Are you a Las Piñas City resident looking for fresh and affordable food to buy for your family? Then you should consider visiting Kadiwa Market at the Las Piñas City Hall complex every Friday. This is a special project by the local authorities and their strategic partners that aims to benefit local residents who are looking for great value when buying fresh products sourced directly from the farmers, the fishermen and other suppliers.
Check out the pictures below…
Fresh fish, vegetables and fruits on display. (photo source – City of Las Piñas Facebook page)
More fresh goods on display. (photo source – City of Las Piñas Facebook page)
Kadiwa Market tarpaulin.(photo source – City of Las Piñas Facebook page)
As such, Las Piñas City are encouraged to visit the Kadiwa Market at the Las Piñas City Hall complex every Friday.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? If you were able to visit the Kadiwa Market at the City Hall complex, were you able to buy fresh goods? Did you get your money’s worth? How are the prices of fish, meat and vegetables at the Kadiwa market compared to those in other wet markets or palengke?
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
For some time now, the terms fully vaccinated has officially been used by the national authorities to describe a patient who received two doses of most COVID-19 vaccine brands (note: Janssen vaccine from Johnson & Johnson is a single dose vaccine). That may soon change as the Department of Health (DOH) is pushing to redefine what fully vaccinated means in relation to the recent COVID-19 developments here in the Philippines, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Department of Health (DOH) said it will push for the redefinition of “fully vaccinated” against Covid-19— which is to include a booster dose.
“Katulad ng nasabi namin noon, we’ll be really supporting, we have recommended the redefinition of our fully vaccinated–kung saan ang first two doses plus yung booster shot (As we have said before, we’ll be really supporting, we have recommended the redefinition of our fully vaccinated – first two doses plus a booster shot),” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press briefing on Wednesday, July 20.
Such a move can be used as “incentives and disincentives to people,” said Vergeire.
“So, people cannot go to these public spaces or cannot enter restaurants and they just eat outside if they don’t have that fully vaccinated status. ‘Yun sana yung gusto natin ipatupad pero siyempre marami dapat tayong ikonsidera kapag ginawa natin ito (That’s what we want to implement but of course, we have a lot to consider before we can do this)” she said.
“Kaya patuloy pakikipagusap sa iba’t-ibang ahensya pati na rin sa (We continue to discuss this with various agencies as well as the) Office of the President if this is going to be feasible or not. So, hahantayin po natin na mabuo ang ating pakikipag-usap para hindi natin maiwan ang ibang sektor sa usapin na ito (So, we will wait for all discussions to be completed so that we do not leave other sectors behind in this matter),” she added.
Vergeire said they will propose this strategy once the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is reconstituted.
“Primarily that’s what we are thinking about. Hopefully in the coming days, pag convene ng IATF, mailagay na natin sa ating agenda, mapag-usapan, mapagkasunduan, at mairekomenda na uli sa ating Presidente (when the IATF convenes, we will be able to put this on our agenda, discussed, come up with a decision, and make the recommendations to the President),” she said.
Second booster – In a related development, the DOH is not yet recommending the second booster shot for the general population.
“Hanggang sa ngayon, sinasabi ng mga eksperto (Until now, experts say)—especially for the general population—your first two doses and your first booster shot are still enough to protect you from severe and critical illness from this Covid-19 virus,” said Vergeire.
“It is different for the immunocompromised, seniors, and healthcare workers. Kasi sila, hindi ganun ka robust ang kanilang immunity sa katawan… kaya binibigyan pa sila ng another dose (Because their immunity in the body is not that robust… so they are given another dose). That is based on evidence. Itong second booster for general population, hanggang sa ngayon, sparse pa rin ang datos para makapagbigay ng ebidensya that we can give this to our general population (This second booster for the general population, until now, the data is still sparse in order to provide evidence that we can give this to our general population),” she added.
As of this writing, the current definition of fully vaccinated still remains in effect. It will take the approval of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to make the revision happen at all.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? What do you think about the DOH’s push to have fully vaccinated redefined? Do you think this will lead to confusion among all the people who got vaccinated with two doses nationwide?
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
If you are selling products online and if you value your personal safety as well as your own business, you might want to refrain from meeting your customers in person (note: meet-ups) as a group of armed helmet-wearing robbers victimized an online seller at its business venue before getting arrested by the police, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…
Police officers in Pasig City arrested on weekend five armed robbers who were preying on online sellers across eastern Metro Manila.
According to Emil Sumangil’s report on “24 Oras” on Monday, authorities nabbed James Sy Natividad and three others after their leader, Jonard Bernardio, revealed their whereabouts.
Caught on CCTV, the suspects were seen breaking into a store and beating sales agents before stealing money and valuable items. One of the suspects was also seen pointing a gun at the victim.
Police Lieutenant Jaylord Estillore, chief of Station Investigation and Detective Management of Pasig Police, said the armed robbers were dubbed “Jonard Bernarbio Robbery-Holdup Group.”
“Mag-order online and then pagdating doon sa meet-up area doon nila bibiktimahin yung kanilang mga target,” Estillore said.
(They will order online and then when they arrive at the meet-up area, they will prey on their victims.)
Police Lieutenant Resel Guevearra, spokesperson of Pasig Police, reminded the public to be cautious with their transactions.
“I-validate po natin ang ating mga ka-transaction as much as possible doon tayo makipagtransact sa maraming tao,” Guevearra said.
(Let’s validate who we transact with. As much as possible, we should have transact in crowded places.)
Now here is the related news video about the same story. Watch the video and pay close attention…
As you can see in the above news excerpt and video, doing a “meet-up” even in a business venue with CCTV cameras recording is still risky to do. The suspects were seen wearing helmets which means they anticipated the place had CCTV cameras and knew how to hide their faces. It is indeed a good thing not only for the victims but also for the city that the police were able to stop and arrest them.
As I am writing this, it remains to be seen if this type of crime could have happened around the nation while remaining unreported.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? Do you think that online sellers with business venues should hire security guards to prevent the armed robbers (among those who ordered online) from taking over? When you sell online, do you insist on meeting your customers personally or do you prefer sending the products to them via courier? What is the one thing about customer meet-ups do you like the most when selling online?
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
Have you been paying more for pandesal at your local bakery? In my experience, I love the pandesal of Mang Pandesal located along Tropical Avenue, BF International in Las Piñas City. When I first visited them in 2019, they sold pieces of pandesal at P2 each. That is no longer the case anymore. Two days ago, I visited Mang Pandesal ang bought 20 pieces of pandesal at P2.50 each. That’s a total of P50.
Do the math, P2.50 is a notable increase of 25% over the previous price of P2 per pandesal which lasted for years at Mang Pandesal. While I still will buy pandesal from Mang Pandesal (note: they’re still the best in the BF Homes community), I am more conscious about how many pieces to buy each time I visit them.
Even as our country continues to struggle to recover from the COVID-19 crisis socially and economically, we have no choice but to face the new normal of bread from the local bakeries…a new normal of higher prices and/or smaller sizes of bread. There are both internal and external economic forces that have been affecting the many local bakeries around the Philippines. High fuel prices are just the tip of the iceberg, literally.
Expect local bread to get smaller but become more expensive at the same time.
Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda made this rather depressing prediction as wheat, eggs, and sugar–all vital ingredients to breadmaking–have all shot up in price.
Salceda even has a clever word for it: “shrinkflation”.
“Bread will probably be the hardest hit by shrinkflation. Wheat prices have increased by 165 percent. At that point, breadmakers will probably both increase prices and shrink sizes,” the economist-solon said in a statement Sunday night, July 17.
Last March, Salceda warned of higher bread prices amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which affected the trade of wheat.
“Egg prices are also threatening to go out of control. Sugar supply is already problematic, noted the Bicolano.
“What we are likely to see us shrinkflation. Goods getting smaller instead of higher prices,” he noted.
Salceda said that while the government continues to try to control price hikes and resolve supply issues, manufacturers and millers can “fortify their products with vitamins and minerals”.
“Nutrition should be part of Science for Change, which is the DOST’s (Department of Science and Technology) flagship program. This should be one of the most relevant and immediate applications.
“Secretary [Fortunato] dela Pena also asked millers and breadmakers to consider other alternatives and additives to maintain nutritional value without increasing prices or reducing sizes significantly…So, in the meantime, while we solve the structural issues affecting price and supply, we can adapt,” the lawmaker said.
Community bakers have lost 20 percent of their members due to the twin effects of the pandemic and rising raw material prices.
Princess Lunar, director of the Asosasyon ng Panaderong Pilipino, told the Balitaan sa Maynila yesterday, the fair price of pandesal should be P4 per piece to maintain its quality but bakers continue to sell at P2 to P2.50 but the size has considerably shrank to 18 grams.
Lunar said at P4, pandesal size can be restored to 30 g.
While pandesal is not a regulated commodity, community bakers cannot increase their prices because of competition among themselves as well as with commercial and industrial bakers which have economies of scale.
She said the group plans to come up with variants of pandesal at a much bigger size enhanced with more nutritious ingredients from agricultural crops like potato, cassava and other starches. The group plans to sell this at P8 to P10 per piece.
The value-added product can help elevate the stature of the pandesal which Lunar has termed as the “pambansang tinapay.”
She appealed to government to assist the group in conducting trainings to improve further the quality of their breads especially pandesal and ensure its sustainability.
Lunar said prior to the pandemic, about 40 percent of the flour requirements for bread go to community bakers. This has since shrank to 19 percent.
Lunar said from P785 per bag, the price of flour has gone up to P1,000. Since January when the Russia-Ukraine crisis started, the price of flour has gone up by P100 to P150 per bag.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Have you been paying more for pandesal at your local bakery? Does each pandesal piece look smaller in terms of size and content in relation to what you paid for? Are you willing to pay P4 per piece of pandesal? Are there any bakeries in your local community that shut down recently? Apart from pandesal, what other types of bread do you buy from your local community bakery?
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
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar ordered the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) to deploy two water trucks and deliver potable water to residents affected by Maynilad’s water service interruption.
Aguilar said the two water trucks will be going around in the first and second districts of the city to serve the affected residents.
Local residents collecting water from one of the trucks of the City Government. (photo source – City of Las Piñas Facebook page)
She said Maynilad has announced that six communities in the city will experience water service interruption from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 16.
The mayor said the six barangays in the city identified by Maynilad are BF International/CAA, Daniel Fajardo, E. Aldana, Ilaya, Manuyo Dos, and Manuyo Uno.
Las Piñas is among five cities in Metro Manila that will experience water service interruption of up to 26 hours due to the emeregency leak repair activity along Pureza corner Abad Santos in Manila. The four other affected cities are Manila, Makati, Pasay, and Parañaque.
The above report ended stating that Maynilad customers in the city received text messages that the daily water interruption is set between 11AM and 10PM from July 16 to 31, 2022.
Water truck from the City Government. (photo source – City of Las Piñas Facebook page)
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Does your household have consistent access to water? How many households there in your local community got affected by Maynilad’s water supply interruptions? Have you availed water provided by the City Government?
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
It has been over two years since the entire Philippines first got setback economically and socially by the COVID-19 crisis. Until now, people, private organizations and businesses are still struggling to fully recover from the varied effects that come with government-imposed restrictions, limitations on business-related activities, and the public’s complacency towards COVID-19. It is bad enough that the Philippines now has a core of anti-vaccine fanatics who are misinforming and scaring people while offering no real solutions to the problems.
Speaking of solutions, a pandemic exit strategy is brewing high up in the government and it should be sent to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., soon, according to a recent report by the Manila Bulletin.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
A Cabinet member has committed that the proposed pandemic exit strategy crafted by a panel of medical experts will be endorsed to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Former presidential adviser and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said that Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos will endorse the proposal which the government can adopt to help the country transition from pandemic to normalcy.
In a statement, Concepcion said “Abalos said he will endorse the presentation of the proposals to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”
Abalos also said that he “will organize a meeting with the Department of Health (DOH) to initiate more vaccinations at the community level.”
Abalos also agreed on the importance of raising booster vaccination rates to 70 percent of the eligible population which is included in the pandemic exit proposal.
“Kailangan ng isa pa. Isa pa para sa mga pamilya, isa pa para sa komunidad (We need one more One more for our families, one more for our community),” Abalos said.
With this, Concepcion also renewed his call to push for one more massive effort for vaccination.
“Complacency is really the problem. There is no sense of urgency because people don’t see what might happen if our wall of immunity starts to weaken,” he said.
Concepcion explained that re-infections are quite possible, and that cases of long Covid have grave consequences on productivity, and ultimately, the economy.
He echoed Abalos’ statement that “we need to convince people that they need boosters.”
The DILG Chief recently met with Concepcion and members of the Advisory Council of Experts (ACE), a group of medical doctors, scientists and academics comprising the country’s foremost authorities on public health, molecular biology, disaster resilience, data insight and analysis, and economics.
The group’s proposal outlined parameters to ease the country into normalcy and encourage economic activity without risking the public’s health. It has been met with approval from the private sector, including several industry groups and businessmen.
Abalos further expressed optimism as the proposal was an initiative of the private sector, and that it puts emphasis on the importance of achieving high booster vaccination rates.
As you can see in the above news excerpt, national government officials, private sector members and other stakeholders have been brainstorming and discussing ways with the exit strategy in mind to truly lift the nation further from the COVID-19 crisis. Former presidential adviser Joey Concepcion is absolutely right when he pointed to complacency which is an enduring problem on the part of the public when it comes to how they perceived COVID-19, vaccination and health. I am certain that a lot of people got fooled by the anti-vaccine fanatics who keep on spreading misinformation and fear.
On the aspect of vaccination, I do agree that a major renewal of COVID-19 vaccination and booster shot rollouts should happen soon. I’m talking about reopening the closed vaccination sites, deploying a lot of health workers with lots of supplies of vaccines prepared, and making sure that each vaccination hub is well organized (note: we don’t want a repeat of the very embarrassing Parañaque Pfizer vaccine launch of May 2021). In addition, the national authorities should come up with ways to make economic recovery more achievable for businesses and employees. On the topic of new infections caused by Omicron and its subvariants, our nation should serious consider acquiring more Sputnik vaccines as those have proven to be very effective against Omicron. Whatever the details they are discussing, the pandemic exit strategy for the Philippines something that everyone should watch out for.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? Do you think that the national authorities and other stakeholders will be able come up with a pandemic exit strategy that will work? Do you think that the anti-vaccine fanatics will ramp up their misinformation campaign and fearmongering now that they know a national pandemic exit strategy is being developed? Do you think President Marcos will spend sufficient time to review the pandemic exit strategy before issuing his response?
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
Are you a victim of an investment scam? Recently in the City of Parañaque, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested an investment scam suspect who allegedly deceived someone into investing over one million Pesos into a poultry business that failed to materialize, the Manila Bulletin reported.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
A man who allegedly duped a person to invest P1.5 million in a poultry business that did not materialize has been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Paranaque City.
In a statement, the NBI identified the suspect as John D. Bombita who was arrested last July 4 by agents of the NBI’s Bulacan District Office (NBI-BULDO) at a coffee shop. Seized from Bombita was the P200,000 entrapment money he received from his victim.
“Subject Bombita was presented for inquest proceedings before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for estafa under the Revised Penal Code,” the NBI said
It said the complainant met Bombita in March 2020 when an offer was made to invest P1.5 million in a poultry farm to be set up in Talugtug, Nueva Ecija. The suspect introduced to the complainant Ramil Bautista, the alleged project manager.
The complainant, the NBI said, was assured that the poultry business would be operational in six months after the payment of P1.5 million to Bombita. The complainant paid the full amount in tranches, it said.
“Seven months later, Subject Bombita called an emergency meeting with the investors and introduced a certain Ulysses F. Barcial as the new person in charge of the project because Ramil Bautista took away the money intended for the Poultry project and assured the investors that the Poultry project will move forward. On May 22, 2021, a ground breaking ceremony was conducted to show that the construction of the poultry will still push through,” the NBI said.
“Sometime in April 2022, Subject Bombita called the complainant and asked for P100,000 for the payment of building permit of the three (3) Poultry Vent Tunnel. The complainant told the subjects that he can only pay P50,000. After a month, the complainant was informed that the payment for the building permit was increased to P200,000. The complainant was threatened that if he failed to pay the said amount his investment of P1.5 million will be forfeited,” it said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this latest news development? Has anyone out there tried to convince you to pour a lot of their money into a project or venture that lacked credibility?
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
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA Network news report. Some parts in boldface…
The COVID-19 wave in the National Capital Region could already be close to peaking following the decrease of the weekly growth rate, OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said Tuesday.
In a tweet, David said it is possible the COVID-19 wave in the region could have peaked already, citing the decrease of growth rate from 57% on July 4 to 32% on July 11.
He said the positivity rate was 10.9% as of July 10. The positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.
“The indicators show a slowing down of the growth rate in cases and there is a chance that cases in the NCR are peaking or have already peaked,” David said.
“The trends should be clearer after a week. The seven-day average in cases in the NCR was 710 as of July 11, equivalent to an ADAR (average daily attack rate) of 4.93% per day per 100,000,” he added.
The ADAR pertains to the incidence showing the average number of new cases in a period per 100,000 people.
Now that you have read the above news, it is important right now to get yourselves vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19 not just for your sake but also for your family’s safety as well as your job. I urge you all to reject whatever pieces of misinformation and distorted details of COVID-19 that the anti-vaccine fanatics throw at you.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? Do you think that the NCR won’t end up with a higher average of new COVID-19 cases over the next few weeks? Have you encountered the anti-vaccine fanatics lately? Are you aware that anti-vaccine fanatics have no real solutions to offer with regards to the COVID-19 crisis everyone is struggling with?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In recent times, Ambassador Fluss officially interacted with the Marcos administration by meeting with Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles and discussed matters related to Israel-Philippines ties, according to a recent article by the Manila Bulletin.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin article. Some parts in boldface…
Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss and Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles met to discuss possible collaboration projects, including the sharing of Israel’s knowledge in delivering news and information to remote areas in the Philippines.
In their meeting held on Friday, July 8, Fluss talked about their efforts in delivering news and information to far-flung areas in Israel.
The ambassador presented to Angeles and her team Israel’s expertise in cybersecurity, digital diplomacy, and media tech for faster and more comprehensive delivery of news and information in the remote areas in the Philippines.
“As a global hub of innovation, Israel is committed to building bridges of innovation between our nations,” it said.
The two officials, according to the embassy, also “discussed possible collaboration and ways to strengthen the embassy’s connection with the office (of press secretary) in sharing the initiatives and partnerships between Israel and the Philippines.”
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. recently reverted the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and its attached agencies to the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).
Part of its functions is to develop and implement necessary guidelines and mechanisms for delivering and disseminating information on policies, programs, official activities, and achievements of the President and the Executive Branch.
This recent development is only the beginning of a new chapter of Israel-Philippines ties with President Marcos and his administration who will be governing until mid-2028. Ambassador Fluss’ meeting with the Press Secretary is something we must be thankful to God for.
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.
If you are sick or tired of wearing face masks after enduring more than two years of this COVID-19 crisis we are still living with, you are not alone. Recently, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. stated that the wearing of face masks would become optional if the booster shot campaign succeeds, the Manila Bulletin reported.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
Wearing of face masks would become optional if the government’s booster shot drive against Covid-19 succeeds, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said.
Marcos, however, said that easing of restrictions to that extent would be a long shot as his administration attempts to duplicate the national vaccination rollout done last year.
“[L]et us return to the idea of what we did last year na magkaroon ulit ng (to have another) vaccine rollout. Gawin na natin ito para makatiyak na tayo (Let’s do this now so we can be assured),” the President said in his virtual speech during his supposed face-to-face meeting with local government units officials in Malacañang on Friday night, July 8.
At pagka maging matagumpay ang ating booster rollout ay makikita naman natin siguro puwede na nating ibaba ang mga alert level, puwede na nating gawing optional ang mask (And if the booster rollout succeeds, perhaps we can lower the alert level and make wearing of mask optional),” Marcos added.
The Chief Executive stressed that making the wearing of masks optional will not be enforced until it’s crystal clear that it will be safe to do so in order to prevent the return of surging cases in the country.
“Pero hindi po natin gagawin ‘yan hanggang maliwanag na maliwanag na safe na talaga. Dahil although so far maganda naman ang takbo, hindi naman napupuno ang mga ospital. Ngunit kung hindi tayo maingat, mapupunta na naman tayo doon (But we will not do that yet until it is very clear that it’s already safe. Because although, so far, hospitals are not overwhelmed, if we don’t remain cautious, we will again go back there),” Marcos said.
The government is planning to implement a booster rollout for children in an attempt to fully open schools for face-to-face classes before the year ends.
Making the wearing of face masks optional is a new challenge not just for the national government but also for the provincial government units and local government units that are doing their respective parts in the fight against COVID-19. In recent times, it was reported that more than 70 million people nationwide got fully vaccinated (2 doses of most COVID-19 vaccines) while more than 15 million got their first booster shot.
I personally support the idea of intensifying the booster shot campaign as only a minority of the fully vaccinated patients got boosted. That being said, it would also be good for the country if only the Department of Health (DOH) would officially declare more boosted patients (including the comorbid patients among them) eligible to get their 2nd booster shots, especially if more than six months had passed since the first booster shot was administered to them. Clearly, more COVID-19 vaccination sites need to be set up on the local level to ensure better immunization. In fact, the vaccination sites that got closed down need to be reopened. As for the national government, they need to release COVID-19 vaccines that are nearing expiration. Let me add that the national daily count of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 2,000.
Let me end this by asking you readers: Do you desire that the national government and other government units nationwide would declare the wearing of face masks optional? What do you think the DOH should do next in order to allow more patients to get their first or second booster shots? Are the anti-vaccine fanatics out there still bothering you or even harassing you? Do you realize that the anti-vaccine fanatics offer no real solutions to the COVID-19 problems of our nation?
Author Carlo Carrasco 