COVID-19 Crisis: 11.7 million people vaccinated nationwide

Close to twelve million people here in the Philippines have been vaccinated successfully according to the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 when it issued a statement two days ago through the Philippine News Agency (PNA). To be more specific, the official count of vaccinated individuals all over the Philippines was at 11,708,029 people.

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

A total of 11,708,029 individuals have been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the Philippines, the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 said on Monday.

The latest NTF data shows a total of 8,839,124 individuals have received their first dose while 2,868,905 others have completed their two doses of Covid-19 vaccine as of July 4.

In the past 18 weeks of the national vaccination program, the government has reached a record high of 1,778,989 doses being administered.

The average daily vaccination rate in the last seven days is at 254,141 doses, with 1,197 average number of active reporting vaccination sites.

The NTF reported that 1,714,313 health care workers have already received their first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine while 1,156,220 are fully vaccinated.

Some 2,524,204 senior citizens under A2 category of priority groups, 2,993,197 persons with comorbidity (A3), and 1,350,979 essential sector (A4) and 256,431 indigents (A5) have received their first dose.

On the other hand, some 788,630 of A2, 897,719 of A3, 26,109 of A4, and 227 of A5 are now fully vaccinated against the disease.

Looking at the above official statistics, it is notable that more than a million healthcare workers have been fully vaccinated (two doses). There is still a long way to go before the number of fully vaccinated A4 patients (note: the workers) before reaching the million-mark. A4 patients are essential in the Philippines’ economic revival and business owners need a healthy and immune (against COVID-19) work force to make economic progress happen.

When it comes to South Metro Manila, almost a quarter-million people in Las PiƱas City have been vaccinated successfully while 39% of Muntinlupa’s target population have been vaccinated. ParaƱaque City, meanwhile, had to temporarily halt first-dose vaccination.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you believe the national authorities and the local government units (LGUs) are doing enough to get more people here in the Philippines vaccinated? Are there still people in your local community who continue to be defiant and completely avoid getting vaccinated? Do you believe that the secured 13 million COVID-19 vaccines will arrive on time here in the Philippines?

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: Around 13 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines to arrive this month

As the old saying goes – the more, the better! I’m referring to the supplies of vaccines of COVID-19 that the Philippines badly needs and here is an update for this new month.

In an article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), around thirteen million doses of COVID-19 vaccines will arrive from overseas for the month of July. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. was the source of this information.

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

About 13 million doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines will be delivered to the Philippines in July, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. bared during the weekly situation briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday.

Galvez, the Chief Implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19, said expected for delivery are 5.5 million doses of Sinovac and 1.17 million doses of AstraZeneca within the first two weeks next month.

On July 12, a total of 250,800 doses of Moderna and 500,000 doses of Pfizer may also arrive.

The country may also receive next month between 2 and 4 million doses from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, 800,000 to 1 million doses donated by the United States government, and 1.1 million doses from the Japanese government.

Galvez said the US government’s donation will most likely be the single-dose jabs by Johnson & Johnson.

Take note that 13 million is an estimate and the actual delivery could be affected by such factors out of the Philippines’ control such as flight delays, production problems, etc.

Meanwhile, it has been reported in the news that some vaccination sites around Metro Manila have been closed due to a lack of supply of vaccines. ParaƱaque City is included. Watch this GMA Network news video.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Does the latest news about the incoming COVID-19 vaccines encourage you a lot? Do you know people who deliberately avoid getting vaccinated?

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: 40 million doses of Pfizer vaccine coming to the Philippines

As the nationwide count of COVID-19 vaccine jabs surpassed 8,000,000, a staggering supply of 40,000,000 vaccine doses from Pfizer will come into the country within this year. This is the result of a signed agreement between Pfizer and National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. according to an article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) yesterday.

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

The Philippine government has made the biggest vaccine procurement for 2021 with the signing of a supply agreement for 40 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

This was announced by the National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Sunday.

ā€œWe are very happy to report that the government and the management of Pfizer have finally concluded our negotiations. (Health) Secretary (Francisco) Duque and I signed yesterday (Saturday) the supply agreement for the biggest and most decisive deal we had for 2021,ā€ Galvez said.

ā€œI would like to thank my colleagues from the Philippine vaccine negotiating team from the Department of Finance and our multilateral partner for tirelessly working to secure these much-needed shots that will benefit 20 million Filipinos,” he added

The vaccine czar said the deliveries of 40 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines will begin ā€œafter eight weeks starting Augustā€, to be delivered in bulk.

ā€œThe vaccine demand has begun to ease up for many big and rich countries, as most of them have already acquired more than enough vaccines for their population and have vaccinated many of their citizens. This has allowed the manufacturer to commit to us that deliveries, though still to be made in tranches, will be in bulk,ā€ he pointed out.

The procurement of the 40 million vaccine doses will be financed through a multilateral arrangement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Galvez explained that loan funds from multilateral partners such as the ADB follows a direct disbursement scheme wherein payments are paid directly by the fund manager to the vaccine manufacturer.

ā€œThrough this scheme, the Filipino people can be assured that our transactions on vaccine procurement will be transparent, as the funds will not pass through the hands of any government official or agency,ā€ he emphasized.

With the latest supply agreement, the Philippines has now secured the delivery of 113 million doses from five manufacturers namely, Sinovac with 26 million doses, Sputnik V with 10 million doses, 20 million doses from Moderna, 17 million doses from AstraZeneca, and 40 million doses from Pfizer.

The COVAX Facility has also committed to deliver a total of 44 million doses this year, bringing to 157 million doses the total number of doses secured by the Philippines.

Mathematically and theoretically, 40 million Pfizer doses can be used to vaccinate 20 million first-timers and provide for each and every one of them the 2nd dose. How exactly will those future vaccines from Pfizer will be distributed to the local citizens has yet to be determined as of this writing.

It should be noted that recently, the City Government of Muntinlupa announced a reduction of capacity for vaccinating patients per site due to tight supply of vaccines. Over in the City of Las PiƱas, an incentive program designed to encourage locals to get vaccinated was launched and in recent times the number of citizens vaccinated grew tremendously. Ultimately the supply of COVID-19 vaccines for the Philippines remains a sensitive issue.

This is not the first time Pfizer vaccines became available here in the Philippines. Take a look back at the Pfizer launch in ParaƱaque City.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Does the newly signed agreement of securing 40 million vaccines from Pfizer encourage you to get registered and join the line to get vaccinated? Are you very choosy when it comes to the different brands of vaccines? Why?

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

Gang of six – mostly Chinese – arrested in ParaƱaque City for kidnap attempt

Criminal activities in ParaƱaque City involving Chinese nationals (to understand the trend click here, here, here and here) continued as a gang of six people – one local citizen and the rest were Chinese nationals – were arrested by the local police for attempting to kidnap a 23-year-old Chinese national (working for an Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator or POGO) this past Thursday according to a report published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

It is notable that none other than Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar himself gave statements about what happened in ParaƱaque City. To put things in perspective, below is an excerpt from the news report. Some parts in boldface…

Five Chinese nationals and a Filipino were arrested for attempting to kidnap their compatriot in ParaƱaque City on Thursday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar identified the suspects as Li Yang, Zhou Hao, Liu Jie Yong, Zhang Jia Hao, Qui You Bo, all Chinese nationals; and their Filipino driver Nelson Malavega.

Citing a report from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Eleazar said the victim, a 23-yearold male Chinese worker of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO), was approached by the suspects after he alighted from a transport network vehicle service in a hotel in Aseana, Barangay Tambo at around 1:40 p.m.

After a heated argument, the victim was forcibly taken by the suspects aboard a Toyota Hi-Ace van.

The commotion caught the attention of hotel security personnel who immediately reported the incident to the Sub Station 2 of ParaƱaque City Police Station.

Duty personnel who responded to the incident immediately intercepted the suspects’ vehicle and rescued the victim.

Initial reports said the victims owed a debt worth PHP750,000.

Here is a related news video by GMA Network…

Going back to the PNA article, PNP Chief Eleazar expressed gratitude as their community of police officers quickly responded and successfully rescued the victim from the kidnappers.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are living in ParaƱaque City, do you believe that Chinese nationals are causing trouble in your local community? Are you concerned that POGOs within ParaƱaque are adding to illegal activities?

If ever you spot an act of kidnapping in person (regardless of nationality), are you willing to report the incident to the local police?

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

PDEA arrests suspects and seize illegal drugs in Las PiƱas City and ParaƱaque City

The cities of ParaƱaque and Las PiƱas are back in the crime news again as two separate operations organized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) resulted the confiscation of over P130 million worth of illegal drugs as well as the apprehension of suspects. For the newcomers reading this, this latest development is not to be confused with the other PDEA operation in ParaƱaque that involved a foreigner as a suspect.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the article published by Philippine News Agency (PNA). Some parts in boldface…

Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested three persons and confiscated PHP135.4 million worth of shabu in separate operations in the cities of ParaƱaque and Las PiƱas on Tuesday.

PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon, in a statement, said suspect Moises Joshua Esguerra, was arrested in the operation in Barangay Talon Dos, Las PiƱas City at around 3 p.m.

Seized from Esguerra were more or less 18 kg. of suspected shabu valued at PHP121.8 million, a mobile phone, and a bundle of boodle money with one genuine PHP1,000 bill.

Meanwhile, January Berroya, 40, and Rolando Sanchez, 57, were arrested in another buy-bust operation in an open parking lot of a mall in ParaƱaque City by a joint team of police officers and PDEA agents at around 1:30 p.m.

The two suspects yielded PHP13.6 million worth of shabu, mobile phones, and two drivers’ license cards.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: As a resident of Las PiƱas or ParaƱaque, do you feel safer as a result of the successful buy-bust operations of the PDEA?

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: ParaƱaque City classified by DOH as a high-risk area

Have you been practicing caution there in ParaƱaque? Were there people around you who moved around without wearing a face mask or face shield? Did you find yourself caught in the middle of a thick crowd of people in the city lately?

Well, now is a good time to focus more on meeting the local health protocols because the Department of Health (DOH) has classified the cities of Pasay and ParaƱaque as high-risk areas for COVID-19 according to a news report by GMA Network News.

For this post, we will focus more on ParaƱaque as it counts as a city of South Metro Manila. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report. Some parts in boldface…

The cities of ParaƱaque and Pasay have been classified as high-risk areas for COVID-19 due to their increasing cases and high average daily attack rate (ADAR), the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

Data from DOH Epidemiology Bureau director Dr. Alethea De Guzman showed that only three cities in Metro Manila posted a positive case growth rate during May 30 to June 12: ParaƱaque (2%), Pasay (19%), and Malabon (30%).

ParaƱaque’s ADAR over the same period was high risk at 9.09 cases per 100,000 population, higher than the DOH threshold of seven cases per 100,000, while the city’s intensive care unit (ICU) utilization rate stood in the moderate risk category at 62.5%.

And here is a related news video…

What could be the factors that caused ParaƱaque’s ADAR to hit 9.09 per 100,000 people? It’s hard to determine at this point but there is a possibility that the huge crowd and long lines of people at the May 17 Pfizer launch held at a certain shopping mall in ParaƱaque might have added to the ADAR (for the period of May 30 to June 12) somehow.

Of course, the news media cannot cover everything that happens around the city. What if local health protocols were violated/disregarded within the local communities by individuals who stopped being careful? Or imagine a squatter or a street beggar approaching others in public while not practicing caution.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are living in ParaƱaque City, do you believe that the local vaccination organizers are doing a good job serving or assisting the patients? Each time you travel through the city, how many people did you notice did not wear face masks or face shields in public? Do you think that the City Government of ParaƱaque and its health personnel can do something to make the city safer from COVID-19 infections?

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

Foreign national arrested and huge load of illegal drugs seized in ParaƱaque City

The wave of crime in ParaƱaque City involving Chinese nationals (click here, here and here) as well as the presence of illegal drugs in the same city (click here and here) were felt once again as the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that a huge load of illegal drugs were seized and a Chinese national was arrested in connection to it at Barangay Baclaran. This was the result of a successful buy-bust operation organized by the personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). They deserve thanks and admiration for stopping crime.

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

A Chinese national was arrested by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during a bust in ParaƱaque City that also yielded 38 kilos of shabu (crystal meth) worth at least P257 million.

The suspect identified as Zhizun Chen, 38, a resident of 168 Tower 2 in Binondo, Manila, was arrested during the bust at the open parking lot of a grocery chain in Barangay Baclaran at around 3:00 p.m.

Seized from the suspect were 38 kilograms of the suspected shabu, Mitsubishi sedan, and a Chrysler sedan, PDEA said.

The report ended stating that the foreigner is facing charges in relation to violating Republic Act Number 9165 otherwise called the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are living in ParaƱaque City, do you believe that trade or activities related to illegal drugs are happening in your local community? Having read the above news report, how do you feel about the presence of Chinese nationals in the city and there in your local community?

Have you ever heard about the ParaƱaque Renaissance? What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear those two words?

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: Las PiƱas City Government team formed for local implementation of safety seal certification (SSC)

Have you heard about the words safety seal certificate or safety seal certification circulating in the local news and social media lately? In connection to this ongoing COVID-19 Crisis we are all living with, businesses are being compelled to get certified that they have met the safety and health-related requirements. The safety seal certificates are supposed to ensure the public that the business establishments they intend to enter are safe for their health.

To put things in perspective, over thirty companies have applied for the safety seal certificate according to a Philippine News Agency report. In Imus, Cavite province, certain businesses their now have the certificates according to a Manila Times report.

Now here is the latest. The City Government of Las PiƱas announced that it has formed a new team designed to do inspections in relation to the local implementation of the safety seal certification which local businesses in their jurisdiction should have qualified for.

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

Las Pinas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar issued an executive order creating an inspection team for the implementation of the safety seal certification.

The team created by Aguilar are composed of city administrator Reynaldo Balagulan, City Health Office head Dr. Ferdinand Eusebio, city director of Risk Reduction and Management Office Alejandro dela Merced, Public Information chief Paul San Miguel, chief legal officer Atty. Glenda Lucena, City Engineer Rosabella Bantog, Public Employment Services Office head Redante Garcia, Engineer Cesar Perillo of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, and city police chief Col. Rodel Pasator.

Aguilar ordered the team to immediately start inspecting business establishments around the city on June 11 for the issuance of the safety seal certification.

She said the inspection was in line with the joint memorandum circular issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to ensure that all business establishment in the city will follow minimum public health standard as imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease.

The mayor said the inspection and certification team was created to ensure that businesses around the city were following the minimum health standard to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and future surge.

Aguilar ordered the team to conduct inspections in malls, wet markets, retail stores, restaurants outside hotels or resorts, fastfood, eateries, coffee shops, car wash, laundry shops, banks, among others.

The above report ended stating that Mayor Aguilar wants the new team to regularly monitor the establishments using the checklist related to the safety seal certification. In a sense, this a new wave of regulation by the City Government on businesses and I should state that Las PiƱas City has many businesses of all sizes all throughout its jurisdiction. Just drive along Alabang-Zapote Road coming from Alabang to SM Southmall and you will see so many commercial joints all the way between. And then there is the rest of Las PiƱas where businesses are scattered at (examples: Marcos Alvarez Avenue, CAA Road, Tropical Avenue, BF Resort Drive, Gloria Diaz street).

To put things in perspective, the safety seal certification was emphasized in a ceremony in SM City Sucat in ParaƱaque City this past May which was attended by  Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya.

Businesses aside, people still need to do their part in overcoming the pandemic by getting vaccinated. To get vaccinated, registering with the local authorities goes first. Already over 100,000 Las PiƱas residents of have been vaccinated.

Any Las PiƱas resident who has yet to get registered for free COVID-19 vaccines can learn the ways (3 methods) by clicking here. Anyone who is ready and willing to register online can click bit.ly/LasPiƱasVaccination

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a business owner in Las PiƱas, have you applied for the safety seal certification program already? Does the new team formed by the City Government for inspection sound challenging to your business? Also, are all of your employees been vaccinated for COVID-19?

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

ParaƱaque City Mayor Gus Tambunting?

Less than a year from now, the next elections for Philippine President, Vice President, Senators, House of Representative members, Governors, Vice-Governors, Provincial Board members, Mayors, Vice Mayors and City Councilors will happen. When exactly next year? May 9, 2022 to be precise as written in COMELEC’s Resolution Number 10695.

In relation to future elections, it has been reported through the Manila Standard, the Manila Times and Business Mirror that RP- Mission and Development Foundation Inc. released the results of a recent study titled ā€œNCR Mayor: Pulso ng Bayan 2022ā€ which is about the voters’ preference for mayor (of their locality) within the National Capital Region (NCR) in relation to the 2022 elections. According to the poll organizers, their study was conducted from May 20 to 30, 2021 with feedback from 5,000 respondents.

When it comes to cities here in South Metro Manila, their study on the City of ParaƱaque showed that 50% of respondents prefer former Congressman Gus Tambunting as the next Mayor, and he is way ahead of incumbent Congressman Eric Olivarez (the brother of incumbent Mayor Edwin Olivarez who is now serving his third and final term).

To be very specific and clear, below is an excerpt about ParaƱaque City as written in the study itself. Some parts in boldface…

While in ParaƱaque City, outgoing Mayor Edwin Olivarez’s brother Eric Olivarez who is currently Congressman will run as the next Mayor who achieved as 35-percentage result against former Congressman Gustavo ā€œGusā€ Tambunting who received a 50-percentage count.

For transparency, posted below are the two pages of the study sourced from RP- Mission and Development Foundation Inc.

Page 1
Page 2

Going back to the study, it’s hard to say if the results about ParaƱaque can be taken seriously even though it has been publicized through a number of national publications. Apart from listing only two candidates, there is no telling as to how many of the alleged 5,000 respondents were from ParaƱaque who supposedly participated.

The way it has been presented, it shows a 2-way fight for the mayoralty of ParaƱaque between Congressman Eric Olivarez and former Congressman Gus Tambunting. The latter leading by fifteen points.

To give the constituents of ParaƱaque a clearer view as to who they prefer to be the new Mayor in 2022, it would be helpful if the survey organizers would conduct another study and include more potential candidates and be more transparent with regards to respondents’ being from ParaƱaque. Imagine for example, as the deadline for the filing of candidacies at the COMELEC approaches, one of the barangay captains in the city decides to run for Mayor. Or what if former Mayor Florencio ā€œJunā€ Bernabe decides to run again? The organizers of the survey should do more studies in the months to come so that voters of ParaƱaque can get a clearer look at the potential battle for the mayoralty.

Who is Gus Tambunting?

For the newcomers reading this as well as those who are not too familiar with former Congressman Gus Tambunting and the history of ParaƱaque, Tambunting is the grandson of the late classic actress Mila del Sol.

With regards to public service, Tambunting has an enduring track record of election victories and public service in the form of legislation and projects. When ParaƱaque was still a municipality (note: it became a city in early 1998), he ran in the 1988 local election (the first local contest after the People Power Revolution of 1986) and won a seat for Municipal Council.

After serving the people of ParaƱaque, Tambunting went on to get re-elected as Councilor in 1992, 1995, and then as City Councilor 2001 and 2004. In 2007, he went higher as he got elected as Vice Mayor of ParaƱaque and got re-elected in 2010.

In 2013, Tambunting went even higher after getting elected as the Representative of the 2nd District of ParaƱaque City in the House of Representatives. In 2016, he survived an election challenge by former Congressman Roilo Golez winning a 2nd term with a lead of a little over 3,000 votes.

In 2019, he stepped down which paved the way for his wife Joy Tambunting to run and win the 2nd District seat he previously occupied in representing the city in Congress.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are registered voter of ParaƱaque, would you be voting for Eric Olivarez or Gus Tambunting for Mayor if the 2022 local elections were held today? Do you find the ParaƱaque results of the study by RP- Mission and Development Foundation Inc. credible or interesting or pointless?

Other than Eric Olivarez and Gus Tambunting, who else in ParaƱaque City do you prefer to become the new Mayor?

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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I Love Israel: Israel sending experts to the Philippines to help with vaccination against COVID-19

So much has happened to Israel in recent times. They defended themselves from the many rockets launched by the terrorists in Gaza (supported by long-time terrorism sponsor Iran) using the Iron Dome defense system which prevented massive deaths and damage from happening.

On the diplomatic arena, it is highly unfortunate that the Philippines voted in favor of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) investigation of the so-called human rights violations and abuses in Gaza which added to what I believe is the latest coordinated international attack against Israel. For the newcomers reading this, the terrorists, the anti-Semites, the Satanic Left (Marxists, socialists, Communists) and other kinds of people who hate Israel have long been using the United Nations as a global weapon against the Jewish state.

Even with these hard developments, I still believe that the State of Israel (whose founding in 1948 is a genuine miracle under the watch of God) is essential in this ravaged world as it is the light against darkness, and they have the undeniable right to defend themselves. With regards to the Israel-Philippines relationship, I still strong believe in it even though my nation committed a major blunder supporting the people who hate Israel at the UNHRC. In accordance to God’s Word (the Holy Bible), I will always love Israel and keep blessing it and its people.

While it has been working hard on defending itself on all fronts, Israel still stepped forward in assisting the Philippines by designating three experts (from their Ministry of Health) to enhance the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination operations.

To put things in perspective, here is an excerpt from the article of Philippine News Agency (PNA). Some parts in boldface…

Three experts from Israel’s Ministry of Health will help the Philippines to further enhance inoculation efforts against coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., also the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief implementer, said in a statement on Sunday that the experts are set to arrive on June 20, 2021 to discuss strategies on vaccine deployment, transition to the new normal, and addressing vaccine hesitancy.

The government, he said, is targeting to adopt Israel’s interventions on increasing public uptake, which is to provide incentives for vaccine recipients and restrictions for those who are yet to get coronavirus jabs.

Galvez said Israel’s method allows people who have received the jabs to increase their mobility and slowly return to normalcy, while those who have not been vaccinated will still need to follow quarantine protocols.

Israel’s vaccination program has been “highly successful,” according to Galvez.

Israel has officially dropped its outdoors face mask policy on April 18, after inoculating more than half of its population with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

It has also reopened schools and revived economic activities.

Israel’s success in having a majority of its people vaccinated for COVID-19 is undeniable and it is indeed a great model for other nations (still struggling with COVID-19) to follow no matter what their politics are. The hatred towards Israel, the false accusations of apartheid thrown against them and the wickedness of the socialists (as well as the Marxist racism-driven movement Black Lives Matter) with siding with the terrorists are nothing more than garbage for everyone witnessing global events through the distorted news and views channeled through Leftist news organizations.

Israel is leading the way in the fight against COVID-19, in helping people getting their respective lives back to normal, and helping nations with much bigger populations to save themselves from COVID-19. In fact, Israel has been providing much-needed assistance to India which has been suffering a lot from their own COVID-19 crisis.

With Israel’s dedication on assisting the Philippines confirmed already, this is great news that Filipinos should be very happy about and become more aware of. For months already, COVID-19 vaccination programs have been going on nationwide and there is still a long way to go before even half the population gets vaccinated fully (2 doses for each patient).

Not only are there not enough vaccines arriving here in the Philippines, there are also Filipinos that I observed are hesitant of getting vaccinated for reasons such as phobia towards needles (injections), the fear of side effects with vaccines, fear of waiting too long in line at vaccination sites due to overcrowding or disorganization (look at the disastrous Pfizer launch in ParaƱaque City), the inability of certain people to register (the DILG called for additional help for non-techie senior citizens while Las PiƱas City recently launched a 3rd option of assisted on-site registration), and more.

How the Israeli experts will help the Philippines solve the above-mentioned factors, we will find out soon enough. What is clear is that the Israel-Philippines relationship is still living and the recent setback at the UNHRC is temporary. Eventually by the end of this year, direct flights between the Philippines and the Jewish state will be established and that means golden opportunities for Filipinos (especially those who got fully vaccinated) to visit the Holy Land.

Before ending this article, posted below is a holy scripture…

ā€œI will plant Israel in their own land,

never again to be uprooted

from the land I have given them,ā€

says the Lord your God.

Amos 9:15 (NIV)

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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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