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COVID-19 Crisis: ECQ for Metro Manila announced (August 6 to August 20, 2021)

July 31, 2021July 30, 2021carlocarrasco

A lot of people were very surprised yesterday with the sudden announcement that Metro Manila will be placed under the stricter enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) status effective August 1 until August 20, 2021 supposedly in connection to the rising spread of the highly infectious Delta variant (Parañaque and Las Piñas each have one) and COVID-19 cases in general. It is surprising because very recently it was announced that the National Capital Region (which Metro Manila is clearly part of) would be placed under the strict form of general community quarantine (GCQ) from August 1 to 15, 2021.

Take note that the Metro Manila mayors favored ECQ and even set terms that include the national government will provide financial assistance to their respective constituents plus millions of vaccines.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) article about the sudden ECQ announcement. Some parts in boldface…

Metro Manila will be placed under the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from August 6 to 20, Malacañang said on Friday.

This, after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) recommendation to impose the strict quarantine classification in Metro Manila.

In an announcement aired over state-run PTV-4, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Metro Manila will stay under general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions” from July 30 to August 5 and will shift to ECQ from August 6 to 20.

“Hindi po naging madali ang desisyon na ito. Maraming oras ang ginugol para pagdebatehan ang bagay na ito (It is not an easy decision. We have spent so much time to debate on the proposal [to place Metro Manila under ECQ]),” Roque said.

Metro Manila is currently under GCQ with heightened restrictions. Its quarantine status was supposed to be extended until August 15.

However, Metro Manila mayors have urged the IATF-EID to implement a two-week ECQ in the country’s metropolis to prevent the spread of the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant.

More restrictions

Roque said “additional restrictions” would be imposed in Metro Manila from July 30 to August 5.

“The heightened restrictions for NCR are more stringent compared to the GCQ with heightened restrictions of other areas,” he said in a press statement.

Roque said indoor dine-in services and al fresco dining are prohibited and only take-out and delivery are allowed in Metro Manila.

“For people working in these establishments, operations are allowed to continue and finish within the day,” he said.

Personal care services like beauty salons, beauty parlors, barber shops and nail spas may operate up to 30 percent of venue or seating capacity, Roque said.

He added that indoor sports courts and venues and indoor tourist attractions and specialized markets of the Department of Tourism (DOT) may not operate, while outdoor tourist attractions, as may be defined by the DOT, will be allowed at 30 percent venue capacity.

Roque said only Authorized Persons Outside their Residences will be allowed to travel “into and out” of NCR Plus, which is composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.

Only virtual religious gatherings shall be allowed. Gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment and funerals for those who died of causes other than Covid-19 shall be allowed, provided they are limited to immediate family members, he said.

Avoid panic buying

Following the government’s decision to implement ECQ in Metro Manila from August 6 to 20, Roque reminded the public not to resort to panic buying.

“Meron naman tayong isang linggo para mag-prepara dito sa two weeks na ECQ. Wala pong dahilan para mag panic buying dahil maski ECQ po, bukas naman po ang ating mga groceries (We still have one week to prepare for the two-week implementation of ECQ. There’s no reason for panic buying because despite the ECQ implementation, groceries are still open),” he said.

Apart from Metro Manila, Iloilo province and its city, Cagayan de Oro City, and the City of Gingoog in Misamis Oriental have also been placed under ECQ from July 21 to August 7.

On Tuesday, Roque announced that individuals residing in Iloilo province and its city, as well as the cities of Cagayan de Oro City and Gingoog, will receive cash assistance worth PHP1,000 per individual or PHP4,000 per family.

When quizzed if Metro Manila residents would also be given financial aid, Roque said: “Most likely but will seek confirmation.”

And here are related news videos to watch…

Economic damage and losses very likely

While it is understandable that ECQ is a response to the Delta variant and COVID-19 problems, it is very clear that this will result more financial losses on businesses and damage the nation’s economy which itself has been struggling to stand up and grow. Take note that the more businesses lose money, it could lead to job losses and result in lower tax collection on the part of the national government and LGUs. For insight, posted below is an excerpt from another PNA article published before the ECQ announcement. Some parts in boldface…

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez has thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for approving the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to put Metro Manila and nearby provinces under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions.

“The economy cannot bear another massive lockdown. We lose around PHP30 billion for a two-week lockdown. Many lost their jobs, livelihood, most of them are micro (and) SMEs (small and medium enterprises),” Lopez said during the Laging Handa public briefing Thursday.

He said the recommendation of placing National Capital Region (NCR) Plus under GCQ with heightened restrictions is in accordance with the IATF’s consultations with reliable health experts.

“We really take a balance, a holistic approach,” he added.

Lopez underscored that the IATF enforces restrictions amid the threats of the more infectious Covid-19 Delta variant.

But the restrictions are focused on ‘super spreader’ activities like mass gatherings, while lockdowns will remain a granular lockdown approach, the DTI chief said.

He also called on businesses to create their own health and safety committee that will ensure minimum public health protocols are being monitored and maintained in their respective establishments.

COVID-19 vaccination operations will still continue

Meanwhile, COVID-19 vaccination operations will still proceed during the ECQ period. Check out this excerpt from the GMA Network news report below…

Malacañang said the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program will proceed in Metro Manila even if the region will be under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from August 6 to 20.

“Yes, definitely [it will proceed]. Details will be provided in due course of the COVID-19 vaccination committee,” Roque said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you surprised about the sudden announcement of ECQ for Metro Manila? Do you believe that the Metro Manila Council (MMC) is correct that the national government should provide the financial aid and vaccines for their respective constituents? Could it be possible that certain city governments or LGUs (local government units) of Metro Manila have ran out of funds and have no choice but to rely on the national government to provide for them?

If you are a business owner within Metro Manila, do you believe that August 6 is too early for the imposition of another ECQ? Do you think that the Metro Manila mayors spent enough time researching about the potential economic damage of the ECQ they pushed for?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Delta variant cases in Parañaque and Las Piñas reported

July 30, 2021July 29, 2021carlocarrasco

According to a recent news report by the Manila Bulletin, the highly infectious Delta variant has been detected in Metro Manila totaling twenty-five cases while the nation as a whole has over one hundred so far. Focusing on South Metro Manila, the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas have one Delta variant case each. The City of Muntinlupa so far has none and the Manila Bulletin’s report reflects the Muntinlupa City Health Office’s statement.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Twenty-five out of the 72 local cases of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus were found in Metro Manila, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said.

Of the said cases, 10 were found in the City of Manila, seven in Pasig City, two cases in San Juan, while one case each for Las Pinas, Makati, Malabon, Quezon City, Taguig, and Paranaque, said DOH-National Capital Region (NCR) Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit head Dr. Manuel Mapue II during a televised press briefing on Tuesday, July 28.

“Dito sa dalawampu’t lima na ito, walo na ang gumaling, isa ang namatay; at kasalukuyan, labing-anim ang active ang kanilang sakit (Of these 25, eight have already recovered, one has died; and currently, sixteen cases are still active),” said Mapue.

To note, the Philippines already detected 119 Delta variant cases, 72 of which were considered local cases while 47 were returning overseas Filipinos.

COVID-19 surge in NCR?

Meanwhile, there is still no definitive evidence to say that Metro Manila is currently experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases amid the threat of the Delta variant, said Mapue.

“Batay doon sa aming tala hanggang kahapon, hindi natin na matatawag pa na surge sa ngayon. Wala tayong ebidensya pa na tawagin ito na surge, although nakikita natin na nag-uumpisa ng tumaas ang mga kaso (Based on our record until yesterday, we cannot call it a surge yet. We have no evidence yet to call it a surge, although we see that the cases are starting to rise),” he said.

“Karamihan sa ating local government units nag-uumpisa na ring tumaas although hindi pa stable ang pagtaas. May araw na mababa. Merong araw na konti lang ang nadadagdag sa kaso nila (Most of the cases in our local government units are starting to increase, although the rise is not yet stable. There are days that are low. There are days when very little is added to their respective caseload,” he added.

Mapue said that there is an uptick in COVID-19 cases in Las Pinas, Makati, Pasay, and San Juan.

To call it a surge, the DOH official said that the daily cases should have a “steady” increase.

Mapue urged the different LGUs to intensify their responses against COVID-19, particularly on the prevent, detect, isolate, treat, and reintegrate (PDITR) strategy to curb the rising number of cases.

It should be noted that in recent times, the City Government of Las Piñas made its move with the Delta variant in mind. Within the city, Barangay Talon Dos posted on July 24 via its Facebook page its confirmation that the Delta variant has been detected. The following is an excerpt from their July 24, 2021 Facebook post: Covid cases are high and the highly contagious DELTA VARIANT has entered Talon Dos. For the meantime, vaccinated or not, avoid going out unless necessary. If you experience headache, cold, cough, fever, nausea, LBM, loss of smell or appetite, fatigue please stay at home, isolate, and call your physician.

Considering how infectious the Delta variant is, that alone should compel any unregistered and unvaccinated Las Piñas City resident (or any resident from other cities and towns) to make the move to register themselves and join the line for vaccination once called by the local vaccination organizer.

Any Las Piñas resident who has yet to get registered for free COVID-19 vaccines can learn the ways (4 methods) by clicking here. Anyone who is ready and willing to register online can click bit.ly/LasPiñasVaccination

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about the latest news? Do you believe that the slow spread of the Delta variant in Metro Manila will lead to another lockdown? Do you think that the local authorities of Parañaque and Las Piñas are capable of preventing the spread of the Delta variant among their residents?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Strict GCQ declared for NCR and bordering provinces effective August 1 until August 15, 2021

July 30, 2021July 29, 2021carlocarrasco

Even as more people in Metro Manila have gotten worried about the highly infectious Delta variant which has been detected already in Parañaque and Las Piñas, the general community quarantine (GCQ) for the National Capital Region (NCR) and bordering provinces has been declared which will take effect on August 1, 2021 and will last until August 15, 2021, as reported by the Philippine New Agency (PNA).

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved the recommendation to extend the general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions in Metro Manila until August 15, Malacañang announced on Wednesday.

The stricter GCQ has been retained in Metro Manila, after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) observed an increase in the daily attack rate, two-week average attack rate, and health care utilization rate in the country’s metropolis, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a pre-recorded Talk to the People.

“The Chief Executive extended the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions classification of the National Capital Region beginning August 1, 2021 until August 15, 2021,” Roque said in a press statement.

Apart from Metro Manila, four of its nearby provinces – Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal – will also be placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions from August 1 to 15, Roque said.

And here is a related news video by GMA Network…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you surprised about the strict GCQ for Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal? Do you believe that the highly infectious Delta variant can be contained? Are you ready for another lockdown? Have you been vaccinated already?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Better than Streaming: Highlander anniversary 4K Blu-ray set for September 14, 2021 release

July 29, 2021July 28, 2021carlocarrasco

Calling all fans of the 1986 movie Highlander, the fans of Christopher Lambert, Clancy Brown and the late Sean Connery, as well as Blu-ray collectors who enjoy fantasy and science fiction!

Get ready because Highlander will be released in 4K Blu-ray format on September 14, 2021. It will come with the 4K Blu-ray disc, Blu-ray (for 1080p viewing) and the digital copy. 4K Blu-ray collectors should be aware that as of this writing, there is no confirmation yet if Highlander 4K Blu-ray will come with native 4K visuals or upscaled 4K visuals.

*Christopher Lambert with Beatie Edney in a scene.*

Meantime, here are the specs from the product’s page at Blu-ray.com

SPECS

Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: 4K (2160p)

HDR: HDR10

Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio- TBA

Subtitles – None

Disc – 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Disc

Digital – Digital copy included

Playback

4K Blu-ray: Region free

2K Blu-ray: Region A

As of now, there is really not that much information about Highlander 4K Blu-ray. It just so happens that this year marks the 35^th anniversary of the movie.

For the newcomers reading this, Highlander is the story of immortality that follows a Scottish man called Connor (played by Lambert) who discovers his legacy with a legion of immortals. After living for centuries and moving to different places around the world, he eventually settles in the city of New York. Things turn intense when other immortals appear around him.

I first saw this movie on home video way back in late 1980s. I even saw its 1991 sequel Highlander II: The Quickening and even a few episodes of its TV series. I was never a fan of the Highlander franchise but I fondly remember the 1986 movie for its very scenic shots, the epic flashback set in historic Scotland, the great sword fighting and the very creepy performance of Clancy Brown as the main antagonist. Sean Connery, who died in October 2020, was also memorable in his supporting role as Ramirez. Christopher Lambert is still best known for his lead role as Connor in this movie.

To get to know more about Highlander, watch the video posted below from Minty Comedic Arts. Be warned of potential spoilers…

For more entries of my Better than Streaming series of articles, check out my pieces on The Beastmaster 4K Blu-ray, The Transformers: The Movie 4K Blu-ray, Mortal Kombat 2021 4K Blu-ray, Space Jam 4K Blu-ray, V: The Original Miniseries Blu-ray (read my retro review) and V: The Final Battle Blu-ray.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Over 100,000 patients in Muntinlupa City fully vaccinated

July 29, 2021July 28, 2021carlocarrasco

In the City of Muntinlupa, the number of people who got fully vaccinated (injected with two doses of vaccine) has exceeded the 100,000 mark and it is further growing according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin.

To be exact, the number of fully vaccinated patients in the city is now at 114,182. Counting the fully vaccinated will be a bit tricky since Muntinlupa personnel have been vaccinating certain patients with the single-dose vaccine called Janssen produced by Johnson & Johnson. Getting vaccinated is more crucial than ever as the Delta variant is here in the Philippines and is infecting more people. Previously the City Government of Muntinlupa announced that the Delta variant has not been detected within the city. Considering how infectious the Delta variant really is, the City Government’s previous statement that minors are not to be vaccinated makes sense.

Metro Manila is currently under GCQ (general community quarantine) until July 31 at least and the curfew hours have been adjusted.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in bold…

The Muntinlupa City government’s vaccination program has administered 288,638 doses of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.

Data as of July 27 showed that of the total, 174,456 individuals have received their first dose, or 45.22 percent of the target population of 385,725.

For the second dose, 114,182 individuals are now fully vaccinated, or 29.6 percent of the target population. There are also 2,293 individuals who received the single shot Janssen vaccine and if these are included, there are now 116,475 individuals who are fully vaccinated in Muntinlupa.

Among the first dose recipients, 11,429 are A1 (health workers), 22,648 are A2 (senior citizens), 68,028 are A3 (persons with comorbidities), 59,462 are A4 (essential workers), and 12,889 are A5.

By vaccine brand, 105,886 received Sinovac Life Sciences’ CoronaVac, 35,723 got AstraZeneca, 3,879 were given Sputnik V, 24,575 got Pfizer-BioNTech, 2,100 had Moderna, and 2,293 got Janssen.

Of the 114,182 second dose recipients, 7,977 are A1, 16115 are A2, 48,642 are A3, 35,191 are A4, and 6,257 are A5.

By vaccine brand, 85,614 got Sinovac, 2,458 received AstraZeneca, 2,934 were given Sputnik V, and 23,176 had Pfizer-BioNTech.

The Muntinlupa City COVID-19 Vaccination Program (MunCoVac) team is currently completing the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech recipients whose schedules were postponed in the third week of July.

MunCoVac is also ramping up its efforts through home vaccination of bedridden individuals or those with limited mobility.

Apart from the Muntinlupa vaccination program, the OCTA Research Group urged the national government to go into a “circuit breaker” lockdown due to the spreading infection from the Delta variant according to a Manila Times news report.

With the Delta variant already infecting more people here in the Philippines, it is always best to be cautious when moving out in public while there is no lockdown in effect. Apart from wearing face masks and face shields, there is also the need to prioritize which places you need to visit and be mindful how crowded those places are. Those who have not been vaccinated should realize the tremendous risks that come with the Delta variant and they need to get registered and join the lines for vaccination. The COVID-19 vaccines are free by the way.

Residents of Muntinlupa City who remain unregistered and unvaccinated should make a move to get registered by learning the ways to do it. Those who are prepared (with personal information available) and willing to go through online registration for the free vaccines in Muntinlupa are encouraged to click https://vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you believe that the City Government of Muntinlupa and its strategic partners will be able to fully vaccinate the 385,000+ they targeted before the year ends? Are there people in your local community who deliberately refrained from getting registered or vaccinated? Have you encountered someone who remains unvaccinated because he/she is very afraid of vaccines or needles or the idea of getting injected?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Hidilyn Diaz wins the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the Philippines!

July 28, 2021July 28, 2021carlocarrasco

By the time you are reading this, you should be aware that what was once impossible for the Philippines became a tremendous breakthrough – national weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz (her official Twitter and Instagram) defeated her Chinese competitor in the Tokyo Olympics women’s 55 Kg. weightlifting competition and won for the Philippines its first-ever Olympic gold medal the other night. The mainstream media of the Philippines went full blast with their coverage of the pioneering achievement.

That being said, we Filipinos should praise and thank our Heavenly Father for anointing Diaz to win the often-elusive Olympic gold medal for the Filipino people. Her victory is a clear reminder that with God, nothing is impossible. The Olympic gold victory is pioneering for Diaz and also marks the beginning of a new age in the history of the Philippines even as it remains struggling with the COVID-19 crisis. Before checking on the official news story, watch first these three relevant videos.

And now we can proceed with the official story of the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the excerpt of which is posted below. Some parts in boldface…

After 97 years, the elusive Olympic gold has finally been taken by the Philippines.

Hidilyn Diaz became the first Filipino athlete to win it all in an Olympic event after winning the women’s 55-kg. weightlifting competition at the Tokyo International Forum in Japan on Monday night.

Diaz, the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist, prevailed in a neck and neck showdown with China’s Liao Qiuyun in the clean-and-jerk lift as their battle for the gold went down the wire.

Finishing tied with Diaz in the snatch with a 97-kg. maximum lift, Liao lifted 126 kg. in her final lift, forcing Diaz to go for 127 to steal the top spot from Liao.

Diaz, however, smoothly cleared the 127-kg. lift to win it all, also setting an Olympic record in the process.

Her 224-kg. total is also an Olympic record.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s a dream come true. I just want to say that we Filipinos are strong. We Filipinos can compete here at the Olympics. We can do it,” a high-spirited Diaz was quoted as saying by Xinhuanet.

The 30-year-old Diaz gave advice to younger Filipino athletes to “please dream high.”

“That’s how I started. I dreamed high and finally, I was able to do it,” she added.

Liao admitted that she was surprised by Diaz’s improvement.

“I feel good today. I can lift 123kg at most due to injuries, and never thought of a successful 126kg lift. I didn’t expect her strength like this,” Liao said.

China’s coach Zhang Guozheng echoed Liao’s thoughts.

“I didn’t expect such a situation,” he said. “Liao has gone all out, so it’s not a huge pity for her to lose the gold medal. It’s just because we did not expect our opponent (Diaz) to be so strong.”

Diaz has also assured herself of a total of PHP33 million from various people who pledged monetary rewards to the gold medal winners.

Zulfiya Chinshanlo of Kazakhstan claimed the bronze with a total of 213 kg. lifted.

Muattar Nabieva of Uzbekistan, despite setting the Olympic record for the snatch with a 98-kg. lift, missed out on the podium as she could only clear 114 in the C&J for a total of 212.

Malacañang joined the entire nation in celebrating the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal since it joined the most prestigious quadrennial event in 1924.

As you can see in the above PNA story, the first-ever Olympic gold medal won for the Philippines is tremendous and the good news is that, as of this writing, there are still opportunities for other Filipino athletes competing at the Tokyo Olympics to win more medals (even gold) and help lift the nation in the medal rankings. Going back to Hidilyn Diaz (who was born in Zamboanga City in 1991), her pioneering achievement will earn her tremendous (and deserving) financial rewards from both the government and private sector. Check out the respective reports of the Manila Bulletin, GMA News and Nikkei Asia. To nobody’s surprise, a big welcome-back-home for her is being prepared.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of people around the Philippines, notably public officials who enjoy the automatic mainstream media magnification, expressed their admiration for Diaz and congratulated her. Among the many acknowledgements and congratulatory messages for Diaz expressed by lots of people and organizations (both domestic and foreign), Planetshakers Church in Australia and the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines posted their congratulatory messages for her via their official their respective Facebook pages yesterday. Look at the screenshots below.

*Post of the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines via Facebook.*

Hours after her victory, Diaz posted a picture of herself and the Olympic gold medal on her Instagram as a picture story post. She thanked the people for their prayers.

National fame and Olympic achievement aside, Hidilyn Diaz’s gold medal achievement shows that nothing is impossible with God. Learn from the holy scriptures below…

Jesus looked at them and replied, “With people it is impossible, but not with God—God makes all things possible!”

Mark 10:27 (TPT)

Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!

Luke 1:37 (TPT)

I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through Jesus Christ!

Philippians 4:19 (TPT)

I know what it means to lack, and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.

Philippians 4:12-13 (TPT)

To our Lord is all the glory and let us praise and thank Him so much for anointing Hidilyn Diaz who not only won the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal but also all the many medals and honors she achieved in other international events as the representative of the Philippines. She truly deserves the financial rewards and the inevitable long-lasting fame that comes with being the nation’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist. Still you must always remember that worship is only for the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Never let idolatry dominate you for it is not only unholy, not only foolish but also will separate you from the Lord.

Let me ask you readers: How much of an impact did Hidilyn Diaz’s Olympic gold medal victory have on you as a citizen of the Philippines? Did you ever doubt she would win the gold medal in the Olympics? Does her gold medal victory inspire you to improve yourself?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

In closing this article, posted below is a performance of the great Hillsong worship song King of Kings by Melody Hwang.

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I Love Israel: Israel’s medical experts on a mission here in the Philippines

July 28, 2021July 27, 2021carlocarrasco

I am very delighted to learn that the State of Israel continues to provide much-needed assistance to the Filipinos with regards to the COVID-19 crisis. To be specific, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported that another group of medical experts from Israel arrived here in the Philippines recently to take a look at the local response to the pandemic and to enlighten local officials and frontliners. To be clear, this is a follow-up to the previous Israeli health experts who arrived this past June for very similar matters.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA report. Some parts in boldface…

Another group of Israeli medical experts arrived in Manila on Monday to observe the country’s pandemic response and share their best practices in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients.

They were the second group of Israeli experts to arrive in the country following the initial team who visited Manila last June to offer advice on ways to implement a successful vaccine rollout.

The four-member team is composed of infectious diseases and Covid-19 specialist Dr. Guy Choshen; Shira Peleg, head nurse and nursing manager at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center’s Emergency Department; Eyad Jeries, trauma coordinator at Galilee Medical Center; and Chaim Markos Rafalowski, disaster management coordinator at Magen David Adom.

The Department of Health (DOH) said the four will visit hospitals and hold a dialogue with the country’s pandemic response cluster from July 27 to 31 to share their local clinical guidelines for Covid-19, infection control protocols, hospital management, and other practices.

“They are all part of the treatment of Covid-19 in Israel so I’d like to welcome them all and we do hope that they can share with us their best practices in Tel Aviv so we can actually beat this Covid-19 pandemic as fast as we can,” Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said in a speech at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Director Maria Soledad Antonio of DOH-Bureau of International Health Cooperation said the country particularly looks forward to knowing how Israel was able to achieve a low coronavirus mortality rate.

“Baka mamaya may makuha pa tayo sa kanila na mas mai-improve ‘yong kaso lalo na ngayon. At present naman pinapalakas natin ang health system natin (We might get more information from them on ways to improve our situation now in terms of treating patients. But at present, we continue to boost our health system),” she told reporters.

“Sila ay mga batikan sa pag-handle ng pandemya, sila ang nauuna, one of the countries na nauuna (It’s a fact that they are one of the best in handling the crisis, they are one of the leading countries on this),” she added.

Chosen, meanwhile, was elated to visit Manila, seeing this exchange as a great example of strong cooperation between the two nations.

“I think it’s not a common practice in the last year of pandemia to see a coalition of friends, of colleagues, holding hands together, sharing information and trying to solve problems together in contrary to what you usually see, you see nations fight each other. And this is a great example of cooperation between Israel and the Philippines. Hopefully, there would be more in the future,” he said in his arrival speech.

From this point on, the local officials, frontliners and others should pay close attention to what Israel’s medical experts say, point out and emphasize. Organizing vaccination (and the storage for the vaccines), isolating infected patients and assigning the frontliners on each and every location is indeed very challenging due to the archipelago of the Philippines. If there are any major breakthroughs that will happen during the current mission of the Israeli medical experts, I’ll share them here.

For the newcomers reading this, here are some videos to help you know Israel better…

The latest exchange between Israel and the Philippines is a reflection of the stronger ties between the two nations. We should all be thankful to our Lord for making this happen.

Before I end this, here are two holy scriptures for you all…

Jesus looked at them and replied, “With people it is impossible, but not with God—God makes all things possible!”

Mark 10:27 (TPT)

Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Genesis 18:14 (NKJV)

If you truly believe in Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Heavenly Father wholeheartedly and you continue to be faithful (not religious), you should be aware that Christians are meant to stand united with Israel, love the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. You can do your part supporting Israel by donating to Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Do not forget to read the Holy Bible, then pray in tongues to the Lord in the privacy of your room with the door shut.

Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel!

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A Look Back at Uncanny X-Men #304 (1993)

July 27, 2021October 25, 2023carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, X-Men fans, superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the 30^th anniversary celebration of the X-Men which took place in 1993. Back then, Marvel Comics went full blast with the anniversary celebration of their mutants by releasing related merchandise, posters and comic books with gimmick covers (note: read my retro review of 1993’s X-Men #25) that came with high prices.

To put things in perspective regarding 1993, Marvel’s X-Men line of comics had monthly series of Uncanny X-Men, X-Men (Volume 2), X-Force, X-Factor, Excalibur, Wolverine and Cable. X-Factor #92 marked the start of the Fatal Attractions storyline which was the basis for the X-Men 30^th anniversary celebration. X-Force #25 was released and it not only brought Cable back but also Magneto.

Then came the 3^rd chapter of the Fatal Attractions storyline which was published in Uncanny X-Men #304. Not only did that particular comic book bring together many mutants and moved the storyline forward to a crucial stage (note: tension leading to it was built up in Uncanny X-Men #300, Uncanny X-Men #303 and also in X-Men Unlimited #1), it also served as the very celebration of the 30^th anniversary of the X-Men (although it was not the storyline’s conclusion as the plot continued in X-Men #25, Wolverine #75 and Excalibur #71).

So did this particular, anniversary celebrating issue of the Uncanny X-Men succeed with its objectives? Has it aged well through the decades? We can all find out in this look back at Uncanny X-Men #304, published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Scott Lobdell and drawn by John Romita, Jr., Jae Lee, Chris Sprouse, Brandon Peterson and Paul Smith.

Early story

The story begins with division among the Acolytes who learned that their lord Magneto actually survived (note: refer to 1991’s X-Men #3 by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee). They ganged up against their leader Fabian Cortez for betraying Magneto. After pushing his now rebellious team members away, Cortez reminds them that for several months already, they have been continuing Magneto’s work on behalf of mutantkind. Suddenly Exodus appears to them and describes himself as the voice of Magneto and will guide mutants to rise and mentions paradise for the faithful mutants. After subduing Cortez and tempering the tension among the Acolytes, Exodus tells them to prepare themselves for ascension. This frustrates Cortez who realizes that he no longer holds leadership.

Over at the X-Men’s headquarters, Charlez Xavier is personally disturbed over the death of Illyana Rasputin, the sister of Colossus. He starts questioning himself as Illyana’s death under his watch makes his years-long mission (of convincing his fellow mutants to leave their old lives to take risks to fight for a world that fears and hates them) doubtful and tries to figure out how he could present himself in front of them. A holographic image of Lilandra appears to him.

In outer space, inside the space station called Avalon, Magneto stares at planet Earth. With nobody around him, he speaks apologizing to his followers for he cannot save them all. He also mentions that he was wrong in previously believing that he could rescue each and every one of them from humanity as he recently realized that Earth, for the moment, is doomed.

After walking an unspecified distance inside Avalon, Magneto picks up his old helmet and wears it…

Quality

*This 2-page art by Brandon Peterson is easily the best looking part of the comic book.*

I will start with the visual aspect of this comic book. The artistic quality ranges from fine to weird which should not be surprising since this one involved five artists. The 4 pages drawn by Brandon Peterson (who was once a regular artist on Uncanny X-Men) made the X-Men, Magneto and the Acolytes look not only good but also intense. The Peterson art here is artistically similar to the respective styles of Marc Silvestri and Jim Lee of that particular time. Jae Lee’s art on the flashback of Magneto’s life (during the time of the Nazi occupation in Europe) is undoubtedly very stylized. While his art brings out the intensity of Magneto’s painful past, certain images can be a little challenging to understand especially to readers who focus strongly only following the plot and details. John Romita, Jr.’s art, for me personally, often looks rough and there were times I hardly recognized the characters. The other artworks by Paul Smith and Chris Sprouse have cartoonish aesthetics.

*This is Jae Lee’s artistic contribution to the comic book. I found it weird that Magneto’s hair was shown as white during his past with the Nazis.*

As for the plot, I can clearly see that a hard effort was made to compose a story that would push the Fatal Attractions storyline forward, establish a turning point and still become worthy of celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the X-Men franchise. I can say that the storytelling is somewhat bloated. Early in the story, it was made clear that the respective sections showing Exodus with the Acolytes, Charles Xavier and Magneto pointed to an eventual confrontation that happened during the funeral of Illyana Rasputin.

As the build-up continued with the flashback of Magneto’s life, the fan service short scene of Kitty Pryde and the unfeeling Colossus (note: their romance was highlighted in Uncanny X-Men many years prior), and the talk scene between Bishop and Banshee, the pace of the story slowed down dramatically. By the time the attempt to move the narrative back to the core plot was made with the funeral scene (composed of the X-Men, X-Force and X-Factor), the pace was still really way down. By the time the conflict with Magneto, Exodus and the Acolytes stated, the pace recovery was incomplete and as such, seeing the scene unfold was very jarring (and not even the pages of Colossus’ frustration towards Professor X could solve the narrative pacing problem).

Unsurprisingly, the conflict was written to be overly dramatic complete with lengthy pieces of dialogue here and there. That being said, references to past comic books were established as Magneto once again emphasizes his beliefs about the human-mutant conflict using violence (while also side-stepping Jean Grey’s psionic powers to allow the Acolytes to come in undetected).

Human-mutant conflict aside, themes about faith, religion, idolatry salvation are clearly used. Magneto, who has a tremendous record of villainy and his previous leadership of the X-Men proved useless, was portrayed to be a walking wicked idol whose followers cannot do anything except idolize him and cause violence out of dedication to him. They really could not realize that idolatry is foolish and unholy which further adds to chaos on the world. As Magneto deceived himself to be the savior and lord of mutants, he further causes more pain and destruction to others around him. In short, Magneto will always be stuck with his wicked nature and clearly does not deserve heavenly authority no matter how hard he believes himself to be a savior.

The classic rivalry between Xavier and Magneto here was portrayed dramatically and yet I cannot help but think that their conflict was nothing more than a repeat of past encounters with the state and future of mutants at stake. To be fair, what happened here served as a logical build-up for the shocking encounter between Professor X and Magneto in X-Men #25.

Conclusion

*Nobody among the X-Men (except Charles Xavier), X-Force, Excalibur and X-Factor cared to dress properly for the funeral.*

To be clear, even though I am an avid X-Men fan, I find Uncanny X-Men #304 (1993) hard to be engaged with and hard to enjoy. Efforts to make it a worthy celebration of the X-Men are very clear but it’s just not entertaining nor compelling to read. As for the X-Men traitor scene, the revelation was not that shocking as the foreshadowing made it too obvious. At best, this comic book served as a warm-up for X-Men #25 which itself paid-off nicely. Being more than sixty pages long (including the advertisement and bulletins), this comic book has too much creative baggage which ultimately hampered its storytelling. It’s not terrible. It’s really not that great to read. What I experienced way back in 1993 with this comic book is just the same as I re-read it. It has not aged well.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Uncanny X-Men #304 (1993), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $20, while the near-mint copies of the signed-and-numbered edition and the newsstand edition cost $120 and $60 respectively.

Overall, Uncanny X-Men #304 (1993) is satisfactory.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Pfizer vaccination resumption and Delta variant update in Muntinlupa City

July 27, 2021July 26, 2021carlocarrasco

Recently the Manila Bulletin posted two related stories about the COVID-19 Crisis situation in the City of Muntinlupa. For one, the vaccination process of using Pfizer resumed in the city (note: it should have resumed officially yesterday) while City Health Office stated that the feared Delta variant has not been detected so far within the city.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Pfizer Muntinlupa story. Some parts in bold…

The Muntinlupa City government will resume the vaccination of people whose second dose jabs using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine scheduled at Festival Mall in Alabang were suspended due to storage temperature glitch.

In an announcement, the Muntinlupa City COVID-19 Vaccination Program (MunCoVac) team announced Sunday that the affected recipients will receive their second dose Pfizer-BioNTech jabs from July 26 to 28 at the Ayala Malls South Park vaccination site.

“The sending of text messages containing the new time and date of your vaccination is ongoing,” said MunCoVac.

Last July 15, MunCoVac suspended the second dose vaccination of people using Pfizer-BioNTech after it was found out that there was a change in temperature during its storage that may have affected its quality.

According to the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) issued by the country’s Food and Drug Administration, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines should be stored at temperatures ranging from minus 80 to minus 60 degree Celsius before dilution. One vial of the vaccine contains six doses of 0.3 mL each.

As of July 23, the Muntinlupa City government has administered 273,783 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Of the total, 170,754 individuals have received their first dose, or 44.3 percent of the target population of 385,725.

In addition, 103,029 individuals in Muntinlupa are now fully vaccinated, or 26.7 percent of the target population.

As for the Delta variant update of Muntinlupa, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin’s report. Some parts in boldface…

There is no case of the highly contagious Delta variant in Muntinlupa, according to the City Health Office (CHO).

On Sunday, the Department of Health (DOH), University of the Philippines’ Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and University of the Philippines National Institutes of Health reported 55 new cases of the Delta variant in the country bringing the total to 119.

The Delta variant is a strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

According to Dr. Juancho Bunyi, Muntinlupa City health officer, based on DOH and UP-PGC’s report as of July 25, “no reported Delta variant in Muntinlupa City.”

There are seven cases of Alpha variant, first identified in the United Kingdom, and 26 cases of Beta variant, first identified in South Africa, in Muntinlupa but all the patients have recovered. There are two new reported cases of the Beta variant in the city but they have completed the 14-day isolation and are tagged as recovered.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi said while there is no case of the Delta variant in Muntinlupa, the city government continues to strengthen its COVID-19 response.

He is encouraging people to get vaccinated and complete their doses to get protection against COVID-19.

Compared to other variants, he said, the Delta variant is more contagious but with the vaccine, people can get complete protection against getting a severe case of COVID-19.

It is always best to be cautious when moving out in public. Apart from wearing face masks and face shields, there is also the need to prioritize which places you need to visit and be mindful how crowded those places are.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you believe that the City Government and its strategic partners will be able to vaccinate the 385,000+ they targeted? Are there lots of unregistered and unvaccinated people in your local community right now? Are people in your local community aware of the Delta variant?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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PRC to open a new Service Center in Muntinlupa City

July 26, 2021July 24, 2021carlocarrasco

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is set to open a new service center in Ayala Malls South Park, Alabang, Muntinlupa catering to professionals in Metro South.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi signed a Memorandum of Agreement with PRC-NCR regional director Dir. Lord Louis Valera, Ayala Land Holdings Logistics Corp. (AHLC) President Rowena M. Tomeldan, and AHLC Commercial Leading Head Jessica O. Santos for the turn-over of the service center last July 22.

PRC services will soon be more accessible for professionals living in Metro South as a new Service Center is set to open in Muntinlupa City. Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (left) met PRC-NCR regional director Dir. Lord Louis Valera (right) during the turn-over ceremony of the new PRC Service Center at Ayala Malls South Park, Alabang last July 22. PRC Service Center in Muntinlupa is set to be fully operational in the coming weeks. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)

PRC-NCR director Valera thanked Mayor Fresnedi and the City Government for assisting the commission in bringing its services closer to professionals living in Metro South and nearby areas.

PRC eyes to provide the same services offered by the Head Office in the new service center in Muntinlupa such as Application for Examination, Initial Registration, Renewal of Professional Identification Card, and Certifications of Board Rating and Passing, among others.

PRC Service Center in Muntinlupa is set to be fully operational in the coming weeks.

Other officials who attended the turn-over ceremony include PRC Finance and Administrative Service chief Ronald Watsons, PRC Licensure and Registration Division chief Alfonso Viloria, and PRC ICT Section head Ronald Allan Denoso, Ayala Malls Southpark general manager Jan Estrella, and Mayor’s Office Chief-of-Staff Atty. Rosalina T. Tesorio.

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The above information was sourced from the official press release of the Muntinlupa PIO. Some parts were changed for this website.

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