MANILA, Philippines – The voter registration will resume on January 4, 2021, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced on Wednesday.

“If you missed the last day of #VoterReg2020, don’t despair just yet. #VoterRegistration will resume January 4, 2021. #MakeAPlanToRegister then. #MagparehistroKa!” Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said in a tweet.

In an earlier advisory, COMELEC said the last day of voter registration for this year was on December 29, 2020.

The voter registration was also closed during the special non-working days and regular holidays for the month of December.

Voter registration is conducted from Mondays to Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with Friday as the designated disinfection day unless the local government unit prescribes a different disinfection day, the advisory read.

The poll body reminded the public that anti-COVID-19 protocols are being strictly imposed in all COMELEC offices.

MANILA, Philippines – Pinawi ng Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) ang pangamba hinggil sa muling pagsabog ng bulkang Taal kasunod ng magnitude 6.3 na lindol na yumanig sa Calatagan, Batangas pasado alas-7 Biyernes ng umaga.

Ayon kay PHIVOLCS director, Undersecretary Renato Solidum, maliit ang posibilidad na magkaroon ng epekto sa bulkan ang malakas na lindol bagaman patuloy pa nila itong inoobserbahan.

Binigyang-diin rin ni Solidum na sumabog na ang bulkan ngayong taon at malalim ang naramdamang lindol kaninang umaga.

“Siguro pagdating doon sa fault baka wala, kasi hindi naman ito ganoon kalaki at malalim siya masyado. Pero pagdating sa Taal Volcano, kasi katatapos lang ng kanyang eruption, oobserbahan natin kung may epekto talaga ito,” ang pahayag ni Solidum.

“Titingnan natin kung magre-react ang Taal Volcano, pero dapat nating maaalala, matandaan, na nasa alert level 1 pa lang naman siya,” dagdag pa niya.

Magugunitang noong buwan ng Enero 2020 ay itinaas sa alert level 4 ang Taal matapos itong magbuga ng abo.

Sa ngayon ay nasa alert level 1 ang bulkan na ang ibig sabihin ay bahagyang pagtaas ng volcanic activity gaya ng gas o steam emission at mga pagyanig. Ipinagbabawal din ang pagpasok sa permanent danger zone ng bulkan.

Paliwanag ng ahensiya, gumalaw ang Manila trench kaya’t naramdaman ang pagyanig sa Metro Manila.

Tiniyak din ng PHIVOLCS na walang direktang epekto ang lindol sa Batangas sa West Valley Fault.

Bukod sa Metro Manila, Batangas at Laguna, naramdaman rin ang lindol sa ilang bahagi ng Rizal at Northern Luzon.

MANILA, Philippines – Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla on Friday clarified that only individuals aged 15 to 65 are allowed to visit shopping malls in the province during the holiday season.

“As of today December 4, only those ages 15 to 65 years old shall be permitted to enter the mall premises and mall hours shall remain the same,” Remulla said in a Facebook post.

The governor issued the clarification after he announced Wednesday that accompanied minors aged 10 and above, as well as senior citizens, will be allowed to go to malls.

“I was wrong to be too enthusiastic in the resumption of personal freedom for the people of Cavite. I take full responsibility and I apologize,” he said.

Remulla said he made the decision following reports that the Inter-Agency Task Force would allow minors accompanied by their parents and guardians in general community quarantine areas to go out of their homes and enter commercial establishments for the holidays.

“Pagkatapos ko mabasa sa pahayagan na pumayag na ang IATF na papasukin sa mall ang mga accompanied minors ages 15 below ay mabilisan naman ako gumawa ng patakaran para dito,” he said.

“Kahapon ay nagbago na naman ang direksyon: Wala pang malinaw na patakaran ukol sa mga minors sa mall, ayon kay [DILG] Sec. [Eduardo] Año,” he added.

The Cavite governor said he only wanted children to be allowed to go out after being cooped up in their homes due to the pandemic.

“Ang kagustuhan ko lang naman ay mapagbigyan ang mga kabataan na matagal nang naka-bartolina sa bahay. Makaramdam man lang sana ng kaunting saya ang mga bata na makapasyal ngayong kapaskuhan kasama ang buong pamilya,” he said.

“Hindi pala puede. I have no one to blame but myself,” he added.

Metro Manila mayors earlier agreed to maintain the policy against allowing minors from visiting malls.