaced by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as party president. Pacquiao had insisted that the election of new party officers was illegal because the assembly was not approved by him.
READ: Delta community transmission noted in NCR, Calabarzon
THERE are signs that the Delta variant of Covid-19 is spreading in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) through community transmission, the Department of Health (DoH) said. But the DoH was quick to add that it needs more evidence to confirm such a transmission. On Monday, the Health department reported detecting the variant in 466 of the 746 samples submitted for genome sequencing. It is the highest number of Delta positive samples sequenced in a single run by the Philippine Genome Center. It said 442 of the 466 positive samples were local cases.
READ: Safe zones the way forward - Concepcion
PRESIDENTIAL Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria "Joey" Concepcion 3rd said establishing Covid-safe zones for vaccinated people are the "way forward" on the road to economic recovery. Concepcion is confident the National Capital Region will achieve "micro-herd immunity" in the next few weeks. He said 50 percent of the target population in Metro Manila can be inoculated in time for the fourth quarter of the year, which is the peak period for businesses.
READ: Sputnik Light approved for PH use
The Philippines has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Russian-made Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine, National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Monday. Galvez said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the EUA application of the Gamaleya Institute for its single-shot vaccine. According to the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Sputnik Light is 79.4 percent effective against Covid-19, compared to the 91 percent of the two-dose Sputnik V. The one-shot vaccine, which requires around 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for storage, was authorized for use in Russia in May.
READ: No need for 'draconian' lockdowns - DoH
THE Department of Health sees no need for longer and more stringent lockdowns, and instead will advocate for granular restrictions, shortened detection and isolation, and intensified tracing in containing Covid-19, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Monday. Vergeire was reacting to the pronouncements of noted infectious diseases expert and author Dr. William Haseltine, who told The Manila Times in an exclusive interview, that for the Philippines to be the "next New Zealand," it has to adopt "draconian" measures, including a three-week hard lockdown. On Monday, the country notched a new high in daily Covid-19 cases, logging 18,332 cases. The previous record was 17,231 cases, recorded last Friday. Vergeire said a wide-scale lockdown like what the country imposed early on in the pandemic will not be effective anymore. A better approach is to slightly relax restrictions, implement granular lockdowns and improve the country's prevent, detect, isolate, trace and reintegrate response, she said.
READ: House vows swift action on budget bill
The House of Representatives vowed to act swiftly on the proposed P5.024-trillion national budget for 2022, the highest in history. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted the National Expenditure Program to Congress on Monday. The proposed budget has an allocation of P240.75 billion for Covid-19 response.
BUSINESS: BSP, stakeholders seek better engagement
Over to business, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) ramped up its efforts to strengthen engagement with stakeholders in the domestic and international fronts to intensify the campaign for the adoption of sustainable finance principles. During the recent general membership meeting of the Bankers Institute of the Philippines, BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said the central bank, in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund Philippines, the World Bank, and industry associations, will conduct vulnerability assessments and stress testing exercises with volunteer banks.
SPORTS: Aces, Gin Kings kick off practice sessions in Pampanga
In sports, Alaska and Barangay Ginebra will kick off the week-long practices of teams beginning Tuesday as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) take the first step for the potential restart of the Philippine Cup in Pampanga. The Aces and the Gin Kings will begin their practices at 8 a.m. Alaska will take the floor of the Colegio de Sebastian in San Fernando, Pampanga while the Gin Kings will conduct workouts at the Beverly Place in Mexico, Pampanga.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Yen Makabenta are today's front page columnists. Contreras discusses about giving Afghanistan a chance, while Makabenta talks about Sen. Manny Pacquiao's possible retirement from professional boxing.
Today's editorial calls on the world to brace for refugees coming from Afghanistan. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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On behalf of The Manila Times, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. Have a safe Tuesday ahead.