By HENRY EMPEÑO | July 28, 2021 SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The vaccination program for the A4 priority group composed of frontline personnel in essential sectors and other economic frontline workers in the country started here last Tuesday with five employees of a manufacturing firm getting their first shot of Covid-19 vaccine.The ceremonial launch of… Read More Vaccination of A4 priority group kicks off in Subic Freeport

MANILA — U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) John Law officially turned over 420 intensive care unit (ICU) beds to the Philippine government on July 15. The beds, valued at Php23.9 million ($498,000), were turned over to Philippine Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III at the Department of Health compound.   The donation,… Read More U.S. delivers P24-M ICU beds to support Philippine Covid-19 response 

By HENRY EMPEÑO | June 23, 2021 SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Covid-19 testing facilities put up by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) here have played an important role in the continuing economic growth in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone despite the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic early last… Read More SBMA: Covid-19 testing center key factor in Subic economic rebound

MANILA | June 11, 2021 — On June 10, the United States welcomed the successful arrival to the Philippines of 2,282,850 doses of the U.S. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the biggest shipment to date, the U.S. Embassy in Manila announced today.  And in the weeks and months ahead, ever-increasing quantities of much-needed vaccines will continue to arrive.  This… Read More Cebu, Davao, Manila get over 2 million U.S.-supported Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines

MANILA | June 10, 2021 — Senator Joel Villanueva has thrown support to Cebu’s “swab-upon-arrival” policy, saying the “sensible, but science-based” way of screening travelers for coronavirus is “low-cost but highly-effective.” “It is a kind of health checkpoint that spares OFWs of the hassles of quarantine. It saves them time and money, both of which… Read More Billions saved if Cebu’s ‘science-based’ swab policy is nat’l norm – Sen. Villanueva

By HENRY EMPEÑO | May 30, 2021 SAN NARCISO, Zambales — A localized outbreak of the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has infected students and some administrative staff at the Philippine Merchant Maritime Academy (PMMA) here, leading local authorities to enforce a lockdown at the country’s premier state maritime school. A report from the Zambales Provincial… Read More Pocket outbreak infects 127 in PMMA

By HENRY EMPEÑO | May 19, 2021 SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) on Tuesday, May 18, began rolling out Covid-19 vaccines from the Department of Health (DOH) for the first three priority groups of recipients that include free port residents and workers, as well as SBMA employees. SBMA Chairman and… Read More SBMA starts Covid-19 vaccine rollout for priority groups

SBMA GETS CONTACT-TRACING TOOL SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma receives a special Samsung Galaxy cellular phone from Globe Telecom, Inc. which will be used for contact-tracing of Covid-19 cases. The donation was turned over by Jussan Consunji, Globe site acquisition and management head for North Luzon; Nessele Domingo, Globe regional acquisition and management… Read More GLOBE DONATION

MANILA, May 11, 2021 — U.S. military service members in Mindanao and Luzon began the delivery on April 22 of nearly P5.7 million ($118,700) worth of personal protective equipment and medical supplies to local partners battling COVID-19 in provinces across the Philippines. The United States embassy in Manila said the supplies include protective equipment such… Read More U.S. provides additional P5.7-M PPE to support Philippine COVID-19 response

MANILA, May 10, 2021 — The United States embassy in Manila announced the successful May 10 arrival to the Philippines of 193,050 doses of the U.S. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, one of the safest and most effective vaccines in the world.  This delivery is the first tranche of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines and follows the arrival of 2,030,400 doses… Read More First tranche of U.S. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines delivered to the Philippines