Compiled by Fitzgerald Cecilio
Beteranang aktres na si Nova Villa ginawaran ng papal award
MANILA – Ginawaran ang beteranang aktres na si Nova Villa ng Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal, ang pinakamataas na parangal na ibinibigay ng Santo Papa sa lay people.
Ayon sa ulat ng Veritas846, tinanggap ni Villa o Novelita V. Gallegos sa tunay na buhay ang parangal noong Enero 14 sa San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish sa Quezon City.
“Yung ambisyon kong mag-artista became a mission, lahat ng ginagawa ko sa showbiz ay may kaakibat na misyon,” wika ni Villa sa panayam ng Radio Veritas.
Sa panayam, inamin ni Villa, na halos limang dekada nang kabilang sa showbiz, na nagulat siya sa ibinigay na parangal.
“Bukal sa puso ko ‘yung anything na ginagawa ko for God. I’m happy to do it kahit mahirap,” ani Villa.
Kasabay nito, nanawagan si Villa sa mga kapwa Pilipino na patuloy na maging mabuting tagasunod ng Panginoon.
“I think, I am just an instrument of God’s grace to people. By being nice to people, giving smile at them, you’re giving them hope,” dagdag ni Villa. (FC/MTVN)
DOH to healthcare workers: Help gain public’s trust in vaccines
MANILA – The Department of Health on Thursday urged health care professionals, both in the public and private sectors, to “spread the word” about the benefits of getting inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine.
“We ask the help of medical societies to be our champions to ‘spread the word’, and we all know that you are all potential influencers because you are the experts in science and clinical practices, and patients believe in you, the confidence is there,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during an online town hall meeting.
Vergeire said the national government needed the help of all healthcare workers, who could serve as the voice behind the effort, “to improve and increase again the confidence of people in vaccines”.
The Philippines is expected to receive the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines by Pfizer/BioNTech and Sinovac by Feb. 20, as preparations of the logistical requirement for vaccine deployment are underway and ready by the end of the month.
The Food and Drug Administration has also granted the vaccine developed by Pfizer an emergency use authorization in the country.
Reds suffer losses in consecutive Samar security ops
MANILA – Communist terrorists have suffered losses during three days of internal security operations by the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) in Samar this week, the country’s top cop said on Friday.
PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas said a newly-recruited New People’s Army (NPA) fighter identified as Alger Morillo, a native of Northern Samar, died in a clash with government troops in Barangay Inubod, Matuginao, Samar that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes on Jan. 10.
Morillo belongs to the Front Committee 1 of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
His remains were given a proper burial at the Matuguinao Public Cemetery in Barangay Del Rosario, Matuguinao, Samar.
Troops from the SAF’s 12th Special Action Battalion recovered from the clash site an M-16 rifle, an improvised explosive device (IED), assorted ammunition and magazine assemblies, and backpacks with personal belongings.
On Jan. 11, a 10-minute encounter ensued in the village that led to the recovery of more equipment and supplies left by the fleeing NPA terrorists.
On Jan. 12, a SAF team recovered an improvised sniper rifle after a three-minute encounter in the same area.
Cusi calls for intensified fight vs. communist terrorists
MANILA – At the sidelines of the year-end assessment meeting of the Mimaropa Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS), chairman and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi stressed the need to intensify an all-out campaign against the communist terrorist groups that were reportedly recruiting minors to join their rogue organization.
Municipality of Bongabong-Oriental Mindoro Mayor Elgin Malaluan expressed alarm over the growing number of incidents where the youth are being targeted.
“It is unfortunate that the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army) has been taking advantage of the pandemic to mislead and recruit minors to their lost cause,” Malaluan said.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
Drug suspect arrested, P34-K shabu seized
COTABATO CITY – Anti-narcotics agents nabbed a drug suspect here and seized some PHP34,000 worth of shabu on Thursday night.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Director Juvenal Azurin identified the suspect as Owens Atundocan Ardedon, of Zone 3, Barangay Rosary Heights 1.
“Ardedon was collared as soon as the exchange between him and our poseur-buyer took place near a school in their village around 10:30 p.m.,” Azurin said in a report.
He said a tipster earlier contacted them on the illegal activities of the suspect in the area.
Seized from the suspect were some five grams of shabu with an estimated street value of PHP34,000; drug paraphernalia and the “boodle money” stacked with one genuine PHP1,000 on top of photocopied PHP1,000 bills.
Violation of Republic Act 9165 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act is being readied against the suspect currently detained at the PDEA-BARMM headquarters.
Customs installs portal-type X-ray machine at Davao port
MANILA – A state-of-the-art portal-type X-ray machine was recently installed at the Davao International Container Terminal (DICT), the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported on Thursday.
In a statement, the bureau said the machine will increase the port’s maximum inspection capacity with an additional 3,840 containers per day on top of its previous scanning capacity.
The X-ray machine installed at the port on Jan. 12 has a scanning capacity of 160 containers per hour.
With the newly installed X-ray machine, the BOC’s Collection District 12 already has 13 X-ray machines that are all fully operational.
The machine’s portal design allows container trucks to move through the X-ray machine as opposed to the mobile X-ray design, where the machine has to move along the length of a container.
The BOC said the newly installed X-ray machine will increase the border security capabilities of DICT as it will not only provide better service but will also help in the speedy clearance of sea freight cargoes.
Under the term of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the bureau has invested and procured modern X-ray machines to be used in major ports nationwide to increase scanning capabilities.
Eric Fructuoso magbubukas ng food business sa Caloocan
MANILA – Nakatakdang magbukas ngayong Sabado (16 January 2021) ang food business ng dating matinee idol na si Eric Fructuoso sa Caloocan City.
Sa kanyang Instagram post, sinabi ni Eric na pinangalanan niya itong “Gwapigs”, mula sa “Gwapings”, ang pangalan ng grupong pinasikat nila noon nina Jomari Yllana, Mark Anthony Fernandez, at Jao Mapa.
“Ang katwiran ko sa buhay… Well, kasal ako noon for 13 years, lahat ng lalaki nabungangaan na ng kanilang mga misis. Kung ano ‘yung hilig kong bagay, gagawin ko nang negosyo… para ‘di ka na mabungangaan,” wika ni Eric.
Ayon kay Eric, magbubukas ang Gwapigs sa Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan sa Sabado.
Bida sa menu ng “Gwapigs” ang pork chop na may kasamang garlic rice at pritong itlog. Mayroon din silang longganisa, tocino, at tapa.
Maliban sa Gwapigs, may motorcycle shop din si Eric na may pangalng “Gwapings Moto” sa Naic, Cavite. (AI/MTVN)
