Tag: 2019 Novel Coronavirus (NCoV)

COVID-19 Crisis: DTI says restaurants in MECQ areas are allowed to have outdoor dining

COVID-19 Crisis: DTI says restaurants in MECQ areas are allowed to have outdoor dining

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In what is clearly a move with economic recovery in mind, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez declared that restaurants (located in places under MECQ or modified enhanced community quarantine status) with outdoor dining services and set-ups are allowed to resume but with certain limitations.

To make things clear, below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) article which was published just yesterday. For greater emphasis, some parts are in bold.

In a text message to reporters Sunday night, Lopez said food establishments with alfresco dining services are only allowed up to 50 percent capacity, with diagonal seating arrangement and acrylic dividers on tables.

He added that indoor dine-in services are still not allowed in areas under MECQ, but food establishments can continue to operate with their take-out and delivery services.

From April 12 to 30, the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal or the NCR Plus as well as Santiago City in Isabela, and the provinces of Quirino and Abra were also placed under MECQ.

Earlier, the DTI chief said that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) might be sensitive in allowing indoor dine-in due to the highly contagious new variants of Covid-19.

“The IATF recommended to the President to shift to MECQ after two weeks of ECQ to restore more jobs and livelihood for the people,” Lopez said.

Clearly the local authorities are trying hard to balance themselves between economics and public health as new cases of COVID-19 (China Virus) continue to be counted in very high numbers on a daily basis in recent times. On April 2, the count of infections reached over 15,000.

Going back to the issue of allowing restaurants with outdoor dining (AKA alfresco) within the MECQ areas, it is good news that they are allowed to resume operations. It will still be a challenge for food establishments to attract enough paying customers and make their business’ financial ends meet.

On a personal experience, I love eating ramen and Tsukemen at Sigekiya Ramen in Alabang. I prefer that such meals would be cooked by the restaurant and be served to me at a table at their place. The alternative of taking the cooked ramen out and consume it at home is just not a convincing option for me because ramen is meant to be consumed quickly while it is hot. The alternative of taking home ingredients and noodles, and have them cooked at home does not appeal to me as I prefer Sigekiya’s cooks make the meal I paid for.

A delicious meal like this one is best to be eaten at the restaurant, even outdoors.

Also located in Alabang is the local branch of Akrotiri, a really fine restaurant that serves authentic Greek meals that my family and friends enjoyed. They also have meals that, in my opinion, are best consumed at their place and their Alabang branch (Commercenter to be precise) has space for outdoor dining. It was at Akrotiri Alabang where I treated 2019 SEA Games gold medalist Kim Mangrobang to a meal and organized an exclusive interview with her. They really have a fine-looking place. Visit their website at https://akrotiri.ph/

It is important to keep in mind that restaurants around the nation have struggled a lot since the pandemic started last year. These business establishments are also struggling with retaining their respective employees, notably their cooks, the baristas, waiters and waitresses. Remember that the meals and drinks you enjoy would not be the same when the people who prepared them get laid off.

With the DTI’s declaration of allowing food establishments with outdoor dining setups and services to resume, I encourage you my readers to consider supporting these businesses for your food and beverage needs. If you can’t have a meal with the family outdoors, perhaps you can push through with a business meeting with a corporate associate or reunite with your friend or relative with the outdoor setting of a restaurant while adhering to health protocols (wearing face masks, face shields, sanitizing yourselves, etc.). 

Now, let’s observe how the mayors, the barangay captains and other local authorities in MECQ areas will react to DTI’s declaration. You also might want to check with the local restaurants and coffee shops if they allow outdoor dining. Consider taking time out to call them or verify on their respective social media channels/accounts to see if outdoor dining is allowed.

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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: Muntinlupa City starts vaccinating seniors with Sinovac, completes inoculation of healthcare workers

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City starts vaccinating seniors with Sinovac, completes inoculation of healthcare workers

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Following the approval of the Food and Drugs and Administration on the vaccination of senior citizens with Sinovac, the City Government of Muntinlupa officially started its roll-out among seniors yesterday.

The Muntinlupa City Health Office announced the roll-out of CoronoVac (Sinovac) among senior citizens starting April 12 in 14 initial vaccine centers in the city.

A senior citizen gets vaccinated with Sinovac. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)

Vaccination sites in Muntinlupa for A2 members (senior citizens) include Tunasan Elementary School (ES), Victoria ES, Muntinlupa National High School – Annex, Muntinlupa National HS Main, Poblacion ES (SV3), Putatan ES, Soldiers Hills ES, Lakeview Integrated School, Bayanan ES Main, Pedro E. Diaz HS, Cupang ES, Cupang Health Center, Buli ES, and Sucat Covered Court. The City Government targets to inoculate at least 44,000 senior citizens in Muntinlupa.

As of April 10, Muntinlupa CHO has received 20,317 COVID-19 vaccines from the national government, of which 20,063 are Sinovac and 254 are AstraZeneca. There are only remaining 13,964 vials, of which 13,921 are Sinovac and 43 are AstraZeneca.

Further, the vaccination of healthcare workers from A1 priority group was completed with 5,123 (100%) medical frontliners who were inoculated, of which 2,145 received Sinovac and 2,978 were vaccinated with AstraZeneca. While 4,189 (77.6%) individuals received the vaccine from A3 priority group (persons with comorbidities), of which 4,100 were given Sinovac and 89 received AstraZeneca.

Recently, Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi received his first jab of COVID-19 vaccine after President Rodrigo Duterte allowed the inoculation of mayors in “high risk” cities and towns.

Fresnedi, who is also a senior citizen at 70 y/o, has been vaccinated with the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine together with other healthcare workers and persons with comorbidities from priority groups last April 8.

The local exec urges fellow senior citizens and qualified residents who are members of the priority groups to avail the vaccination services of the government for them to have an added protection against the adverse effects of COVID-19.

He also encouraged the public to pre-register in the city’s COVID-19 vaccination registration through www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac and to still strictly observe health protocols such as frequent hand-washing, wearing of face masks and face shields, and physical distancing.

Further, Muntinlupa City started distributing the emergency subsidy from the national government to families affected by the enhanced community quarantine in NCR Plus. As of April 12, Muntinlupa City has 8,930 confirmed cases with 6,938 recoveries, 1,757 active cases, 235 reported deaths, 216 suspect cases, and 771 probable cases.

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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.

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: Pre-registration for vaccine in Muntinlupa City ongoing

COVID-19 Crisis: Pre-registration for vaccine in Muntinlupa City ongoing

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By now, some of you may have learned about the recent news that Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi got vaccinated for COVID-19. That being said, that particular news should remind all residents of Muntinlupa about something very important…Pre-registration for local citizens to avail of the COVID-19 vaccine is currently ongoing!

All residents of Muntinlupa City who wish to avail of vaccines are encouraged to prepare their own information and then proceed to the official pre-registration form link at https://vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac/

The online pre-registration will take a bit of your time as it will require you to not only write down your personal information (including your PhilHealth number, employment information history of COVID-19 infection). You also have to be ready to input information about your personal allergy and medical history.

Afterwards, you will also have to read the key details of the private notice and waiver sections before finally submitting all the accumulated information.

Once these are done, the website will acknowledge completion and you will have to wait a while for the local authorities to send you an email which will have the link for you to click on to verify your registration. In my experience, it took a few days before the local authorities sent me an email.

When you complete the email verification, a QR code generated for you will be shown online (for your private viewing) which you can print in hard copy (a consent form with QR code). You can also do a screen capture of the QR code for your digital reference.

Knowing these details, you should head on to https://vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac/

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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: National Capital Region (NCR) and 4 nearby provinces plus a few other places now under MECQ until April 30, 2021

COVID-19 Crisis: National Capital Region (NCR) and 4 nearby provinces plus a few other places now under MECQ until April 30, 2021

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After two whole weeks of being placed under the restrictive ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the National Capital Region (NCR) and the provinces Cavite, Bulacan, Rizal and Laguna (note: these form NCR Plus as called by the local authorities) are now under MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine) until April 30, 2021. Far away from NCR Plus are the City of Santiago, the Province of Quezon and Abra in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) which also have been placed under MECQ status.

The shift to MECQ was approved by President Rodrigo Duterte in relation to the commitments made by more public and private hospitals to provide rooms and beds for patients suffering from COVID-19 (China Virus). The President urged PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation) to expedite the payment of claims of hospitals. For more details on this, read the Philippine News Agency’s (PNA) article.

MECQ is supposed to be the less restrictive form of quarantine. For one thing, the hours of curfew in Metro Manila has been adjusted to 8PM to 5AM (versus 6PM to 5AM under ECQ). To put things in perspective, here is an excerpt from the PNA’s article…

According to amended omnibus guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) as of April 3, 2021, strict home quarantine shall be observed in all households under MECQ. Movement of persons shall be limited to accessing essential goods and services, and for work in permitted offices or establishments or such activities allowed.

Persons below 18 years old, those who are over 65 years old, those with immunodeficiency, comorbidity, or other health risks, and pregnant women shall be required to remain at home at all times except for obtaining essential goods and services or for work.

Under the IATF-EID guidelines, the following establishments, persons, or activities shall not be permitted to operate, work, or be undertaken during MECQ:

— Entertainment venues with live performers such as karaoke bars, bars, clubs, concert halls, theaters, and cinemas;

— Recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and similar venues;

— Amusement parks or theme parks, fairs/peryas, kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom and kiddie rides;

— Outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports, scrimmages, games, or activities;

— Indoor sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms, spas or other indoor leisure centers or facilities, and swimming pools;


— Casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except for the draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office;

— Indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits;

— Outdoor tourist attractions;

— Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions;

— Personal care services which include beauty salons, beauty parlors, medical esthetic clinics, cosmetic or derma clinics, make-up salons, nail spas, reflexology, aesthetics, wellness and holistic centers, and other similar establishments; acupuncture and electrocautery establishments, and massage therapy including sports therapy establishments. It also includes establishments providing tanning services, body piercings, tattooing and similar services. Home service for these activities is likewise not permitted; and

— Indoor dine-in services of food preparation establishments such as commissaries, restaurants, and eateries.

Now that the MECQ is in effect, we will find out soon enough how the many struggling businesses will perform, how many affected employees will be able to return to work, how vehicular traffic on the highways and major roads will turn out and how these changes will affect the daily count of new COVID-19 cases which has been averaging over 10,000 a day recently.

It has been over a year since the China Virus spread worldwide and negatively impacted the way people lived, brought down their earnings, made attending on-site worship harder (note: the authorities in California did Satan’s bidding and the United States Supreme Court struck down their abuse of power legally), and pushed varied authorities to adjust the way they manage their places and constituents. No matter how grim the situation is, I urge you my readers to never lose hope and always look up to Lord Jesus who is the true Savior for us all. I encourage you to grab a copy of the Holy Bible and read the full Chapter 91 of the Book of Psalms, believe in it and come to Lord Jesus.

God will make a way for those who are faithful to Him. You do not need religion. You do not need unbelief. You do not need to believe in this screwed-up world we live in. You do not need idols for they are unholy and idolatry itself is foolish. You need unwavering faith in Him for He is holy and only He deserves our worship, trust and honor.

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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: More senior citizens of Las Piñas City vaccinated with AstraZeneca

COVID-19 Crisis: More senior citizens of Las Piñas City vaccinated with AstraZeneca

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The City Government of Las Piñas confirmed that more of their local senior citizens got injected with the AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19 (China Virus) recently at the designated vaccination sites at CAA Elementary School Main, Almanza Uno Covered Court, Pamplona Elementary School Central. No specific numbers were revealed, however.

For comparison, the April 1 launch of vaccinating local senior citizens resulted 300 who were injected with the same vaccine at the sites at Verdant Covered Court, Bambusteum Cover Court and Almanza Dos Covered Court.

Senior citizens waiting for their turn for AstraZeneca shots at a vaccination site. (source – City of Las Piñas Facebook page)

It is recalled that this past January, the City Government signed an agreement with AstraZeneca for the procurement of 300,000 doses of their vaccine. Within South Metro Manila, AstraZeneca also provides the same vaccine to the City Government of Muntinlupa (read this and this).

On the national level, it has been announced that the use of AstraZeneca vaccine on persons younger than sixty-years-old has been suspended. For insight, below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) article…

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday adopted the recommendation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to temporarily suspend the use of AstraZeneca vaccines for individuals aged below 60 years old, following reports of rare cases of blood clots with low platelets detected in some individuals inoculated with the vaccine.

“We are aware of the recommendation of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to list blood clots as very rare side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine. While we have not seen such incidents in the country, the FDA has recommended to temporarily suspend the use of the vaccine for persons below 60 years old as we await results of the review being done by our local experts, as well as the official guidance of the WHO,” FDA Director General Rolando Enrique Domingo said in a news release.

Health authorities assured the public that experts are reviewing information related to this new development to craft appropriate recommendations on the vaccine’s use.

Meanwhile, Las Piñas citizens who wish to avail of COVID-19 vaccines are encouraged to get themselves registered with the City Government by means of digital method (QR code scanning, Google account to be used) or the manual method. For reference about Las Piñas vaccine registration, posted below are official images of instruction plus the list of vaccination sites in the city.

If you are a recipient of a COVID-19 vaccine in Las Piñas City and you wish to share to me your observations or complaints, please feel free to comment below. Thank you very much.

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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: Muntinlupa City mayor Fresnedi gets vaccinated with AstraZeneca

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City mayor Fresnedi gets vaccinated with AstraZeneca

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Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi received his first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine after President Rodrigo Duterte allowed the inoculation of mayors in “high risk” cities and towns.

Fresnedi, who is also a senior citizen at 70-years-old, has been vaccinated with the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine together with other healthcare workers and persons with comorbidities from priority groups yesterday at Muntinlupa National High School – Tunasan Annex, Brgy. Tunasan.

Muntinlupa mayor Jaime Fresnedi receives his first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)

As of April 7, Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded a total of 5,333 individuals from A1 priority group (healthcare workers) who were inoculated, of which 2,383 received SinoVac and 2,950 inoculated with AstraZeneca. While 1,043 individuals received the vaccine from A3 priority group (persons with comorbidities), of which 977 were given SinoVac and 66 received AstraZeneca.

The local exec urges qualified residents who are members of the priority groups to avail the vaccination services of the government for them to have an added protection against the adverse effects of COVID-19.

He also encouraged the public to pre-register in the city’s COVID-19 vaccination registration through www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac and to still strictly observe health protocols such as frequent hand-washing, wearing of face masks and face shields, and physical distancing.

Recently, the City Government of Muntinlupa has reduced the composition of its skeletal workforce including its operating hours following a surge of COVID-19 positive cases among staff.

Through Executive Order 13 s. 2021, the manpower reporting in the City Hall premises was reduced and operating hours were limited from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The City Health Office recorded a high attack rate of up to 211 cases per 1.000 population among employees from March 27 to April 2.

The reduction in the work force covers offices in the Main Building, Annex Building, and People’s Center starting April 5, 2021 to give way to intensive disinfection, testing, and quarantine measures.

On April 5, the City Health Office has conducted a mass antigen testing of staff who reported physically for work. The CHO is closely monitoring all positive and probable COVID-19 cases among the workforce and implements strict isolation protocols, including contact tracing.

Further, Muntinlupa City started distributing the emergency subsidy from the national government to families affected by the enhanced community quarantine in NCR Plus. An initial pay-out for 1,322 beneficiaries was conducted at Tiosejo Covered Court, Brgy. Tunasan and Sucat Elementary School, Brgy. Sucat last April 8.

The priority beneficiaries for the financial assistance include SAP beneficiaries, SAP wait-listed, those belonging to vulnerable groups, and low-income individuals, among others. The City Government has distributed the assistance in cash amounting to 1,000 pesos per individual with a maximum amount of 4,000 pesos per family.

As of April 8, Muntinlupa City has 8,483 confirmed cases with 6,724 recoveries, 1,434 active cases, 225 reported deaths, 232 suspect cases, and 632 probable cases.

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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.

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: Muntinlupa City Government receives P442-M from national gov’t, to start subsidy pay-out today

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Government receives P442-M from national gov’t, to start subsidy pay-out today

carlocarrasco

The City Government of Muntinlupa announced that it has officially received P442,191,000 from the Department of Budget and Management and Department of Social Welfare and Development as part of the national government’s emergency subsidy to families affected by the enhanced community quarantine in NCR Plus.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi signed an executive order for the distribution of financial assistance amounting to P1,000 per individual with a maximum amount of P4,000 per family to target beneficiaries which include individuals from the Social Amelioration Program, 4Ps, low-income individuals, and those working in informal economies affected by the community quarantine, among others.

Fresnedi said qualified Muntinlupa city residents will receive the assistance in cash to help them recover from economic disruption brought about by the imposition of ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) in Metro Manila. At least 80% of the population of Muntinlupa is set to receive the emergency subsidy.

An initial pay-out will be facilitated in Tiosejo Covered Court, Brgy. Tunasan and Sucat Elementary School, Brgy. Sucat this afternoon at 2:00PM. The recipients will be assigned to different schedules to ensure compliance on social distancing and other health measures.

The local exec noted that the assistance will be in cash because the City Government has already been providing food packs to city residents since the beginning of the pandemic.

This past March, the Muntinlupa Social Service Department provided 9,989 food packages to tricycle and jeepney operators and drivers, daily wage earners who were affected by the lockdown, families of city scholars, and other members of disadvantaged groups. Each food box contains grocery items worth 785.00 pesos. Muntinlupa LGU has distributed 695,184 food boxes to city residents from March 2020 up to present.

Fresnedi called for a coordination meeting with barangay officials on Tuesday for the roll-out of the financial assistance in the communities.

Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said the City Government will be tapping barangay information officers for the posting of approved list of beneficiaries as mandated by the national government.

As per Joint Memorandum Circular 1 of DBM, DSWD, and DND, LGUs are enjoined to post in its official website, social media accounts, and at conspicuous places the list of approved beneficiaries limited only to the names of beneficiaries including their barangay and district.

Further, LGUs shall manage and conduct the distribution of the emergency subsidy within fifteen (15) calendar days from release of Notice of Cash Allocation if the assistance is done in cash and within thirty (30) days if assistance is given in kind.

As of April 7, Muntinlupa City has 8,416 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 6,664 recoveries, 1,531 active cases, 221 reported deaths, 232 suspect cases, and 632 probable cases.

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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.

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: Las Piñas City health workers receive 2nd dose of Sinovac

COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City health workers receive 2nd dose of Sinovac

carlocarrasco

The City Government of Las Piñas announced that their local health workers started receiving yesterday their 2nd dose 2nd dose of the China-made vaccine called Sinovac for their protection from COVID-19 (China Virus). This latest development marked the start of a new phase in their local Vaccination Program.

Local health workers wait for their respective turns to receive their 2nd dose of Sinovac. (source – City of Las Piñas)

The authorities stated that over the next few days, they will continue the vaccination of the local senior citizens and persons with comorbidities under the same program. The vaccination will be done in the designated vaccination sites around the city. Check out the official image of reference from the local authorities below.

The list of designated vaccination sites in the city. (source – Las Piñas Health Office)

For insight about Sinovac, it has been reported that the vaccine has been found to be 50.4% effective in clinical trials held in Brazil.

In another local development, the Las Piñas Health Office announced that persons with controlled comorbidities aged 18 to 59-years-old are to submit to their respective barangay health centers or barangay halls the accomplished COVID-19 vaccination profiling forms with the medical certificate within the past 18 months, the prescription of the past 6 months or any hospital record as proof of comorbidity.

Meanwhile, local citizens who wish to avail of COVID-19 vaccines are encouraged to get themselves registered with the City Government by means of digital method (QR code scanning, Google account to be used) or the manual method. For reference about Las Piñas vaccine registration, posted below are official images of instruction.

If you are a recipient of a COVID-19 vaccine in Las Piñas City and you wish to share to me your observations or complaints, please feel free to comment below. Thank you very much.

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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

Ordering from Pepsi-Cola Philippines online makes sense

Ordering from Pepsi-Cola Philippines online makes sense

carlocarrasco

Before I talk about Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI), have you heard the disappointing news lately? For those who missed out, the National Capital Region (NCR) and the bordering provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan (note: these form the so-called NCR Plus region) is now under extended ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) until April 11, 2021. The extension was recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in relation to the ongoing spikes in counted new cases of COVID-19 (China Virus) which reached as high as 15,310.

Going back to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) report, it was written that OCTA Research released its own report that the average of new daily cases of COVID-19 in NCR Plus dropped as a result of the return to ECQ. While there is no lockdown, the ECQ is bad for the economy due to reduced business activities (which affects employees and their income negatively).

Under ECQ, shopping malls here in South Metro Manila can only allow the so-called essentials to remain open. Essentials refer to groceries, banks, pharmacies, hardware stores and restaurants (which in turn are limited to processing take-out and delivery orders of customers).

When it comes to the local communities, fear about the rate of COVID-19 infection sparked authorities to discourage people from traveling around and that it is best for people to stay at home until the current bad situation improves. Some have encouraged people to order products they want or need online and have it delivered to their homes.

This brings me to the topic of this piece…why it makes more sense to order products from Pepsi Philippines via their online store and have such products delivered to the home.

To put things in perspective, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines launched their online store at www.pepsiproducts.ph for home deliveries last October. What the company stated back then is still relevant with the current ECQ situation. Below is an excerpt from the PNA report for your reference…

PCPPI said its e-commerce website pepsiproducts.ph started to receive online orders from customers on October 5 and also providing in-home deliveries.

“With mobility restrictions brought about by varying phases of lockdown, we have decided to adopt e-commerce to our overall operations to heed the call of our customers who wish to have more access to our product while they are at home,” PCPPI president and chief executive officer Frederick Ong said.

Ong added that going online allows the company to counter business disruptions due to the limited foot traffic to physical stores.

“Pepsiproducts.ph is another way to make our products more accessible to entrepreneurs who want to venture into the distribution business. We are positive that this new revenue stream can boost PCPPI’s sales outlook in the months ahead,” he said.

Ong said the company has hired separate administrative and delivery personnel that will focus on the online venture.

The beverage firm is piloting its e-commerce business in the south part of Metro Manila — Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque as well as in San Pedro and Biñan in Laguna, and Carmona, Cavite.

PCPPI also targets to expand its e-commerce service in different parts of the country.

As you can see above, the company went the extra mile to make their products more accessible to customers backed with delivery services of their own. A month ago, I opened up an account with their online store, ordered a bunch of drinks that met their minimum requirement of P300, and in a little over 24 hours after posting my order, they delivered to our home. I received the drinks I ordered and paid them in cash (note: cash on delivery is the current method of payment). That being said, I really like Pepsi Philippines’ online store and delivery service not only for the user friendliness but also the fact that it spares me from having to go out to a nearby store to buy their drinks.

As such, this lessens the risk of getting infected with COVID-19 while being away from home. Again, it makes sense to order Pepsi beverages online during this time of pandemic and the company’s e-commerce effort deserves admiration.

To be clear, Pepsi Philippines is offering more than just soft drinks (Pepsi Cola, Pepsi Max, 7-Up, Mountain Dew, Mug root beer and Mirinda) on their online store. They are also offering such drinks like Gatorade, G-Active, Tropicana (orange juice and coconut juice), Sting energy drink, Premier water, Milkis, Lipton iced tea and more! I should also state that there also these temporary but really attractive online promos that will offer you a good return for your money.

Whether you like soft drinks or iced tea or milk or fruit juices, Pepsi Philippines has it all for you to choose from at their online store and they can deliver it to you if you meet the P300 minimum requirement and if your residence is located within their delivery coverage (South Metro Manila cities of Las Piñas, Muntinlupa and Parañaque plus Laguna cities San Pedro and Biñan, plus Carmona in Cavite province).

In ending this, I encourage readers who want or need drinks from Pepsi to visit their online store at https://pepsiproducts.ph/

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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: Muntinlupa City Hall reduces workforce, office hours due to surge of COVID-19 positive cases

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Hall reduces workforce, office hours due to surge of COVID-19 positive cases

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The City Government of Muntinlupa announced that it is reducing the composition of its skeletal workforce including its operating hours following a surge of COVID-19 positive cases among staff.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi signed Executive Order 13 s. 2021 ordering the reduction of manpower reporting in the City Hall premises and the local government’s operating hours after recording a high attack rate of up to 211 cases per 1000 population among employees from March 27 to April 2, 2021.

Fresnedi said the reduction in the work force covers offices in the Main Building, Annex Building, and People’s Center took effect yesterday to give way to intensive disinfection, testing, and quarantine measures.

On April 5, the City Health Office conducted a mass antigen testing of staff who reported physically for work. The CHO is set to closely monitor all positive and probable COVID-19 cases among the workforce and implement strict isolation protocols, including contact tracing. He added that the office hours shall be limited from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Daily disinfection of offices and other facilities within the compound shall take place starting at 3:00 PM.

“We ensure our constituents that the local government is enforcing preventive measures to manage and prevent risks against COVID-19 to ensure the safety of our employees and the public who will transact in the City Hall. While we are running business-as-usual, we enjoin the public to take advantage of online platforms in transacting with the local government,” Fresnedi noted.

A satellite work station shall be installed in the City Hall Quadrangle which aim to reduce the impact of COVID-19 transmission in outdoor environments.

Under the local EO, departments and offices are instructed to conduct virtual meetings and avoid person-to-person meetings, especially when it involves more than three individuals. Employees rendering service on a work-from-home set-up that are caught engaged in unofficial acts during work hours shall receive sanctions and other relevant penalties.

As of April 4, Muntinlupa City recorded 7,820 confirmed cases with 6,378 recoveries, 1233 active cases, 209 reported deaths, 206 suspect cases, and 814 probable cases. Recently, the Ospital ng Muntinlupa announced a 136% bed capacity utilization on COVID-19 related cases as of April 4.

Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said barangays were ordered to reactivate local isolation centers to accommodate asymptomatic cases and residents with mild symptoms to decongest primary health care and quarantine facilities.

Further, Muntinlupa City has started vaccinating members of A3 and A4 priority groups which include persons with comorbidities and frontline personnel in essential sectors, including uniformed personnel starting April 5 in 12 initial vaccination centers.

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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.

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