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LOOK: Miss Universe PH first runner-up Bella Ysmael dazzles in 3 magazine covers

MANILA -- Bella Ysmael looks glowing as she appears on three magazine covers this April.

Ysmael, who finished first runner-up in Miss Universe Philippines 2020, joins fellow beauty queens Nicole Cordoves, Nina Ricci Alagao, and Mitch Cajayon-Uy, as well as actors Sam Milby and JC de Vera, on the cover of Mega Magazine's Beauty Insider.

OTTAWA - Canada will grant permanent residency to more than 90,000 foreign students and workers who helped treat patients during the pandemic, the immigration minister announced Wednesday.

The program, in effect from May 6, is intended for workers with at least one year of work experience in health care or dozens of other sectors deemed essential -- from grocery store cashiers and shelf stockers, to truck drivers and farm workers -- as well as graduates who've completed a post-secondary degree within the last four years.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said the measure should help Canada reach its target of welcoming more than 400,000 immigrants this year, compensating for a drop in immigration last year when the border was closed.

"The pandemic has shone a bright light on the incredible contributions of newcomers," he told a news conference.

"These new policies will help those with a temporary status to plan their future in Canada, play a key role in our economic recovery and help us build back better," he said.

"Your status may be temporary, but your contributions are lasting -- and we want you to stay."

GOOD AFTER NOON GUYS.. okay lang ba e like my PAGE.. Thank you to all my friends here... God Bless..

UTAK TALANGKA ANG GOVERNMENT NG MALABON nag mura na ang ang nakapila sa AYUDA.

NAMANGHA AKO SA SPEED NG INTERNET KO SA PLDT FIBR
DIKO INAASAHAN ITO. BAKIT KAYA GANITO ?

ANG LAKI NG PERANG IBINIGAY NG GOBYERNO SA BAWAT LUGAR NA NABANGIT... BAKA LANG MAPUNTA LANG SA BULSA.. HAHA

MANILA (UPDATE) - Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed Saturday he has been admitted to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) due to a fresh bout with COVID-19.

In a statement, Roque said he was sent to PGH due to "COVID-19 treatment."

"This is to say that COVID-19 is more transmissible now so we have to do extra precaution," he said.

"I am asking for your sincerest prayers to all afflicted with COVID-19 in the country and around the world," he said.

Roque, who has a heart condition and diabetes, was earlier sighted inside the state hospital's Department of Pay Patient Services, according to sources.

They added that Roque is currently on non-invasive breathing support as he needed to be connected with a Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure, a type of ventilator.

The official first announced he tested positive for the coronavirus on March 15. He was found negative for the disease on March 25. It was unclear when he again contracted the virus, or whether he is suffering from further effects of his earlier illness.

Roque also previously underwent a heart procedure, which prompted him to withdraw his 2019 Senate bid.

Roque's hospitalization came as medical facilities in Metro Manila are nearing the breaking point, with some hospitals declaring full capacity in their emergency rooms and COVID-19 wards despite nearly 2 weeks since the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine in the region and 4 nearby provinces.

The government is also distributing modular tents to struggling hospitals and re-deploying health workers from regions where virus transmission rates are low.

The Philippines so far tallied over 853,000 COVID-19 infections, of which over 190,000 remain active infections -- the highest since the pandemic reached the country over a year ago.

MAYNILA - Kahit na sarado sa publiko ngayong enhanced community quarantine ang Baclaran Church sa Parañaque, patuloy na nagsusumikap pa rin na kumita ang ilang mga taong nakadikit ang kabuhayan sa simbahan.

Naglako ng sampaguita ang nasa 10 tindera ngayong Baclaran Day sa mga debotong sumaglit sa harap ng simbahan para manalangin.

Sa kabila pa ito na hindi sila kabilang sa mga authorized persons outside of residence na pinapayagang lumabas ngayong ECQ.

Bilang ng mga nag-Baclaran Day bumaba sa gitna ng pagdami ng COVID-19 cases
Isa sa kanila ang 73-anyos na si Fe Luna, na mahigit dekada nang nagtitinda ng sampaguita sa Baclaran.

Kuwento niya, dito niya napagtapos sa pag-aaral ang mga anak.

Kung tutuusin, bawal siyang lumabas sa ilalim ng guidelines ng Inter-Agency Task Force dahil sa kanyang edad, pero sabi niya wala rin siyang ibang mapagkunan ng ipangkakain ng pamilya.

"Okay naman, Kahit papano, nakakaraos. Makatinda kami ng 100 may pambigas na kami isang kilo, pambili ng kaunting ulam. Wala e, bawal kami rito sa labas e," sabi ni Luna.

Mas kaunti ang bilang ng mga bumisita sa Baclaran ngayon kumpara sa nakaraang 2 Miyerkules na pinatigil ang pisikal na pagdalo sa Misa.

Aminado ang ibang nagtitinda gaya ni Elvira Alcantara na bumaba ang kita nila dahil dito.

Kung dati aabot sa P400 ang kita nila, ngayon mas mababa ito o kaya wala at may natitira pa sa paninda nila.

"Matumal talaga. Talagang bihira-bihira ang nabili. Sana itong simbahan, sana hindi na lang sinarado. Tingnan mo kahit ECQ maraming nagsisimba kahit sa harapan ng simbahan. Kaya sana kahit simbahan man lang bukas, para kahit papano kumita naman kahit konti," sabi naman ni Alcantara.

Pinaalis naman ng mga nakabantay na pulis ang mga nagtitinda at pinaalalahanan na hindi sila pwedeng lumabas ngayong naka-lockdown.

Nagpaalala rin ang pulisya sa mga dumadaang deboto na tanging mga naglalakad at nakabisikleta ang pwedeng lumapit sa gate.
Sa kabilang bahagi ng kalsada dapat pumarada ang mga nakamotorsiklo.

Pero makalipas ang ilang minuto bumalik din ang mga nagtitinda para magbakasakali ng benta.

Problema nga lang nila ay baka hindi rin maubos ang paninda nila.

MAYNILA – Alas-6:30 ng umaga pa pumila sa paradahan ang jeepney driver na si Rey Escanilla pero tanghali na ay hindi pa rin siya nakakapamasada.

Kung dati, nakakailang biyahe siya kada araw, ngayo'y 1 o 2 na lang dahil walang gaanong pasahero.

Sa P300 kinikita niya sa maghapon, P100 ang napupunta sa pagkain habang ang natitirang P200 ay pambayad sa boundary at krudo. Dahil dito, wala na siyang naiuuwi sa pamilya.

Puwede namang gastusin ni Escanilla ang kita sa pangangailangan ng pamilya pero magpapatong-patong naman ang kaniyang utang sa boundary.

Kahit saan tingnan, talo umano si Escanilla.

"'Di kami makabayad ng upa, tubig, kuryente. Halos pangkain lang nagagawa namin ngayon," ani Escanilla sa panayam ng ABS-CBN News.

"Malaki epekto nito sa mga manggagawa, tulad sa aming maliliit lang. Ang hirap ng hanapbuhay namin, sa tao lang kami umaasa sa kita. Kung walang tao sa labas, wala kaming biyahe, wala kaming kita," dagdag niya.

Kaya dagdag pahirap umano sa mga tulad ni Escanilla ang pagpapalawig ng enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) sa Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna at Rizal nang isa pang linggo.

"Nagrekomenda po ang IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) na pahabain pa ang enhanced community quarantine ng minimum na isang linggo sa buong Metro Manila at mga probinsya ng Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite at Rizal," sabi noong Sabado ni Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

ECQ sa 'NCR Plus' bubble palalawigin pa nang 1 linggo o higit pa: IATF
Dahil sa pagpapalawig, nangangamba rin si Annalyn Mejias, na nagtatrabaho sa isang karinderya.

Noong puwede pang mag-dine in, kumikita ang kardinerya ng hanggang P30,000 kada araw.

Pero nang takeout at delivery na lang ang pinayagan, at pinahaba pa ang curfew, P6,000 hanggang P12,000 na lang ang kita.

Ibabawas pa roon ang gastos sa pagbili ng bigas at mga sangkap, at arawang sahod ng mga manggagawa, na umaabot sa P15,000 kada araw.

Nagbawas na rin ang naturang kainan ng mga trabahador para makatipid.

Ayon kay Mejias, ayaw sana niyang lumabas ng bahay dahil sa takot sa COVID-19 pero kailangan niyang gawin ito para mabuhay.

"Hindi naman pwedeng diyan lang sa bahay, walang makakain, lalo na may pamilya," ani Mejias.

Kaya nanawagan ng mga tulad nina Escanilla at Mejias sa gobyerno na magbigay ng sapat at agarang ayuda, at pabilisin ang pagbabakuna sa mga mamamayan.

Ayon sa Department of the Interior and Local Government, may nakalaang ayuda para sa mga natukoy na benepisyaryo ng Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Nasa P1,000 ang ibibigay na ayuda sa bawat indibiduwal o P4,000 sa bawat pamilya.

Pero para sa grupong Defend Jobs Philippines, sapat para sa 4 na araw lang ang P1,000 ayuda ng pamahalaan.

"The 1,000-peso aid is obviously not enough and can only help poor Filipino families sustain their food necessities for just four days," ani Defend Jobs Spokesperson Christian Lloyd Magsoy.

"With a week of ECQ implementation, both the national and local governments must speed up their moves to distribute this small amount of cash aid to our people who are badly needing support," dagdag niya.

Dapat P10,000 ang ibigay na aydua sa mga manggagawang lubhang apektado ng lockdown, sabi naman ng grupong Bayan Muna.

Samantala, sa pinalawig na ECQ, mas paiigtingin daw ng gobyerno ang pagpapatupad ng "prevent, detect, isolate, treat and reintegrate" strategy para mapababa ang mga kaso ng COVID-19.

"Kasama dito ang pagbabahay-bahay, paghahanap ng mga mayroong sintomas at pagsa-subject sa kanila sa PCR testing at isolation," ani Roque.

Kung makikita sa loob ng 1 linggo na gumagana ang istratehiya, saka magdedesisyon kung ilalagay na sa modified ECQ ang Metro Manila at mga karatig-lalawigan.

Isang support group ang binuo sa Facebook para makapagbigay ng suporta sa mga nag-positibo sa COVID-19 at mga pamilya nito.

Sa grupong “Coronavirus Survivors PH – COVID 19 Survivors PH”, nagpapalitan ng mga karanasan ang mga miymebro.

Ayon kay Sherwin Ramos, isa sa nagtatag ng grupo, paraan nila ito para magabayan at mabigyan ng inspirasyon ang mga tinamaan ng sakit.

Actor Baron Geisler turned emotional as he shared his biggest regret in life, recalling how he witnessed his mother die without seeing him become a changed man.

In a vlog uploaded by Toni Gonzaga on Easter Sunday, Geisler recalled how he dropped by his mother’s room before going to a retreat.

Geisler said he bade goodbye to his mom, and it seemed that she wanted to say something to him by trying to stand up.

“I was preparing to go to a 5-day retreat. And I was sober for a while. So I went to her room...nakaputi ako nito, long hair, may bigote..’Mom, Baron here. Good boy. I'm gonna go to this retreat, I'll see you when I get back,’” the actor recounted.

“Parang sa pelikula, she tried to stand up and say something and sabi ko, ‘what is it?’ Feeling ko, on a happier note, baka sa long hair ko at bigote ko, akala niya ako si Jesus,” he kiddingly said.

But Geisler became emotional as he continued the story, revealing that he had already felt something was wrong. He then checked the eyes of his mother using a penlight and saw her eyes dilating.

“I sort of knew so kumuha ako ng penlight chineck ko yung mata ni mommy. And slowly, slowly nagdi-dilate. That's when I knew we lost her,” he said. “I was there.”

Geisler was in tears as he shared to Gonzaga his dream for his mother to see him become a better man.

MAYNILA — Matapos umiwas sa karne, bibili sana si Jingjing Dizon ng baboy nitong Easter Sunday para sa espesyal na ulam.

Pero napaatras si Dizon dahil hindi pasok sa P200 budget niya ang presyo ng baboy.

"'Pag bumaba na ulit ang presyo saka na lang magbababoy," ani Dizon.

Simula noong Sabado, umaabot na sa P350 kada kilo ang presyo ng kasim at pigue habang P380 kada kilo naman ang liempo sa Commonwealth Market sa Quezon City.

Nasa P20 hanggang P30 rin ang itinaas ng presyo ng baboy sa ibang pamilihan sa Metro Manila kagaya ng Murphy Market.

Ayon sa mga trader, nagmahal din kasi nang hindi bababa sa P10 ang sabit-ulo na binibili ng mga tindero para ibenta.

Nasa P310 hanggang P340 kada kilo na ito ngayon mula P295.

Inirekomenda kamakailan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa Kongreso na dagdagan ang minimum access volume ng imported na karneng baboy ng 350,000 metric tons ang kasalukuyang 54,000 metric tons.

Pig holiday

Kaya kung dati, nagsagawa ang mga tindero ng pork holiday, ngayon naman plano ng local hog raisers na magkasa ng "pig holiday" o hindi pagbenta ng baboy bilang protesta sa napipintong pagbaha ng imported na karne.

"Talagang mamamatay ang backyard industry, sila ang unang mamamatay compared sa commercial dahil ang puhunan nila mas maliit," sabi ni Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) Chairman Rosendo So.

Hindi naman sinagot ng Department of Agriculture (DA) ang isyu tungkol sa planong "pig holiday" pero nanindigan ang ahensiya na inuudyok nila ang mga magbababoy sa mga lugar na walang African swine fever na magpadala ng mga sobrang supply ng baboy sa Metro Manila.

Samantala, mapapaso na sa Abril 8 ang implementasyon ng price ceiling sa baboy at manok.

Cooling off at Pasig River

Children cool off by jumping and swimming in the Pasig River in Manila on Easter Sunday during the country’s dry season as the Metro remains under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Health authorities recorded the highest number of recoveries in a day at 41,205 but logged more than 10,000 fresh cases for the third straight day.

A priest wearing a face mask as a precaution against COVID-19 walks down the aisle of St. Peter Parish: Shrine of Leaders in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City amid church pews filled with lit candles on Easter Sunday. Churches in "NCR Plus" remained empty of worshippers for the second straight Easter Sunday due to the ongoing enhanced community quarantine, even as the Catholic Church marked 500 years of Christianity in the country.

MAYNILA — Naiulat ngayong Linggo ng Department of Health (DOH) ang pinakamaraming bilang ng gumaling sa COVID-19 sa isang araw mula nang mag-umpisa ang pandemya.

Ayon sa DOH, 41,205 ang bagong recoveries, dahilan upang umakyat sa 646,100 ang kabuuang bilang ng mga gumaling sa respiratory disease.

Sa kabila nito, nakapagtala pa rin ang Pilipinas ngayong Linggo ng 11,028 dagdag na kumpirmadong kaso ng COVID-19 para sa kabuuang 795,051.

Umabot naman sa 13,425 ang death toll matapos maiulat ang pagkamatay ng 2 pang tao dahil sa COVID-19.

Dahil dito, may 135,526 active cases ng COVID-19 sa Pilipinas o iyong mga hindi pa gumagaling sa

Habang nananatiling mataas ang bilang ng mga dagdag na kaso ng COVID-19 kada araw, naubos naman na ang bed capacity ng ilang mga ospital sa Metro Manila dahil sa umaapaw na mga pasyente.

Sa Lung Center of the Philippines sa Quezon City, umabot na sa 200 porsiyento ang capacity ng emergency room at ubusan na rin ang oxygen tank.

Dahil dito, pansamantalang isinara ng ospital ang outpatient department nito pero iginiit na patuloy silang tatanggap ng non-COVID-19 patients, lalo na ang mga may sakit sa baga.

Nauna na ring nag-abiso ang ilang ospital sa Metro Manila gaya ng Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital sa Maynila, at Asian Hospital and Medical Center at VRP Medical Center sa Mandaluyong na sagad na ang kanilang mga COVID-19 ward.

Ayon sa mga eksperto mula sa OCTA Research Group, hindi pa lubos na masasabi kung mapapababa ang mga kaso kahit nabawasan ang pagkilos ng tao sa Metro Manila at 4 na karatig-lalawigan matapos isailalim ang mga lugar sa enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

"Those are some promising indicators but we’re not there yet... there are still some LGUs (local government units) showing a rapid increase like Mandaluyong, 67 percent increase and Marikina, 51 percent, Las Piñas, 57 percent," ani Guido David, fellow ng OCTA Research.

"It would also depend on the response based on our recommendations, which is to increase isolation facilities to prevent household infections," sabi ni OCTA fellow Michael Tee.

Tiniyak naman ni Health Secretary Francisco Duque III na tinutugunan ang isyu sa mga pasilidad.

"Kasama sa ating layunin sa paglagay sa ECQ is siguraduhin ang paglagay ng karagdagan isolation facilities and monitoring facilities," ani Duque.

Magdadagdag din ang Department of Public Works and Highways ng nasa 1,000 COVID-19 beds sa mga susunod na linggo, ayon kay Vince Dizon, deputy chief implementer ng National Task Force Against COVID-19.

Pope Francis joins Filipinos in celebrating 500th anniversary of Catholicism in PH

MANILA - Pope Francis on Easter Sunday told Filipinos not to be afraid in spreading the word of God as he joined them ​in celebrating the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines 500 years ago.

The Pope told Filipinos that they are accompanied by "two great saints", San Pedro Calungsod and San Lorenzo Ruiz.
​
"Dear friends, I remember my visit to your country with a lot of affection. I don’t forget that final meeting with almost seven million people. You are generous. You are bountiful. You know how to celebrate the feast of faith. Don’t lose that even in the midst of difficulties," he said in a video message.

"Keep going! The Pope accompanies you. May Jesus bless you, bless all Filipino people and may the Holy Virgin take care of you. May the Santo Niño be always with you. And please, do not forget to pray for me. Thank you very much."

LOS ANGELES -- Kevin Durant has apologized to fans following the release of a slew of profane social media messages riddled with misogynistic and homophobic language.

The Brooklyn Nets superstar said he was sorry that the messages -- part of an angry private exchange with actor and comedian Michael Rapaport -- had emerged in the public domain.

"I'm sorry that people seen that language I used," Durant told reporters late Thursday.

"That's not really what I want people to see and hear from me, but hopefully I can move past it and get back out there on the floor."

Durant lashed out at Rapaport in a series of direct messages sent via Instagram after the actor had criticized the former NBA Most Valuable Player's conduct during a post-game television interview last December.

"I receive threats and disgusting messages DAILY, but never in my wildest dreams did I think (Durant) would be among them," Rapaport wrote in a Twitter post containing multiple screenshots of the messages.

"The Snake himself is now threatening me, bringing up my wife and wants to fight."

The NBA has not said if Durant is likely to face sanction for the remarks but the league has in the past issued fines for players using homophobic language.

In 2011, the late Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 for directing an anti-gay slur towards referee Bennie Adams.

Durant, meanwhile, said Thursday he is close to a return to action after several weeks on the sidelines since suffering a hamstring strain against Golden State in mid-February.

"I'm progressing pretty well," Durant said. "Looking forward to being out there with my teammates pretty soon."