From a former sleepy town in the south, Muntinlupa City, now a bustling metropolis and leading business-hub in Metro Manila celebrated its 26th anniversary yesterday.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi together with other local executives led the cityhood anniversary, a special (non-working) holiday by virtue of RA No. 9191. A simple program was organized at the Muntinlupa City Hall Quadrangle starting with a thanksgiving mass and followed by the inauguration of the Cupang Health Center and simultaneous distribution of food packs in different local communities.
The anniversary celebration held at the quadrangle of Muntinlupa City Hall. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi delivered his remarks. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)
In his message, Fresnedi reported the city’s COVID-19 Vaccine Plan and his willingness to be inoculated to encourage the public to avail the government’s vaccination service.
“I am ready to be vaccinated, along with our City Councilors and Congressman Ruffy Biazon, upon the arrival of supply in in Muntinlupa to build the confidence of our constituents in the vaccines approved by our Food and Drug Administration,” Fresnedi said.
Muntinlupa City has secured 400,000 doses from British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca through a tripartite agreement with the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF). The city’s COVID-19 vaccination plan and other best practices on public health earn praise from officials of the Department of Health’s Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) Team.
The City Health Office has identified 6,758 medical frontliners from barangay health centers, emergency responders, public and private hospitals/clinics to be prioritized in the roll-out of vaccines. Under the local COVID-19 vaccination plan, there will be 82 vaccination teams to be deployed in 35 vaccination posts and 8,200 target individuals to be vaccinated per day.
The Cupang Health Center is one of the recent projects fulfilled. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)
On February 26, the City Government of Muntinlupa launched “Merkado sa Muntinlupa,” an open-air market and bazaar located in Sports Complex open grounds along Laguna Lake as part of the cityhood anniversary. Merkado sa Muntinlupa is an outdoor market showcasing homegrown products and is open on weekends, every Friday 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm and every Saturday-Sunday, 8:00 am – 9:00 pm.
Further, a new park in Alabang Viaduct including the newly constructed Muntinlupa National High School Tunasan Annex Covered Court and Extension of Muntinlupa Student Center for Life Skills in Brgy. Tunasan were inaugurated last week in celebration of Muntinlupa’s anniversary.
On March 1, 1995, Muntinlupa was converted from a municipality to a highly urbanized city and became the 65th city of the Philippines by virtue of Republic Act 7926. Today, it has transformed as one of the leading investment hubs in the country with nine equally progressive barangays and a population of 504,509 (2015 Census).
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The above information was provided by the City Government of Muntinlupa for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website.
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
This past weekend, the New South Homeowners Association (NSHA) inside BF Homes subdivision, Parañaque City, organized their annual election which resulted seven winners who will serve for two years as members of the association’s board of directors (BOD).
Those who got elected in the February 27, 2021 village polls were Karen Abanilla with 45 votes, Michael Paul Togle and Bon Obial with 42 votes each, Emmanuel Malicden with 40 votes, Danilo Lesaca with 39 votes, Fred Morales with 38 votes and Christopher Baliog with 36 votes.
Three of the seven newly elected village directors posed with the official results after the counting ended.
The NSHA election committee in a group shot with the results.
The newly elected people will join the other six incumbent directors (who are due for next year) in completing the 13-member NSHA BOD and soon, they will convene and elect among themselves and come up with the new lineup of NSHA officers.
What makes the NSHA election significant this year was that it was organized with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the association took measures that would lower the risk of new infections while still allowing legitimate members to vote efficiently and safely.
The NSHA election committee (ELECOM) headed by Gerard Castro used their indoor facility (part of the clubhouse which has the office) as the key venue. ELECOM officers were inside and worked behind specific windows which the legitimate HOA members (who are outside) visited one-by-one to vote manually. Social distancing was practiced and everyone wore a face mask. At the nearby basketball court (a Golezeum), there were some plastic chairs arranged with social distancing in mind for the comfort of the voting members.
A view from outside the venue.
Windows 1 and 2 were where the legitimate members registered.
The ELECOM from inside the venue handling registration.
The election process was pretty simple: Step 1 – From waiting area go to Window 1 or 2 to register and get ballot. Step 2 – Go to designated voting area to vote your selected candidates for directors. Step 3 – Go to Window 3 to put your thumb mark on ballot and put ballot (divided in half) in ballot box.
After voting, the legitimate members were directed to go to the designated waiting area for snacks and refreshments.
A view of Window 3 from the outside.
The counting of the votes was done with transparency.
In the afternoon, the counting of votes took place inside the venue. Each vote was counted carefully and the names of the candidates who received the votes were clearly spoken. The results were certified by the ELECOM and the seven winners were proclaimed. It was indeed a transparent process.
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. If you want to have your local community featured on this website or if you have a press release that needs to be published to inform the readers, please approach me. 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
The former shunned area under Alabang Viaduct is no longer an eyesore to motorists traversing the South Luzon Expressway and local residents following its conversion as a blooming open space featuring native flora and fauna design.
Yesterday Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi led the inauguration ceremony of Phase 1 of the Development of Alabang Viaduct, an initiative of the National Government through its “Green, Green, Green” program.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (middle) and other important figures of Muntinlupa City walked together in the newly converted area of the Alabang Viaduct. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)
Fresnedi thanked the Department of Budget Management for selecting Muntinlupa as one of the recipients of the “green fund” amounting to P17.29 million. The mayor said the beautification of the area is a welcome development to the city’s green space and park improvement efforts.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) launched the “Green, Green, Green” program which aims to make the country’s 145 cities more livable and sustainable through the development of public open spaces.
The newly constructed open space in Alabang Viaduct showcases an iconic sculpture resembling a water lily which is commonly seen near the shore of Laguna de Bay and local tributaries that empty to the lake.
A clear walkway and other interesting structures at the Alabang Viaduct. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)
Muntinlupa City Architect Don Causapin, designer of the architectural and interior design of the urban space, said the park’s centerpiece symbolizes Muntinlupa residents’ strength, resourcefulness, and perseverance as water lilies are characterized as resilient plants and able to thrive and bloom no matter the extreme conditions.
Causapin hopes that the open space will uplift the spirit of the residents who will visit the area as they find beauty in the elements found within their hometown. The opening of the open space in Alabang Viaduct is part of city’s celebration of its 26th Cityhood Anniversary on March 1.
Muntinlupa City is among local government units in the country championing sustainability and building of open spaces as part of climate change mitigation.
In 2020, Muntinlupa represented the country as of the finalists in the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) One Planet City Challenge (OPCC). The WWF-OPCC is a global competition that recognizes cities with effective climate change action plans. One to three cities per participating country are chosen as finalists.
WWF lauded the city’s action plan to combat the urban heat island effect. The organization highlights the city’s holistic approach towards sustainability including gardening initiatives, first aid trainings to equip city employees in assisting the public during particularly hot periods, climate responsive agriculture training for urban farmers, aquaponics, vertical farming, mulching and mushroom culture.
Muntinlupa also served as one of the country’s representatives in the WWF’s We Love Cities campaign, a social campaign which aims to bridge better communication between city officials and citizens they represent on climate and sustainability issues.
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The above information was provided by the City Government of Muntinlupa for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website.
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
The City Government of Muntinlupa announced yesterday that March 1, 2021 (Monday) is a special non-working holiday in the city in accordance to Republic Act Number 9191 (RA 9191).
Formally approved on February 2003 by then Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, RA 9191 is titled “An Act Declaring the First Day of March of Every Year as a Special Nonworking Holiday in the City of Muntinlupa to be Known as The Muntinlupa City Charter Day.”
Apart from the said Republic Act, March 1 itself is a very notable date in the history of Muntinlupa. It was on March 1, 1995 when Muntinlupa formally became a highly urbanized city of the Philippines as a result of the approval of Republic Act Number 7926 (title: An Act Converting the Municipality of Muntinlupa into a Highly Urbanized City to be Known as the City of Muntinlupa). RA 7926 was signed into law by then President Fidel V. Ramos.
In addition, below are some selected sections of RA 7926 for everyone’s reference.
Section 3 (The City of Muntinlupa) states: The Municipality of Muntinlupa shall be converted into a highly urbanized city to be known as the City of Muntinlupa, hereinafter referred to as the City, which shall comprise the present territory of the Municipality of Muntinlupa in Metropolitan Manila Area, over which it has jurisdiction, bounded by the municipalities of Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas, all of Metro Manila and the Municipality of San Pedro, Laguna.
Section 8 (The Officials of the City of Muntinlupa) states: (a) There shall be in the City of Muntinlupa a city mayor, a vice-mayor, sangguniang panlungsod members, a secretary to the sangguniang panlungsod, a city treasurer and an assistant city treasurer, a city assessor and an assistant city assessor, a city accountant, a city budget officer, a city planning and development coordinator, a city engineer and building official, a city health officer, a city civil registrar, a city administrator, a city legal officer, a city veterinarian, a city social welfare and development officer, a city general services officer, a city information officer, and a city prosecutor.
(b) In addition thereto, the city mayor may point a city architect, a city population officer, a city environment and natural resources officer, a city cooperatives officer, a city international relations officer, a city fire marshall, a city international relations officer, a city fire marshall, a city jail warden, a city register of deeds, and a city land transportation officer.
(c) The City of Muntinlupa may:
(1) Maintain existing offices not mentioned in subsections (a) and (b) hereof;
(2) Create such other offices as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the City; or
(3) Consolidate the functions of any office with those of another in the interest of efficiency and economy.
(d) Unless otherwise provided herein, all appointive city officials of the City shall be appointed by the city mayor with the concurrence of the majority of all the sangguniang panlungsod members, subject to the civil service law, rules and regulations. The sangguniang panlungsod shall act on the appointment within fifteen (15) days from the date of its admission, otherwise the same shall be deemed confirmed.
Section 62 (Legislative Districts) states: The creation for separate districts for Muntinlupa and Las Piñas and the first election for the two (2) legislative districts shall be made effective in 1998.
With the creation of the City of Muntinlupa, the congressional district for purposes of the 1995 elections shall remain the same.
Enjoy the holiday in Muntinlupa next week.
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It has been quite some time since I last visited my favorite place for noodles here in Alabang. This is because mainly of the pandemic that started in March 2020 followed by a series of lockdown periods and varied forms of community quarantine. Along the way, I kept focusing on my corporate work and as a result of the social effects the pandemic had on local society, eating outside or having drinks at a coffee shop became much less frequent for me.
Very recently, I revisited Commercenter and, finally, I returned at last to Sigekiya Ramen which is a great place for Japanese meals, especially noodles (note: Sigekiya makes their own fresh noodles which always have nice texture and are always filling). For the newcomers reading this, I previously wrote my opinions about Sigekiya’s other meals like the Gojira Ramen, the Chicken Teriyakidon, the Yokohama Tantanmen, and my personal favorite the Tsukemen.
Other than missing their great tasting food, I returned to the restaurant mainly to try out their latest offering – the Haruichiban Ramen.
The Haruichiban Ramen with a nice presentation!
Shortly after taking my seat inside, I ordered one Haruichiban Ramen which was priced at P300 (introductory price) and it was served to me in less than ten minutes time. It came in a regular-sized bowl which was still large in terms of containing all the content. Right from the start, the Haruichiban Ramen was hot and it had a very nice smell.
As this was my first time to have Haruichiban Ramen, I slowly examined it and noticed it had a brown looking soup with Sigekiya-made noodles under it, an entire boiled egg slashed into two, vegetables and a nice serving of pork. Everything was well prepared!
A closer look…
Then I started consuming the soup. It was delicious! To be specific, it had a strong flavor and I felt the taste of garlic. This is no ordinary soup. It’s really something made with careful mixing of ingredients with the goal of giving customers a delicious and unique experience. According to the Sigekiya waitress I talked with, the soup for Haruichiban Ramen has the taste on tonkotsu combined with miso and shoyu. Minced garlic was a key ingredient.
From that point on, I went on to consume the rest.
The noodles made by Sigekiya are always nice and filling to eat with the rest of the meal!
Ultimately, I really enjoyed Haruichiban Ramen. In fact, I love it and I would not hesitate to come back for it again in one of my future visits at Sigekiya. Haruichiban Ramen is very delicious and since it has Sigekiya’s own ramen combined with a nice serving of vegetables and the pork serving, it was easily filling. For the P300 I paid, I got great taste and satisfaction in return.
That being said, Sigekiya’s Haruichiban Ramen is highly recommended!
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President Rodrigo Duterte will have a big decision to make that will affect millions of residents and businesses in Metro Manila as a majority of the mayors voted to shift the metropolis from general community quarantine (GCQ) to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status by March 1, 2021, as based on a news release on Philippine News Agency (PNA) that got published just last night.
Here’s an excerpt from the PNA report:
The Metro Manila Council (MMC), composed of Metro Manila mayors and national government officials, has voted to support the proposed shift to the less restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) in Metro Manila.
“Ang karamihan po ng alkalde ng kalakhang maynila ay bumoto na MGCQ na po ang magiging posisyon nila pagdating sa Metro Manila (Most of the mayors in Metro Manila voted for having MGCQ as their position in Metro Manila),” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said in a press conference on Thursday.
This, he said, will be sent to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and to President Rodrigo R. Duterte who will make the final decision on whether to implement eased quarantine restrictions by March 1.
He declined to provide the actual number of votes the proposal received but said that all Metro Manila mayors will support the decision.
Indeed, Abalos did not reveal the number of Yes and No votes but the Manila Bulletin reported that the score among Metro Manila mayors was 9-8 in favor of MGCQ.
To put things in perspective, Metro Manila still has yet to adjust to MGCQ status. Metro Manila is the hot spot of multiple cities where a lot of residents as well as business entities of varied sizes are located at. Right now, the nation needs a major boost to its economy even as there is still the need to be vigilant to avoid new COVID-19 infections. Lots of people in the metropolis remain unemployed and badly need income, and having Metro Manila shift to MGCQ status will help revive other businesses and pave the way for more people to get back to work.
It would be nice to see the Metro Manila Council research more and observe closely how other cities and provinces are doing while maintaining MGCQ statuses for months already.
“It is about time we move to MGCQ after a year of lockdown,” Lopez told reporters in a Viber message Tuesday. “Lockdown was supposed to buy us time to prepare our health system and improve contact tracing and ‘Trace-Test-Treat’.”
Since June 2020, the National Capital Region (NCR) has not graduated from GCQ status, a stricter community quarantine measure than MGCQ.
It even went back to much stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from Aug. 4 to 18 last year as health care facilities in Metro Manila were overwhelmed due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases during that period.
“As the Philippines recovers, Metro Manila has a very weak recovery, worse in employment and hunger recovery, and that means more urban poor. The damages to malnutrition and other health and social issues will be irreversible,” Lopez said.
NCR accounted for around 40 percent of the Philippine gross domestic product (GDP).
But Lopez added the reopening of more economic activities should depend on the Covid-19 statistics.
As pointed out by Trade secretary Lopez, Metro Manila is lagging behind in terms of recovery from the pandemic. Apart from joblessness and lack of income, poverty in the National Capital Region is an important problem to solve. The more people fall under poverty, the more local government units (LGUs) need to exert and spend their limited resources to support them.
Right now, the Metro Manila Council’s approval of shifting to MGCQ status will soon be dealt with by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and President Duterte.
In ending this, here are some videos about combatting the China virus.
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Yesterday, Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi condemned the killing of a local traffic enforcer and offered P100,000 reward money to anyone who could provide relevant information for the immediate arrest of the suspect.
The victim was Muntinlupa Traffic Management Bureau (MTMB) traffic enforcer Daniel Manalo, age 36, who was shot dead on February 16 at 7:30 PM by an unidentified male suspect along National Road in Brgy. Tunasan.
According to Muntinlupa City Police Station, Manalo was talking on his mobile phone when the suspect came from behind and shot him in the head that caused his immediate death. One empty shell of caliber .45 pistol was recovered in the crime scene.
A fellow traffic enforcer who witnessed the shooting incident told Muntinlupa Police that the suspect immediately fled on foot.
MTMB chief Danidon Nolasco said Manalo was part of the road clearing team that has been conducting operations in compliance with a memorandum from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordering local governments to clear roads of illegal obstructions.
Fresnedi expressed dismay over the incident and said that it was an insult to public office workers who were only carrying out their duties. The mayor vowed to provide financial assistance to Manalo’s family.
Muntinlupa Congressman adds reward money
For his part, Congressman Ruffy Biazon described the killing of Manalo as “coldblooded, traitorous” and offered an additional P100,000 reward money for information about the suspect. As such, the grand total reward money offered is now at P200,000.
“Beyond this, we must look at how to improve the safety and security of Muntinlupa City’s streets, enhance the capability for monitoring, surveillance and investigation of criminal activities by law enforcement (national and local) and encourage citizen participation in information gathering and vigilance. To defeat crime, we must take united action,” Biazon stated.
Victim was a kind person
Muntinlupa Public Information Office chief Tez Navarro said that Manalo graduated with a degree in criminology at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa and was a former rover scout. Navarro noted that Manalo’s colleagues described him as a kind person. Investigations on the killing of the local traffic enforcer supervisor are still ongoing.
To report any information about the identity and whereabouts of the suspect, the public may coordinate with Muntinlupa City Police Station at 0998 967 4531.
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The above information was provided by the City Government of Muntinlupa for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website.
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
In a recent notice to its constituents, the City Government of Las Piñas announced that it is collecting data for those who will be granted a free COVID-19 vaccine covering all barangays in the city.
Specifically, each family will be given profiling forms to be filled out. The steps to be followed for manual registration are as follows (UPDATED January 2022):
1. Make sure that all the requested details in the form are answered.
2. Submit the understood forms to your barangay / Homeowner’s Association (HOA).
3. Include one (1) 2 x2 size ID photo and photocopy of any government issued ID with address.
4. Wait for a text message from Ezconsult. Your PATIENT ID NUMBER and other relevant information will be revealed.
5. Bring a government-issued ID with you on the day of your vaccination.
Registration can also be done online with the following steps:
2. Answer the questions and make sure your details are correct.
3. Your information will be verified. Wait for a text message.
4. Wait for a text message from Ezconsult. Your PATIENT ID NUMBER and other relevant information will be revealed.
5. Bring a government-issued ID with you on the day of your vaccination.
Offered recently is what the City Government referred to as on-site assisted registration. The City Government described on-site assisted registration as follows (translated from Tagalog): There are designated officers-of-the-day at every vaccination site in the city where they are ready to assist residents who wish to register. Residents who register on-site will also be given a profiling form where they will need to disclose their details.
The latest update from the city shows the three ways to get registered for free COVID-19 vaccines.
A fourth method of registration was introduced by the City Government. For this, let’s refer to it as the eZConsult method. Below are the visual references. Read the details carefully.
And now we can focus on COVID-19 vaccine registration for minors (aged 12 to 17). If you are a parent and your family resides in the city, you can do the registration by clicking http://laspinascityonline.laspinascity.gov.ph/eCVRS/
Previously the City Government and its strategic partners conducted a simulation on how the vaccination will happen. The said simulation was attended by Mayor Imelda “Mel” Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery.
For your references, posted below are important information. Please read and pay close attention to the details. These are official references from the local health office.
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Wow. That was quite a ride of information updates that happened the last few days. Last Friday, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) announced that it has allowed a variety of businesses around the Philippines to resume operations so that they can recover from this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Such businesses specified were driving schools, video arcades, theme parks, natural sites, historical landmarks, parks and, most notably of all, cinemas (or movie theaters).
However, the Metro Manila mayors reacted and expressed their opposition against the national government’s decision on allowing cinemas to reopen. Through the media, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos stated that a “majority of Metro Manila mayors agreed not to open as far as cinema is concerned.”
Below is an excerpt from the Manila Times article on Abalos…
He noted that movie theaters are enclosed and air-conditioned spaces where people stay for more than 30 minutes, conditions that increase the risk of coronavirus transmission.
To put things in perspective, Metro Manila is composed of many major Philippine cities such as Makati, Quezon City, Manila and Muntinlupa to name a few. Until now, Metro Manila remains under GCQ (General Community Quarantine) status while certain other cities or provinces have been enduring the MGCQ (Modified General Community Quarantine) status. As of this writing, the only cinemas operating here in the Philippines are those located in MGCQ areas.
Here in Metro Manila, movie theaters have been closed since March 2020. Take note of that.
As a result of the Metro Manila mayors’ opposition, it has been announced that the reopening of cinemas has been moved to March 1, 2021, but that is not guaranteed. According to the news release published yesterday at Philippine News Agency, the reopening of cinemas in GCQ areas has been moved to the first of March to allow consultations with local officials, and this is the result of talks with MMDA’s Abalos, MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia and Trade Secretary Lopez.
Malacañang stated in the release: The IATF respects the position of mayors, especially those in Metro Manila. That’s why the resolution stated that the reopening of cinemas will be effective after drafting guidelines with local governments particularly when it comes to seating capacity in cinemas.
As you can see, there is still some work needed to be done before Metro Manila movie theaters (or any theaters in GCQ areas in general) can be allowed to reopen. This is why, in my view, the March 1 target for reopening could be missed.
More on the cinemas, I wonder if the Metro Manila mayors and their advisers did enough research about the economics. I understand they want to avoid the risk of people getting infected with COVID-19 within their respective cities, but there is still the need for economic recovery even if cinemas are to operate at less than 100% capacity and efficiency
From an economic point of view, thanks to information released by Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, the so-called traditional cinema industry of the nation employed 300,000 workers and had generated revenues of P13 billion BEFORE the pandemic started last year. Because of the pandemic, 2020 theater revenues shrunk down to only P1.3 billion.
Whatever happened to them as a result of the pandemic, 300,000 cinema employees is a figure that should not be ignored nor dismissed so quickly by the mayors and their advisers. Economic recovery is a must.
In an ABS-CBN news report, the cinema operators and movie producers have decided to adopt a so-called wait-and-see approach on the reopening of cinemas in GCQ areas.
Here’s an excerpt from the report:
Although they welcome the easing of quarantine restrictions, local producers and theater operators believe that ultimately, the reopening of cinemas will still be dependent on the clearance of local government units.
Roselle Monteverde and Vincent del Rosario, who helm Regal and Viva Entertainment, respectively, told ABS-CBN News that they have the capability to provide cinemas with movie material, some of which have long been canned. Nonetheless, along with other members of the local producers association, the movie magnates are still awaiting the IATF guidelines and, more important, the guidance of mayors.
And here’s another excerpt, this time about two major cinema chain operators.
Megaworld Cinemas and SM Cinemas, which both control a vast chain of theater chains, told ABS-CBN News that they will wait for the final guidelines of the IATF and local government units.
Bomboy Lim of Robinson Cinemas also told ABS-CBN News that the bottomline is securing the approval of local government units. “Priority din namin ang ligtas na panonood ng tao. Kailangan nating sundin ang lahat ng guidelines including the IATF. Right now, they are still making it.”
Robinson Cinemas, which has an estimated 200 theaters nationwide in its malls nationwide, have not reopened since March 2020.
Over at the City of Manila, the local authorities there announced it will offer free swab tests to movie theater workers within their jurisdiction. Mayor Isko Moreno said that the swab tests are required before the city government allows malls to open their movie houses. Cinema workers specified are janitors, security guards, tellers, ushers, porters, ticket sellers and snack bar attendants to name some. Managers of malls in the city were asked by the mayor to present to the city government their respective preparations for the reopening of their cinemas with public safety in mind.
As I personally observed in shopping malls with cinemas here in South Metro Manila, each of them has established rules and set up special equipment to monitor the health statuses of people entering their respective places. I can imagine local cinemas inside these malls having similar equipment, disinfectant machines, and temperature scanners. It would be helpful if the malls or cinema operators can afford to set up sanitation tunnels (like those in Israel) for moviegoers to pass thru when entering and exiting the movie theater. Watch the video below…
Even though things look unclear, the fact remains is that operators of movie theaters and their employees now have a chance to resume their business and do their part in the recovery economically and socially. How the IATF and the Metro Manila mayors will decide the fate of the cinemas remains to be seen.
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In a bid to generate demand for vaccination services and increase vaccination uptake among residents, the City Government of Muntinlupa launched a series of COVID-19 Vaccine Virtual Town Hall Meeting with health professionals from national government agencies.
At least 100 participants from homeowners’ associations (HOAs) and urban poor groups attended the launching of Muntinlupa’s COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall Meetings in partnership with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and Food and Drug Administration last February 10.
During the virtual meeting, RITM Infection Prevention and Control Committee Chair Charissa Borja-Tabora underscored the safety of vaccines, the process of clinical trials, and the role of vaccines in protecting individuals and communities.
FDA Center for Drugs Regulation and Research Jesusa Joyce Cirunay also discussed the agency’s Emergency Use Authorization and the stringent process and policies for the approval of vaccines.
Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said the initiative is part of the local government’s campaign to enable, inform, motivate, and empower high priority groups to access the vaccination service.
Navarro hoped that the communication strategy in inviting healthcare professionals to explain information on the vaccine will help improve the immunization uptake in Muntinlupa.
“We will conduct a series of dialogue with individuals and communities to help them understand the value of vaccines so more Muntinlupeños will be convinced to be inoculated,” Navarro said.
As of February 11, the city’s COVID-19 vaccine survey showed that out of the 17,561 respondents from Muntinlupa’s nine barangays, 76% or 13,077 individuals said they are willing to get vaccinated, an increase from 63% in the last survey dated February 5.
While, a total of 4,484 respondents or 24% said they are not willing to take the vaccine. The most common reasons for the refusal to take the vaccine include fear of side effects, doubts with the efficiency rate of the vaccine, and fee of vaccination.
Further, Muntinlupa’s COVID-19 vaccination plan and other best practices on public health earned praise from officials of the Department of Health during the assessment visit of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 and Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) Team in the city last February 5.
Muntinlupa City Health Office has identified 6,758 medical frontliners from barangay health centers, emergency responders, public and private hospitals/clinics. Under the local COVID-19 vaccination plan, there will be 82 vaccination teams to be deployed in 35 vaccination posts and 8,200 target individuals to be vaccinated per day.
Muntinlupa City has 62 active cases, 5,460 confirmed cases with 5,227 recoveries, 171 reported deaths, 81 suspect cases, and 417 probable cases as of February 11, 2021.
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The above information was provided by the City Government of Muntinlupa for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website.
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
Author Carlo Carrasco 