MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang said on Thursday that January 2 will not be a holiday. January 2 falls on a Monday and comes after long weekend holiday break, from December 30 to January 1. “January 2 is not a holiday,” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte reminded Thursday.

She also said that rumors that government works were suspended Thursday afternoon is untrue. Under Proclamation No. 84 signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III in December last year, Rizal Day (December 30) is a regular holiday while New Year’s Eve, December 31, has been declared as a special non-working day. Under the said Proclamation, New Year’s Day, January 1, is also a regular holiday. (Madel Sabater)

Conjoined twins

A 22-year-old mother gave birth to a conjoined twins at 9 p.m. Wednesday and were named Zara and Grace at Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City. Dir. Roland Mejia of Region 1 Medical Center said that this is the third conjoined twins in the world known as parapagus dicephalos.

"Nasa kritikal na kalagayan ngayon ang isa dahil bumaba na ang kaniyang ulo," Mejia said. Asked about the chances of surviving, Mejia said that he is not sure. "Hirap na ang sanggol. May dalawang puso, atay, spinal at babae ang organ. Zarita Prestoza, mother of the conjoined twins, sought help for her babies. (Liezle Basa Inigo)

Rare disorder

The Senate was urged on Thursday to pass a measure giving poor patients suffering from a rare disorder a chance to survive by allowing them adequate access to medical healthcare.

Sen. Edgardo Angara said the Senate should pass Senate Bill No. 3087 or the Rare Disorder Act of the Philippines to respond to the needs of such indigent patients particularly Filipino children afflicted with an unusual disease.

 “By providing adequate healthcare to Filipino children with rare disorders, we also give each and everyone a chance to live,” Angara said. (Hannah Torregoza)

Assistance

To extend help and sustenance to those tragically affected by storm “Sendong,” the Italian Government has organized an emergency humanitarian flight filled with goods that will provide for the immediate needs of survivors of the natural disaster. The value of the assistance operation is 500,000 euros. The flight took off from the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Subang, Malaysia, and landed in Davao on the afternoon of December 27.

On board were 40 tons of relief goods, including tents, materials for emergency shelters, water filters and containers, which were transported during the night to Cagayan de Oro. The Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Italy in Manila, Alfonso Tagliaferri, went to Cagayan de Oro on December 28 to formally donate the goods, in the name of the Italian Government, to the representatives of the local Department of Social Welfare and Development, who will be distributing them to greatly affected barangays.

DFA appeals

Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has appealed to the more than 4,000 Filipinos still in Syria to heed the government’s call for mandatory repatriation back to the Philippines while there is still time as he expressed concern over their safety in the wake of the worsening violence there.

“We are appealing to our ‘kababayans’ in Syria to remove themselves out of harm’s way while there is still time by getting themselves repatriated back to the Philippines,” Del Rosario said after the Philippine Embassy in Damascus reported that the capital remains on high alert, following the back-to-back car bombings there last December 23. (Roy C. Mabasa)