Subic Bay Freeport – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Public Health and Safety Group (PHSD) has tapped the expertise of United States Navy retired Chief Petty Officer Michael Walls to educate stakeholders here on Box Jellyfish Awareness and Treatment.
Around one hundred participants, mostly SBMA employees, locators, residents, guests, and other SBF stakeholders, Association of Ambulance Operators in Olongapo and Zambales, and other medical responders, especially locators in the beach resort business, took part in the seminar held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) on May 9, 2025 .
According to Walls, they are expecting increased presence of box jellyfish infestation compared to previous years.
“Stings from the box jellyfish can be fatal, especially in children,” Walls said. He expounded further by imparting ways on how to avoid incidents of jellyfish sting, as well as immediate treatment when subjected to such.
Walls added that the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman-College of Science cited that the box jellyfish is known for its distinctive box-like appearance and potent venom that can cause potentially systemic effects, which if not immediately addressed, could be fatal.
The Chironex yamaguchii, a dangerous species of box jellyfish known to originate from Japan, is also present in Philippine waters, as well as in the Indo-Pacific and Western Pacific regions. Their tentacles can inflict extreme pain, cause skin injuries with welts, and even trigger heart attacks and death.
The Box Jellyfish Awareness and Treatment seminar, which aims to promote critical knowledge that could help save lives in case of a box jellyfish sting, is part of the SBMA’s Public Health and Safety Group’s Health and Wellness Caravan.

MANILA – The number of Covid-19 cases continue to increase across all regions with a national positivity rate of 4.1 percent but the average daily attack rate remains low, a health official said Tuesday.
In an online media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the current positivity rate is similar with the rate the country logged at the start of March this year.
“Nationally, we have recorded 4,976 new cases from June 21 to June 27. While we’re under low risk classification, the cases continue to rise at 710 cases per day, 257 cases or 57 percent more than the previous week,” she said. “There’s nothing to worry about because we’re still at less than one case per 100,000 population for our average daily attack rate.”
The National Capital Region (NCR) shows a steep increase in the number of Covid-19 cases which started in mid-May and has an average of 350 cases per day.
The rest of Luzon, NCR Plus areas, and the Visayas logged sharp increases in Covid-19 infections but their cases remain lower than 150 per day.
Cases in Mindanao also showed continued increase in infections in the past days at 50 cases per day.
“Based on the health status of those hospitalized, more than half remain asymptomatic and mild. The number of severe and critical admissions at the national level remains less than 1,000 cases starting March or mid-March of 2022 despite continued slight increase in cases in the past days,” Vergeire said.
The severe and critical cases comprise at least 10.68 percent or 591 cases of the total hospital admissions and this remains lower than the 20 percent logged in January, she added. (PNA)

MANILA – The rollout of booster shots for 12 to 17 years old may start as soon as next week once the guidelines have been released, the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) has already submitted its recommendation to the office of Secretary Francisco Duque III for approval.
Once he gives his go signal, Vergeire said the DOH would start drafting the guidelines immediately.
“Once the DOH, through the Secretary, approves the recommendation of the HTAC, the DOH would now draft the guidelines on how we are going to implement these booster doses for 12 to 17 years old,” she said in a Laging Handa briefing.
“Kung sakaling mapirmahan na, posible po na maari na tayong mag-umpisa next week once guidelines are out (If it indeed gets the signature, the rollout is possible next week once guidelines are out,” she added.
The Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization for Pfizer as a booster shot for minors aged 12 to 17 last June 14.
Following this, the HTAC gave its green light to administer an additional Covid-19 vaccine dose to the age group, the recommendation of which was forwarded to Duque last June 16. (PNA)

Manila—The United States, in partnership with the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, donated 769,860 more doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to the Philippines as part of its worldwide effort to end COVID-19 and its commitment to partner with the Philippine government to keep Filipinos healthy and safe.
The vaccines, which arrived in Manila on February 28, are part of the 1.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses that the United States is making available for distribution through COVAX, a global initiative to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. The U.S. is the largest donor to COVAX, having donated $4 billion to help protect the most vulnerable and at-risk populations in 92 low- and middle-income countries.
U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) ad interim Heather Variava joined Philippine government officials and other stakeholders at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to welcome this latest vaccine shipment. With this delivery, the American people have already provided more than 29.3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Philippines.
“As the Philippines slowly shifts to the new normal, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that Filipinos continue to have access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. Our partnership will help keep the country’s momentum in ending this pandemic, paving the way for a much healthier, safer tomorrow,” said CDA Variava.
The United States is working closely with Philippine partners to protect public health and support the local response to COVID-19. In addition to vaccine donations, the U.S. government has also provided more than Php1.9 billion ($39 million) in COVID-19 assistance to the Philippines to support testing, crucial care, communication campaigns, protection and training of health workers, vaccine deployment, and essential equipment and supplies.

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The provincial government here has implemented more control measures against avian influenza (bird flu) that was detected in ducks and quails to protect the multi-billion poultry industry and food security in the province.

Governor Dennis Pineda said on Wednesday he has gathered stakeholders to control bird flu cases that have been contained in a few farms in Candaba and Mexico towns since January.

“Lahat po tayo may papel para lalong ma-control and ma-save ang poultry industry natin (All of us have roles to play so that we could further control and save our poultry industry),” Pineda said in a social media post following the announcement of Agriculture Secretary William Dar on the control of bird flu among quails and ducks in Bulacan and Pampanga.
The governor said he has ordered the establishment of control points by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the Philippine National Police within one kilometer of the affected farms.

Big and backyard farms within the control points must first present BAI-negative tests before their birds are allowed to be hauled outside of the control points.

A provincial task force consisting of the Provincial Veterinary Office and BAI was also placed on 24/7 operations in an office at the Provincial Engineering Compound.

Pineda said the provincial action plan requires biosecurity and disinfection, isolation and quarantine, surveillance, and reporting of cases within 24 hours.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier confirmed that the disease was first detected last January 6 at a duck farm in Barangay Barangka, Baliuag town in Bulacan.

It said the first outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) Type A subtype H5N1 also affected at least three commercial farms in Pampanga and another in Bulacan province.

On January 21, two commercial quail farms in Barangay Dalayap, Candaba town were also reportedly hit by avian flu, and another quail farm in Barangay Mangga, also in Candaba town on January 27. Some 37,723 quails died in the two areas.

Last February 11, infection was again detected in two adjacent quail farms in Barangay San Antonio, in Mexico, Pampanga, where some 4,522 quails reportedly died.

Dar said the DA acted swiftly to contain the bird flu through the BAI, the municipal veterinary personnel, and farm owners.

A total of 19,317 quails were culled in the two outbreaks in Candaba town while 9,768 quails were culled in Mexico town.

This is the first recorded outbreak of HPAI A (H5N1) in the Philippines. Previous outbreaks involved HPAI A (H5N6), a similarly highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype.

Dr. Glofezita Lagayan, BAI veterinarian, said the virus H5N1 was detected in quails and ducks for the first time in the two provinces since 1997 when it affected many parts of the world.

DOH Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit head Ida Gloria Felix, however, said there is “no known transmission of the H5N1 to humans or vice versa.” (PNA)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Thursday said the shellfish ban in Bataan that was raised on Nov. 6, 2021, is still in effect.

As per BFAR Bulletin No. 3, shellfish samples collected from nine Bataan towns still tested positive for the red tide toxin causing paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Covered by the ban are those raised and gathered from the towns of Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga City, Pilar, Orion, Limay, and Mariveles.

“The public is advised to refrain from eating, gathering or harvesting, transporting and marketing shellfish from the coastal waters of Bataan until such time that the toxicity level has gone below the regulatory limit,” BFAR National Director Eduardo Gongona said in an advisory.

The regulatory limit for shellfish to be safe for human consumption is 60 unit grams of toxin per 100 grams of shellfish meat.

Fish are safe for human consumption as long as they are fresh and with gills and intestines removed before cooking. (PNA)

MANILA – The government eyes to administer at least five million doses of Covid-19 jabs during the third run of the “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” massive vaccination drive on February 10 and 11.

Of the 59,419,295 fully vaccinated Filipinos, including those with the single-shot Janssen vaccine, a total of 7,704,701 already have booster shots as of February 2.

National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) co-lead and medical specialist, Dr. Kezia Rosario, said areas with low inoculation rates, especially among senior citizens and those with comorbidities, will be prioritized but all jab sites nationwide must operate.

“Magdadagdag pa tayo ng mga vaccination site, especially dito sa mga eco-zones, industrial parks, sa mga university, sa schools ‘no para din mahanap na natin iyong mga may due for booster doses po (We will also add more vaccination sites, especially in eco-zones areas, industrial parks, inside universities, and schools so that we can find those who are due for booster doses),” she said Saturday at the Laging Handa public briefing.

The national government, in partnership with local government units and the private sector, has also implemented various measures to ramp up booster vaccination.

The “Resbakuna sa Botika at Klinika” program, participated in by private clinics and pharmacies, has so far administered 2,242 booster doses.

The vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 will be initially implemented in six Metro Manila sites on Monday, using reformulated Pfizer jabs.

“Nananawagan po kami sa ating mga magulang, na siguradong sigurado po kami na talagang maganda po ang formulation na ito dahil mas mababa at 91 percent ang efficacy (We want to tell the parents that we are sure about the formulation of the vaccines and they have a 91-percent efficacy),” vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a previous statement.

He also cited reports from the United States that there are “very minimal” side effects. (PNA)

Manila —From January 19 to 22, the U.S. Civil-Military Support Element-Philippines (CMSE-PHL) worked with local partners to bring no-cost medical and dental care to more than 800 residents of Rizal and Quezon municipalities in Palawan.

CMSE-PHL donated almost 1,000 kilograms of medical and dental supplies valued at over Php717,000 ($14,000) to augment ongoing outreach programs conducted by the provincial and municipal governments to provide medical services in rural barangays. CSME-PHL also helped facilitate the travel of doctors and dentists from Puerto Princesa to provide medical consultations and dental education workshops.

CSME-PHL provided the medical and dental services in cooperation with the Rizal and Quezon local government units, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) 18th Special Forces Company, the Palawan Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Dental Association-Palawan chapter, and local chapters of the Kiwanis Club and Philippine Eagles.

With CSME-PHL support, DOH successfully vaccinated more than 140 people in Rizal and Quezon against COVID-19 with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine—continuing the fight against the pandemic in some of the most rural barangays of Palawan.

“We were pleased to see the [CMSE-PHL] come here and work with us in our mission to bring services to the people of Quezon. We hope to see them here again,” said Quezon Mayor Joselito “Joy” Ayala.

“We are proud to be able to travel to Rizal and Quezon for our medical and dental outreach and help contribute to a 75-year legacy of friendship and cooperation between the United States and the Philippines,” said Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Mendoza of CMSE-PHL. “We want to thank all of our partners in Palawan, from the AFP, the provincial and municipal governments, and the medical and dental professionals, for making this possible.”

Before departing Palawan, CMSE-PHL also donated four medical tents to DOH in Puerto Princesa to help the province’s ongoing vaccination efforts against COVID-19 and fight the recent surge of cases.

“This medical mission is an example of the strong US-Philippine partnership in action,” said Capt. Jose Syrill M. Pervez, the commanding officer of AFP’s 18th Special Forces Company. “We have the Philippine military, government, civilian, and now our American partners from the CMSE-PHL working side-by-side to support the people of Rizal and Quezon, and I hope we can continue this effort together.”

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is now enforcing stricter safety protocols to ensure the health and safety of visitors to the Subic Bay Freeport amid the recent surge in Covid-19 infections.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said hotels and accommodation facilities here will now require guests to present negative results for Covid-19 antigen tests taken in the past 24 hours or RT-PCR tests released 48 hours prior to check-in.
The new requirement was made effective Monday, January 24, following Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines placing the surrounding areas of Zambales, Olongapo City, and Bataan under Alert Level 3 on January 6, Eisma said.

“While interzonal travel is allowed under Alert Level 3, we want to take the extra step in ensuring the health and safety of, not only our visitors in the Freeport, but also our local businesses, workers, and stakeholders,” Eisma said.

She added that the SBMA is also checking for vaccination cards among visitors entering the Freeport and required negative RT-PCR test results for the unvaccinated.

Previous Alert Level 3 guidelines from the IATF did not require antigen or RT-PCR tests for interzonal travel except when required by establishments or event organizers. “However, because of the recent surge in Covid-19 infections, there is a need for us to enforce stricter measures for the sake of both visitors and locals, and to keep Subic businesses going,” Eisma stressed.

Recently, Olongapo City, which provides most of the workers in the Subic Bay Freeport, was named as one of the cities with the highest rate of Covid-19 infections. The Subic Freeport, meanwhile, logged 78 active cases for SBFZ residents and 17 for Freeport transient workers and guests as of January 18.

“This is why we have to be more vigilant, and why we should not relax our guard,” Eisma explained.

Along with the hotel requirements, the SBMA also reminded Subic business locators and stakeholders to report possible cases of Covid-19 to the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department, pointing out that failure to do so shall be grounds for the cancellation of their certificates of registration.

Eisma said that under Republic Act 11332, or the “Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act,” persons and entities who will not report Covid-19 cases or respond to Covid-19 health events may be fined from P20,000 to P50,000.

Business establishments in the Freeport were also required to announce to the public if they have been temporarily closed because of any recently confirmed Covid-19 case in their premises, she added.

Eisma said that both the SBMA and neighboring local government units have been increasing their target vaccinations and booster rollout to keep Covid-19 cases low and not overwhelm the healthcare system. “As the SBMA and neighbor-LGUs have proven well in the past, we are stronger together in every common undertaking,” she said.

She added that while the SBMA is not an LGU, it has initiated a vaccine drive primarily for Freeport employees, health workers, and residents. “At the end of the day, we can only beat Covid-19 if we practice malasakit and help each other,” she said.

The Subic chief also reminded the general public that while restrictions are in place, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone is still very much open to everyone and will continue to be the premier business hub in this part of the country.

“As long as we follow the minimum health and safety standards like always wearing mask, keeping safe distance, frequent handwashing or disinfection, and, of course, getting vaccinated, we will get over this new surge as we have had before,” Eisma said.