The Department of Health is not amenable to downgrading the alert level in the National Capital Region even as COVID cases are declining in the NCR.

Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion initiated a dialogue on safer travel with key tourism industry stakeholders in relation to his recent appeal to help the aviation industry from crashing.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week, President Duterte expressed the sentiment of many nations that are struggling to procure COVID vaccines even for first doses while “selfish” wealthy states prepare to administer third-dose boosters to their people.

Presidential Chinese pal Michael Yang’s Pharmally Inc. sold to the government surgical masks 54-percent costlier than base price. It also supplied P550 million worth of COVID-19 test kits that expired shortly after delivery. The two findings by senators Tuesday controverted President Rodrigo Duterte’s repeated defense of his admin’s dealings with the shop of his former special economic adviser.

First, the good news. The pilot testing in Metro Manila of the new quarantine classification appears to be a “success” since its implementation starting Sept. 16.