COVID-19 vaccine – Page 33 – Author Carlo Carrasco

I Love Israel: Israel’s success in dealing with the pandemic acknowledged

April 27, 2021April 26, 2021carlocarrasco

Yesterday, there was this article published in the Philippine Star (online version here) with a title that caught my attention…O Israel!

The said article was written by long-time columnist Boo Chanco (who cited the Washington Post, Capital Economics and Deutsche Welle for context) and to put things in perspective, below are notable excerpts for your reading. Some parts in bold…

Excerpt 1

According to The Washington Post, Israel is now partying like it’s 2019.

“With most adults now vaccinated against the coronavirus and restrictions falling away – including the lifting this week of outdoor mask requirements – Israelis are joyously resuming routines that were disrupted more than a year ago and providing a glimpse of what the future could hold for other countries.”

Oh, Israel! How did you guys do it? We are still in limbo. The best guess for us puts two more years of aimless wandering in the COVID desert.

Excerpt 2

According to The Washington Post, “the rate of new infections has plummeted – from a peak of almost 10,000 a day to about 140 – and the number of serious coronavirus cases in many hospitals is down to single digits.

“The emergency COVID-19 ward at Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv resumed duty as a parking garage, and waiting rooms are suddenly flooded with non-COVID patients coming for long-deferred treatments.”

But Israeli health officials are quick to note that the pandemic is not over. They are worried about the variants. There is also the possibility of outbreaks in schools, where most students are too young to be vaccinated.

Still, Israel is showing what other nations can expect if they can keep on vaccinating.

“With almost 90 percent of the most vulnerable cohort – those 50 and older – fully inoculated, experts say hospital ICU units are now shielded from being overwhelmed, as almost happened earlier in the pandemic.”

Just two months ago, the spread of the disease stubbornly refused to slow. Vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine is making the difference for Israel.

Dr. Tony Leachon, who once advised IATF, however observed rightly that while “vaccines save lives, the success of Israel is anchored on leadership and governance, and agility in execution.”

According to Deutsche Welle, Israel was able to secure large quantities of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine because Israel agreed to pay double the price for each dose.

Excerpt 3

Israeli officials explained they agreed to pay extra per dose because they figured that in pure economic numbers, the total amount they overpaid was a miniscule fraction of what it costs to lockdown the country. This is not counting the extra medical costs of COVID and the incalculable price of losing a loved one.

Poor Filipinos. We don’t have leaders who think as clearly as the Israelis. We have red tape loving bureaucrats. So, we didn’t have enough vaccines early enough, and it seems we have the wrong one.

A successful vaccination rollout would be our country’s economic game changer. But as Capital Economics said, progress has been disappointing as only one percent of the population has been inoculated almost two months since the start of the program.

Israel launched one of the fastest rollouts in the world. According to The Washington Post, Israel delivered just under 10 million doses of the two-shot Pfizer vaccine regimen, reaching 4.98 million people or about 55 percent of its total population. An additional 400,000 Israelis have received one shot.

“If those who have been infected and then recovered are added, more than 60 percent of Israeli residents now have some level of protective antibodies. The virus is running short of vulnerable bodies to infect.”

Can you imagine if we were able to do that for Metro Manila? NCR’s population is comparable in number to Israel’s.

Wow! Those are very notable details. It is very clear that Israel went all-out and paid heavily to protect their people and set the stage for social and economic comebacks. I admire Israel for their focus, their efforts and management of the COVID-19 crisis (China Virus) there. To put things in perspective, watch these related YouTube videos below…

By comparison, the efforts here in the Philippines are nowhere as efficient and nowhere as successful. It should be noted that yesterday, the Philippines’ total number of COVID-19 cases has passed the 1,000,000 mark. Regardless, I encourage you all to read Boo Chanco’s article in full at https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/04/26/2093707/oh-israel

Going back to Israel, they already announced that they will open their borders to foreign visitors who have already been vaccinated for COVID-19.

In ending this piece, let me ask you readers the following questions:

What is your opinion about Israel’s COVID-19 vaccination program and the way they managed their economy and society?
Here in the Philippines, what is your opinion about the COVID-19 crisis-related efforts of the national government as well as the local government units (LGUs)?
Also here in the Philippines, as local citizens, do you believe your respective mayors are diligently working to serve you and protect your from COVID-19? Do you find your mayors more focused with their egos instead of performing public service?
Still here in the Philippines, if you are a local business owner or manager, has your local government been helpful or harmful?

If you are willing to answer, please do so in the comments section below. If you want more privacy, please contact me directly 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

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Government all set to open a major vaccination hub in a shopping mall, offers free shuttle for vaccine takers

April 24, 2021April 23, 2021carlocarrasco

The City Government of Muntinlupa announced yesterday that it is set to open a major vaccination hub in a local shopping mall, in addition to existing community vaccination centers, and is set to provide free shuttle for vaccine takers to encourage more residents to get their COVID-19 jab.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi is set to inaugurate the first major vaccination hub in Ayala Malls South Park, Alabang today together with other local officials. Fresnedi expresses his thanks to the local shopping mall for opening up a space for the city’s vaccination program and says that the initiative will augment vaccine demand generation in Muntinlupa.

*A look at the set-up of the major vaccination hub inside a mall. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)*

The first major vaccination hub in Muntinlupa can accommodate up to 500 residents from Barangays Alabang, Bayanan, and Putatan per schedule. Residents from A2-A3 categories will receive a text message for their assigned schedule while a free shuttle service will be provided for vaccine takers starting 8:00 AM for the following routes: Alabang Barangay Hall to South Park and vice versa, and Muntinlupa City Hall to South Park and vice versa. Additional major vaccination hubs in other local malls will be installed in the coming weeks.

Further, community vaccination sites in the barangays will continue to accommodate other residents from different priority groups. The schedule in barangay vaccination centers will be posted in the City Government of Muntinlupa Facebook Page.

As of April 20, there are 18,093 vaccinated individuals from priority groups in Muntinlupa, of which 13,977 received Sinovac and 4,116 inoculated with AstraZeneca, according to the City Health Office.

Muntinlupa CHO has recorded a 100% vaccination rate among A1 Healthcare Workers with 5,123 vaccinated individuals and A2 Senior Citizens with 5,630 inoculated residents based from the number of registrants in the city’s COVID-19 Vaccination Registration System. Vaccination for A3 Persons with Comorbidities is ongoing with 7,337 residents who already received their vaccines as of April 20. Meanwhile, the City Government continues to inoculate members of A1-A3 until supplies last.

*Another look on the other part of the place. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)*

Recently, DOH-NCR execs led by Regional Director Dr. Gloria Balboa and Asst. Regional Director Dr. Ma. Paz Pecson Corrales visited Muntinlupa last April 19. DOH-NCR officials discussed the national government’s vaccine plan and status of the country’s vaccine purchases. Fresnedi reported the city’s COVID-19 vaccination status and the local COVID-19 situation including healthcare capacity status and updates on isolation facilities. He also appealed for more vaccine allocation in Muntinlupa as more residents register for the vaccination program.

Fresnedi urges 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 register in the city’s COVID-19 vaccination registration through www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac and to continue observing health protocols such as frequent hand-washing, wearing of face masks and face shields, and physical distancing.

As of April 22, Muntinlupa City has 10,292 confirmed cases with 8,636 recoveries, 1,383 active cases, 273 reported deaths, 181 suspect cases, and 982 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.

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: Almost 100,000 residents receive financial aid (ayuda) in Las Piñas City

April 24, 2021April 23, 2021carlocarrasco

If you are a qualified recipient of financial aid from the national government that is being distributed by the local government units (LGUs) in relation to the recent ECQ (enhanced community quarantine), were you able to receive the money?

In relation to this, there is an update about the financial aid being distributed by the City Government of Las Piñas to its constituents.

The Manila Bulletin reported the other day – with Mayor Imelda Aguilar as their source – that almost one hundred thousand city residents have received the financial aid ranging from P1,000 to P4,000. To be more specific, the official count was reported at 98,648 people of Las Piñas who received the money. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin’s report…

Aguilar said the city government recorded a total of 124,435 beneficiaries listed and approved by the Department of Social Welfare and Development-National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR). Most of them were affected by the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

The mayor said the city government received a total of P501 million from the national government intended for the beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

The city government has already handed out about 65.62% of the P501-million allocation to the beneficiaries in 20 distribution points, according to Aguilar.

She said they still have a total of P172,224,000 that will be distributed to the remaining qualified beneficiaries.

As of this writing, the City Government is moving closer to achieving 100% distribution of the national government funds. The city sure has lots of distribution points set at twenty, which apparently reflects the number of barangays in their jurisdiction.

If anyone of you reading this is a certified resident of Las Piñas City and if you have received (or are still trying to receive) the so-called ayuda, you might want to share to me your experience or observations about the distribution by contacting me directly online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: New isolation facility to open soon in Las Piñas City

April 23, 2021April 22, 2021carlocarrasco

Even as the City Government of Las Piñas continues with its COVID-19 (China virus) vaccination program, the Manila Bulletin reported recently that the local authorities announced that a brand new isolation facility will open soon.

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

Mayor Imelda Aguilar said the new isolation facility will be called the Ligtas Center 2 located along Talon Dos with a 120- bed capacity.

Aguilar said the city government has two existing isolation facilities — Ligtas I located in Barangay Daniel Fajardo with 100 beds, and Ligtas 3 located in Barangay Almanza Dos with 88 beds.

She said the City Health Office (CHO) reported that due to the city government’s intensification of its isolation efforts, Ligtas 1 is already 70 percent occupied while Ligtas 3 now has an 85 percent occupancy.

The mayor said that Ligtas 2 is now ready to open to help residents who have contracted COVID-19 virus and need to be placed in a quarantine facility.

Do the math, the addition of the new isolation facility will push the total bed-count from the current 188 to 308. That’s a jump of 63.8%! As much as possible, there should be available beds for people in the city who got infected with COVID-19. This is really good news for people of the city.

Las Piñas residents who want to get vaccinated are encouraged to get registered digitally or manually. Click right here for information.

In case you missed the news, our nation will be receiving many millions more vaccines from overseas in the months to come.

Meanwhile overseas, Israel has made tremendous progress with its widescale vaccination program and already a second round of COVID-19 vaccination is being planned. Already the mask mandate in Israel has been rescinded. Schools have been reopened and more people are moving around without masks. With regards to being in indoor public places like stores, malls and churches, masks are still required.

Going back to Las Piñas City, something happened that should remind you all to avoid getting scammed. According to GMA Network News, three suspects were apprehended in the city as a result of an entrapment operation in relation to the alleged issuance of fake RT-PCR test results for COVID-19.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Millions more vaccines coming to the Philippines

April 22, 2021April 21, 2021carlocarrasco

For those who are scared about the Department of Health’s (DOH) daily count of new COVID-19 (China Virus) cases in the Philippines averaging 10,000, there is this recent news from the national government that could put some at ease – many millions more vaccines are coming into the country in the months ahead.

The press release published through Philippine News Agency (PNA) states that the national government is working hard to ensure that millions of COVID-19 vaccines from four manufacturers will arrive soon plus even more will come after April. The announcement was made by vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez, Jr.

For more, read the excerpt posted below. Some parts are in bold…

The government is working hard to ensure that the country can secure almost 14 million vaccine doses from four vaccine manufacturers within the second quarter, said vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez, Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force Against Covid-19.

“The global supply is limited but the government is doing its best to ensure that the country will have a fair share of the vaccines. The instruction of President Rodrigo Duterte is for Filipinos to be vaccinated and save more lives as we collectively surmount the challenges brought about by the pandemic,” Galvez said.

In his report to President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Galvez said the delivery of 1.5 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac is expected to be completed within April.

The government is expecting another 500,000 doses to be delivered on April 22, and another 500,000 doses on April 29.

Sinovac had shipped out 500,000 doses last April 11. These are on top of the 2 million doses that the Chinese vaccine maker had delivered to the country last February and March.

An initial 20,000 doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V are also expected to arrive this week. The second tranche of 480,000 doses will be delivered before the end of April.

Galvez said the government is also expecting the shipment of 195,000 Pfizer vaccine doses by the end of April or early May.

He said there is also a possibility that AstraZeneca vaccines coming from the COVAX Facility will also arrive within the month.

For May, Galvez said the government expects at least 2 million doses of Sinovac vaccines to be delivered to the country, along with 1 to 2 million Sputnik V doses, and 194,000 Moderna doses.

He said the government is also working with the World Health Organization, GAVI, and UNICEF for the possible delivery of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines under the COVAX Facility.

Galvez said the government expects to receive 7 to 8 million vaccine doses in June. These include 4.5 million doses of CoronaVac, 2 million doses of Sputnik V, and 1.3 million doses of AstraZeneca.

“With the arrival of these vaccines, we will continue our aggressive vaccine roll-out in the county to protect the Filipino from Covid-19,” Galvez said.

As of April 18, a total of 1,477,757 vaccine doses have been administered in the country. Currently, only medical front-liners, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities are being inoculated.

Starting mid-May or June, the government will allow the inoculation of other essential workers.

The Philippines ranks third among countries in Asean in the number of citizens that have been vaccinated, while the country has placed 41st out of 173 countries worldwide in the same category and 14th among 47 Asian nations.

At present, the government has signed contracts with five vaccine manufacturers, which include Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novovax and Gamaleya. Contracts with Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer are being finalized.

Galvez said the country expects a steady supply of about 10 million to 15 million vaccine doses per month in the third and fourth quarters of this year.

In response, Duterte lauded the government’s vaccination rollout, saying it is “more than an acceptable performance in the matter of the fight against Covid as far as the Philippines is concerned.”

“Maganda ang record natin (We have a good record) despite unfounded criticism…The Philippines was able to get the upper berth of the countries that are inoculated. Maganda ang record na ‘yan (That’s a good record) and to think people were almost in a quandary where to get the next vaccination,” the President said.

“Nakita mo naman hindi pala tayo ang pinakamahina at mataas ‘yung atin (We are not the weakest) and it goes to show that we are really working very hard especially Sec. Galvez to get the vaccines here in the Philippines on time,” he added.

Wow. That’s a lot of COVID-19 vaccines coming into the Philippines in the months to come. Achieving herd immunity for the Filipino people is the goal here and it is crucial not only for people’s lives but also for the economy. This China virus pandemic negatively impacted everyone and it even prevented people from heavily attending and worshiping the Lord together at churches. In the private sector, cinemas are still closed which took its toll on the 300,000 cinema industry workers.

While waiting for vaccines to arrive, residents of the cities of Muntinlupa and Las Las Piñas are encouraged to get themselves registered.

For Muntinlupa City, get the details here.

For Las Piñas City, get the details here.

Nationally, a total of 1,353,107 people have been vaccinated with a total of 1,562,563 COVID-19 vaccines as of April 20, 2021. Among those who got vaccinated were 989,703 healthcare workers.

If you have something to say about the current situation of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, or within your city or local community, you may contact me directly online or comment below.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Government to include qualified families in villages, subdivisions affected by ECQ to ‘ayuda’ distribution

April 21, 2021June 13, 2021carlocarrasco

Following the distribution of emergency subsidy to families from priority groups who were affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the City Government of Muntinlupa announced that it will include qualified beneficiaries from local subdivisions and villages for the financial assistance program.

The Muntinlupa Social Service Department has distributed the emergency subsidy to initial beneficiaries who were members of the Social Amelioration Program, Waitlisted Individuals (SAP), and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as prescribed by the Joint Memorandum Circular of DSWD, DILG, and DND to be the priority groups for the financial assistance.

Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said that after the pay-out for priority groups, qualified residents who were not included in the previous list of beneficiaries, even those living or renting in villages and subdivisions, can apply for the emergency subsidy.

She clarifies that other city residents who are not beneficiaries of SAP, those who are SAP waitlisted, and 4Ps can receive the financial assistance given that they qualify the requirements from the JMC.

Navarro noted that individuals who were directly affected by the recent imposition of the ECQ need to coordinate with their respective barangays and homeowners’ associations (HOAs) to fill-up a Client Information Sheet (CIS) and submit necessary documents. The submission of CIS to the barangays was set from April 19 to 22, 2021.

The allocated budget for Muntinlupa City is P442,191,000 which covers 80% of the local population as projected by National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The City Government has established a Grievance and Appeals Committee (GAC) to resolve issues and concerns from the beneficiaries. As of April 19, Muntinlupa GAC has responded to 809 inquiries sent via email and resolved 83 phone call inquiries.

Recently, Muntinlupa has requested an extension for the distribution of emergency subsidy to the DILG. Initially, local government units (LGUs) are enjoined to conduct the distribution of the emergency subsidy within 15 calendar days from release of Notice of Cash Allocation if the assistance is done in cash and within 30 days if assistance is given in kind.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi signed an executive order for the distribution of emergency subsidy in cash amounting to P1,000 per individual with a maximum amount of P4,000 per family to target beneficiaries.

The local exec noted that the assistance will be in cash as the local government is continuously providing food packs to city residents. Muntinlupa LGU has distributed 72,900 food boxes to city residents from January 2021 to April 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.

I Love Israel: Israel opening up on May 23, 2021 to foreign tourists who got vaccinated for COVID-19

April 20, 2021April 19, 2021carlocarrasco

Israel (population 9.3 million), which recently celebrated its 73^rd Independence Day, announced that it will welcome foreign visitors who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 (China virus) starting May 23, 2021. The opening of the borders for foreigners will be done gradually (by stage). Filipinos or Philippine passport holders may enjoy visa-free access into Israel for up to ninety (90) days.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the recent news article published through Philippine News Agency (PNA). Key parts in bold…

Israel is opening up its borders to foreign tourists who have been vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) starting next month.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism said the initiative will begin on May 23, starting with a limited number of groups that will be increased based on the health situation and progress of the program.

Individual travelers will be allowed into Israel in its “second stage”, with health considerations determining the timeline.

“All visitors will be required to undergo a PCR test before boarding the flight to Israel, and a serological test to prove their vaccination, upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport” it said.

In the meantime, discussions will continue with various countries to reach agreements for vaccine-certificate validation, so as to cancel the need for the serological test.

Israel’s vaccination program has been successful, outpacing much of the world in inoculating its population.

“After opening the economy, it is time to allow tourism in a careful and calculated manner. Opening the tourism is important for one of the fields most hurt during the COVID year. We will continue to look at easing regulations in accordance with the health situation,” said Yuli Edelstein, Israel’s Minister of Health.

This is really great news! Personally, it is my heartful desire to visit the Holy Land in Israel where I can discover places Lord Jesus had been to, realize what I’ve learned in the Holy Bible and deepen my faith in Him even more.

I also strongly value the friendship between Israel and my native Philippines. In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte and his delegation had a groundbreaking visit to Israel. The friendship of the two nations was clearly reflected during the Networking Night of the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ICCP) of 2019 which I personally attended. It should be noted that Filipino caregivers in Israel were vaccinated for COVID-19 for free. Truly the Israel-Philippines relationship should be treasured forever! For insight about the many Filipinos who got vaccinated in Israel, watch the video below…

For all Christians reading this…if you are looking for spiritual tours of the Holy Land with a credible tour organizer, I suggest Behold Israel. You can check out their Holy Land tour packages online. For those who have yet to know Behold Israel, it was founded in 2001 by Amir Tsarfati who grew up and lived in Israel all his life. After the end of his military service, he studied at Israel’s School of Tourism at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and worked as a licensed tour guide for Sar El Tours and Conferences, and was eventually promoted to CEO (Chief Executive Officer). While guiding dozens of church groups from around the world, God convicted him of the great need – particularly within Evangelical Christianity – to explain Israel and its role in God’s plan. Since 2013, Behold Israel became a major provider of the worldwide, real-time access to reliable sources of news and information about Israel from within the powerful context of Bible history and prophecy. I encourage you to visit https://beholdisrael.org/ and for insight, I recommend watching the videos below (one of which was Amir Tsarfati’s online interaction with my fellow Filipinos).

There is also the organization Christians United for Israel (CUFI) which now has over 10,000,000 members worldwide who are dedicated to defend Israel and fight against anti-Semitism. CUFI is the largest pro-Israel organization in the United States and is the foremost Christian organization educating and empowering millions of Americans to speak and act with one voice in defense of Israel and the Jewish people. The organization is committed to confronting indifference and combating anti-Semitism in all its forms wherever it may be found. CUFI was founded in early 2006 and since grown tremendously. They are accepting donations online and if you believe in protecting and empowering Israel, head on to https://cufi.org/donation/donate/

Going back to Israel-Philippines relations, there is also the online presence of the Israeli Embassy in the Philippines (Facebook page: Israel in the Philippines). Check out their web page welcoming message below…

We will never forget how President Manuel Quezon opened the doors of the Philippines to Jews fleeing Nazi persecution in Europe during the Holocaust.

Israel has a great deal of admiration for the approximately 30,000 Filipino caregivers who are working in Israel and have an integral, cherished and respected part of Israeli society.

Israel is considered global high-tech power and a leader in cyber industry. I’m also very proud of the long agriculture cooperation between our two countries. We are excited to promote cooperation in these areas.

Ambassador Rafael Harpaz

On the Facebook page Israel in the Philippines are lots of useful updates related to Israel and its ties with the Philippines. They also publish videos about Israeli culture, cuisine, places of Israel and more. Important or special events are also announced. As such, I recommend you to visit and follow Israel in the Philippines.

In ending this, here are videos related to Israel from the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and from Hagee Ministries for you to watch. Love the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!

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COVID-19 Crisis: The high cost of ECQ on the Philippine economy

April 19, 2021April 17, 2021carlocarrasco

You must be wondering how much of a price did the nation pay as a result of the 2-week ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) ordered on NCR Plus (National Capital Region plus the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal).

The answer? P180 billion in terms of economic losses according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) accounting for 1% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) article of April 15, 2021. Some parts in bold…

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has estimated that the country lost 1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) during the two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in National Capital Region (NCR) and four nearby provinces.

During the Laging Handa public briefing Thursday, DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said the economic loss due to the half-a-month ECQ in NCR, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal (NCR Plus) is equivalent to PHP180 billion.

Earlier, Lopez said around 1.5 million Filipinos had no jobs during the ECQ in NCR Plus, and only 500,000 jobs were brought back when the quarantine classification for areas was downgraded to a less strict modified ECQ (MECQ).

“We want to see lower Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) cases and lower utilization rate of (Covid-19 beds) before we ease the status to GCQ (general community quarantine),” he said in Filipino.

The DTI chief also downplayed speculation that the reopening of economic activities and business establishments became the ‘super spreader’ of Covid-19.

To manage the rate of infection of the coronavirus, Lopez said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will not allow high-risk and non-essential activities and gatherings.

He added the government must slow down the daily Covid-19 cases while increasing the health care capacity to relax community quarantine status in the NCR Plus.

Clearly, the 2-week ECQ period on NCR Plus was damaging not only to the businesses and people of the affected region but on the Philippine economy as well. What we cannot see yet is exactly how many more people – specifically those who lost jobs in NCR Plus because of ECQ – fell into poverty. Take note that the more people fall into poverty, the more costly it becomes for the local government units (LGUs) and the nation government to provide support to them using taxpayers’ money.

As it has been a week since NCR Plus shifted to MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine), we will find out soon how much the region and the national economy recovered from the high cost of ECQ.

If you do the math, a single week of ECQ on NCR Plus costs P90 billion. Can you just imagine the dramatic cost to the nation had ECQ went on for a full year of 52 weeks? Do not forget that all the unemployed bad need jobs and income.

Right now, the national government and varied forms of governing units are still struggling to balance themselves between economics and public health during this COVID-19 (China virus) pandemic that has lasted over a year now. No matter how you do your business, how you make your important transactions, follow the health protocols to avoid getting infected with the China virus.

By the way, whenever possible, support the business joints in your local community whenever you need to buy or consume something. By the way, never let the Political Left fool you with their propaganda related to economy and the pandemic.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Almost 7,000 people vaccinated in Las Piñas City

April 17, 2021April 16, 2021carlocarrasco

Here’s a quick look at the China virus situation in Las Piñas City. The Manila Bulletin reported recently that almost 7,000 people in the said city got vaccinated specifically with the China-sourced COVID-19 vaccine.

For transparency, below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin’s April 14, 2021 report. Key details in bold…

A total of 6911 individuals received the China-made Sinovac vaccine since the start of the Las Piñas City government’s vaccination rollout last March with the theme of “Ligtas na Las Piñero, Lahat Bakunado.”

The City Health Office (CHO) reported to Mayor Imelda Aguilar that a total of 3902 frontline workers composed of doctors, nurses, and other health workers coming from public and private hospitals, including clinics, already received their Sinovac jabs.

A total of 1,745 senior citizens have also been vaccinated in the city. The inoculation for the other senior citizens will continue after the Department of Health (DOH) approved the use of Sinovac.

The report also showed that a total of 1264 persons with comorbidities also received their first dose of vaccines.

The Public Information Office said the city government is continuing to conduct vaccination simultaneously at the city’s 10 vaccination sites.

For the newcomers reading this, it was confirmed previously that Las Piñas senior citizens got vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccines (click here and here) which the City Government already paid for. Why AstraZeneca was not mentioned in Manila Bulletin’s report is curious.

Meanwhile, local citizens reading this 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 anyone of you reading this is a certified resident of Las Piñas City and if you got vaccinated (or you are still waiting to get vaccinated), you might want to share to me your experience or observations about the vaccination process or the local vaccine registration processes by contacting me directly online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City Government released P154.4 million in cash aid payout so far (according to Manila Bulletin)

April 17, 2021April 16, 2021carlocarrasco

Hey readers! You heard about the local government units (LGUs) doing what they can to release to their respective constituents the cash assistance provided by the national government in relation to the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) that happened in recent times?

Recently the City Government of Las Piñas was reported by the Manila Bulletin to be doing its job. To be clear, distribution is not the only thing that the LGU should do but also avoid the temptations of using the politician’s name, photo or image in the said distribution. The fund is popularly referred to as ayuda.

Going back to Las Piñas City, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Key details in bold…

The Las Piñas City government completed a 30.82 percent payout to a total of 126,000 qualified beneficiaries of the P1,000 up to P4,000 financial assistance coming from the national government.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar said the city government received P501 million from the national government for distribution to beneficiaries listed under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) and approved by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office-National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR).

Aguilar also said the other beneficiaries were those from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Based on the financial assistance report provided by the city government, it has already released a total of 154,402,000 to about 44,043 beneficiaries coming from 20 barangays in the city affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

The mayor said the city government still has P346,598,000 for distribution

Aguilar said the payout of the financial assistance is being held simultaneously in 20 distribution sites at the covered court of each barangay.

To put things in perspective, P154,402,000 (note: did you notice the lack of a Peso indicator in Manila Bulletin’s report above?) out of the grand total of P501,000,000 (this figure based on the above details) is equivalent to 30.82%. The City Government still has a long way to go before all the national government-provided funds have fully been released. For her part, Mayor Imelda Aguilar said (in the Manila Bulletin report) that her administration expects to finish the payout of the funds before the deadline given to each LGU. For insight, watch this news video.

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