Good day. Here are the stories for The Manila Times for Monday, June 21, 2021.

READ: PH buys 40M doses of Pfizer vaccine

The government has signed a supply agreement for 40 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for Covid-19. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Sunday said the deal with Pfizer is by far the "biggest" vaccine procurement contract inked by the government this year. Galvez said he and Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd signed the contract for the government.

READ: 'Prioritize quarantine rules for vaccinated Filipinos'

SEN. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson urged the government to speed up the implementation of new quarantine protocols for vaccinated Filipinos to benefit not just returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) but also the economy. Lacson on Sunday supported the move of the National Task Force Against Covid-19 to draw up standard guidelines that apply to Filipinos vaccinated here or abroad.

READ: 2 new LRT-2 stations to open next week

The Marikina City and Antipolo City stations of the Light Rail Transit 2 (LRT-2) East Extension Project will start operation next week, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade announced in a Facebook post. The two stations will be fully operational the day after the inauguration. The fare from Recto in Manila to Marikina or Antipolo will be P30 for single journey tickets, according to the fare matrix released by the Light Rail Transit Authority.

READ: PGH gets P98M aid from govt

THE government has turned over P98.4 million in financial aid to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) which was hit by fire in May. Sen. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go lauded hospital workers for their service amid the pandemic. The senator on June 15 witnessed the ceremonial turnover of the funding for equipment support provided by the Office of the President through the Socio-Civic Projects Fund to the PGH.

READ: Robredo seeks more jabs, Covid testing in risk areas

Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo appealed for more Covid-19 testing in areas of concern in the country. Robredo also appealed for more vaccines for these areas. During her weekly radio show, she said vaccination of the A5 priority group has begun in Metro Manila, but there are provinces where the inoculation of the A2 group or senior citizens is still going on. The government started its vaccination drive last March 1.

READ: 'Unity key to opposition's success'

SEN. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Sunday emphasized the need for the opposition to unite for the 2022 presidential elections, warning that a divided opposition will stand no chance against the candidates of the administration. The senator supported the move of some groups to come up with an "alternative" administration. Pangilinan echoed the sentiments of Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo that the opposition should field one candidate for the presidency to go against the administration's candidate.

BUSINESS: Central bank approves open finance rules

Over to business, the country's monetary authorities have greenlighted the Open Finance Framework rules, which are viewed as a critical enabler for digital transformation and financial inclusion. Approved by the Monetary Board last June 17, the framework encourages financial institutions and fintech companies to collaborate on data portability, interoperability, and collaborative partnerships based on consent.

SPORTS: Gilas survives South Korea, sweeps FIBA ACQ

Topping sports, Gilas Pilipinas has swept the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers by defeating South Korea 82-77 at the Angeles University Foundation Arena in San Fernando, Pampanga and bringing with them a promising future ahead of the World Cup qualifying event to be held in Indonesia in August. The Philippines got another solid game from Dwight Ramos, now the team's emerging star, as he finished with 19 points on a steady 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc to lead Gilas Pilipinas in beating South Korea twice in this tournament.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Marit Stinus Cabugon and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino are today's front page columnists. Cabugon discusses the apples and oranges of Covid-19 while Fr. Aquino discusses the retirement of Fatou Bensouda as a presiding judge of the International Criminal Court.

Today's editorial believes complementarity in the education sector remains far from reality. Read a full version on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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On behalf of The Manila Times, this is Aric John Sy Cua reporting. Have a safe week ahead.