news – Page 194 – Author Carlo Carrasco

COVID-19 Crisis: OCTA Research favors the suggestion about not requiring moviegoers to wear face shields inside the cinemas

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021carlocarrasco

Here in metropolitan Manila in the Philippines, local cinemas are set to reopen on November 10, 2021 which will be a very important day for the cinema operators and their respective employees as the restrictions related to lockdown and the current COVID-19 crisis kept them closed since March 2020. For updates about Metro Manila cinemas, I encourage you to follow the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) Facebook page.

As the reopening of Metro Manila cinemas gets closer, it was reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) that the OCTA Research group favors the suggestion that the wearing of face shields inside cinema should NOT be required as such things are not only uncomfortable but will surely make movie viewing an unpleasant experience. Take note that only fully vaccinated people (those who got vaccinated with two doses of most brands of COVID-19 vaccines) will be allowed to pay and enter cinemas (limited to 30% seating capacity) under the rules of Alert Level 3. Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila was recently extended.

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

The OCTA Research said Tuesday it supports the suggestion on not requiring the wearing of face shields in cinemas.

For OCTA Research fellow Guido David, watching movies will not be enjoyable if the audience will be required to wear face shields. He noted that removing the requirement of wearing face shields in cinemas was also brought up in a forum.

“We should still wear face masks, but face shields, that’s a different topic. That can be discussed, because in fact we were in a Go Negosyo forum and they were discussing about removing the requirement for face shields in theaters because it actually makes sense. If you go to a theater, it would not be an enjoyable experience if you are wearing a face shield,” Guido told ABS-CBN News Channel’s Headstart.

Asked if he supports removing the requirement of wearing face shields in cinemas, David said: “We would support it because I think the move is to allow only vaccinated people to enter theaters.”

The reopening of cinemas was earlier allowed in Metro Manila as the region shifted to Alert Level 3. However, only fully vaccinated people will be allowed in theaters with an indoor seating capacity of 30 percent.

From this point on, we will find out soon enough how the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Metro Manila Council (MMC) will react to what OCTA Research declared about face shields inside the cinemas.

Whatever their reactions will be, I urge Metro Manila readers among you my readers to support the local cinemas not simply for the sake of just supporting the cinema operators and their employees, but also to practice your freedom of choice for entertainment on the big screen!

If you want the best value for your money when returning to the cinemas starting November 10, I would suggest watching Dune (2021) in an IMAX cinema as that movie has scenes shot with IMAX cameras. The visual spectacle captured can be fully enjoyed on an IMAX screen and there is absolutely no way such greatness will be seen via streaming. In short, if you want the best Dune viewing experience, screw HBO Go, screw HBO Max, screw the pirates and go watch the film in the local IMAX cinema. For the residents of South Metro Manila reading this, the nearest IMAX cinema is inside SM Southmall in Las Piñas City. Better start making inquiries via social media now if you really want the IMAX experience.

Whatever your choice of movie or local cinema, I suggest you check out the most updated listing of movies and schedules. The cinematic viewing experience is always better than streaming. Don’t forget to check updates from CEAP.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this latest development? Are you excited to return to the local cinema to watch movies with the big screen experience once again? Do you think the MMDA and Metro Manila mayors will make new moves to hamper the cinematic experience of moviegoers or even hamper the scheduled reopening of local cinemas? When was the last time you saw a movie inside the cinema? When was the last time you saw any movie inside the IMAX cinema?

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

Almost P130,000 worth of illegal drugs seized in Parañaque City

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021carlocarrasco

The Manila Bulletin recently reported that two individuals were arrested by police officers in Parañaque City and it turns out the suspects carried with them illegal drugs worth almost P130,000. The place of the apprehension was within Barangay Sto. Nino.

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

Paranaque City police arrested two female drug suspects and confiscated from them P129,000 worth of shabu on Monday.

Police identified the suspects as Esnaira Compania, 36, and Aurora Adriano, 43, both residents of Paranaque City. They are both detained at the Paranaque City police custodial facility.

Col. Maximo Sebastian said the suspects were arrested at about 6 p.m. along Wawa Ibabaw, NAIA Avenue, Barangay Sto. Nino, Paranaque City.

Sebastian said members of the Sto. Nino police sub-station were conducting Oplan Galugad when they spotted the suspects acting suspiciously.

The police said one of the patrolling policemen noticed Compania handing out to Adriano a package containing seven pieces of heat-seales transparent sachet of shabu.

The above report ended stating that the confiscated illegal drugs were turned over to the Southern Police District Crime Laboratory for chemical analysis.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you believe that Parañaque City will still remain a hot spot for crimes related to the illegal drug trade?

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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SEGA and Microsoft in a Strategic Alliance to create New Strategic Titles for SEGA and establish a Next-Generation Development Environment

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021carlocarrasco

Even as the whole world continues to struggle to move on during this global COVID-19 crisis, Japanese video game business icon SEGA remained bullish and it made its biggest business announcement in a long time yesterday by declaring that it has agreed with Microsoft to engage in a strategic alliance related to game development and cloud gaming with the whole world in mind.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the official press release SEGA published on its website. Some parts in boldface…

SEGA Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “SEGA”) and Microsoft Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “Microsoft”) have agreed in principal, a strategic alliance that explores ways for SEGA to produce large-scale, global games in a next-generation development environment built on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. The alliance would form a key part of SEGA’s mid to long-term strategy, allowing the business to move forward with “Super Game”, a new initiative for developing new and innovative titles where the key focuses are “Global”, “Online”, “Community” and “IP utilization”.

With the world now more connected than ever following the widespread deployment of 5G and cloud services in recent years, consumers can more easily enjoy high-quality entertainment content at any time. Within this highly connected environment, the ecosystem surrounding the games industry continues to evolve and expand as more sophisticated tools and technologies become available. As such, video games continue to grow as a major medium for gamers globally, with access to a vast range of gaming experiences and communities becoming more diverse and attainable. This proposed alliance represents SEGA looking ahead, and by working with Microsoft to anticipate such trends as they accelerate further in future, the goal is to optimise development processes and continue to bring high-quality experiences to players using Azure cloud technologies.

Microsoft and SEGA have agreed upon the foundation for this alliance and through mutual cooperation, will look to build further technological evolutions with areas such as the network infrastructure and communication tools required for global online services being a key priority. Additionally, by shifting to a next-generation development platform, SEGA can effectively adapt to diversfying work styles and potential infrastructural changes.

Wow! The press release can be a bit challenging to understand in just one reading. To say the least, this is SEGA’s way of expressing that is modernizing itself to keep up with the times and ensure they can be flexible not only with developing their games and projects but also to be able to reach as many customers they can worldwide with the help of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.

While SEGA today is no longer the aggressive arcade, console, handheld and game maker it used to be, it has no intention of fading away. As a business entity, they may not be cash-rich anymore but they are rich in terms of intellectual properties that include famed game franchises like Virtua Fighter, Daytona USA, Sonic the Hedgehog and more. They can still do something new and productive with those.

While the press release does not specifically state anything about Xbox, it still confirms SEGA’s business partnership with Microsoft goes to a much higher level with the future in mind. Even without any mention of Xbox and its related services in SEGA’s press release, I would not be surprised to see SEGA release more games – both classic and new – on the Xbox platforms as well as on Xbox Game Pass (XGP) over the next few years. Also it is nice to see the Japanese corporation confirming next-generation development of games!

Take note of the big significance of SEGA releasing Phantasy Star Online 2 (PSO2) on Xbox One in 2020. PSO2 on Xbox One marked the first time the game got released outside of Japan starting with North America in April 2020 and with Europe in August 2020. Through the Xbox One and the Windows PC platform (August 2020), PSO2 further reached even more gamers worldwide.

By now, SEGA realized that to grow as a business, they will need to reach out to the many consumers worldwide who are willing to pay for their games and online services. In order to achieve that, SEGA partnered with Microsoft whose cloud computing infrastructure and cloud gaming models are so advanced, even competitor Sony partnered with the American corporation.

Think about that! Two of Japan’s major corporations partnered with Microsoft whose Xbox consoles did not sell much in Japan. Rivalries in video gaming were set aside for something much better between the corporations – business partnerships driven by advanced technologies that can help the partners achieve growth and breakthroughs with the whole world in mind. In the case of Microsoft, the new business partnership with SEGA is an opportunity for them to build up trust with other Japanese businesses who share similar interests with the company of Sonic and the company of PlayStation, as well sharing their objectives of achieving business growth and reaching out to consumers around the world.

Going back to the SEGA-issued press release, posted below is an excerpt from comments made by SEGA Corporation President and COO Yukio Sugino. Some parts in boldface…

We are very pleased to announce today that we are considering a strategic alliance with Microsoft to help develop SEGA’s new “Super Game” initiative as well as build a next-generation game development environment. By considering a strategic partnership with Microsoft, we seek to further advance our game development so that our titles can be enjoyed by fans all over the world; in this regard, we aim to build an alliance that utilizes both SEGA’s powerful game development capabilities and Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology and development environment.

In closing this piece, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your viewing pleasure.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Vaccination of general pediatric population in Las Piñas City begins today

November 3, 2021November 1, 2021carlocarrasco

Based on the recent news report by the Manila Bulletin, the City Government of Las Piñas and its personnel will official begin the vaccination for its general pediatric population (minors population aged 12 to 17) today. This follows the recent inoculation count of the local adult population plus some minors (with comorbidities who got vaccinated early) which totaled around 875,000 according to the City Government’s latest COVID-19 vaccination statistics.

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

The Las Pinas City government will start its vaccination roll out for the general pediatric population on Nov. 3.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar encouraged parents or guardians of children aged 12 to 17 years old to register them at https://bit.ly/e-covid19reg.

Aguilar also said they can also visit their barangay for assisted barangay registration.

The mayor and mother of the city, who celebrated her birthday on Oct. 30, said her wish is for the city’s general pediatric population to register and be part of the “Bakunahan sa Kabataan.”

Aguilar said the city government is preparing for the opening of four mall vaccination sites for the general pediatric population.

She said the city government will continue to conduct the vaccination of children belonging to the A3 category or those with comorbidities, at the covered gym of the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta.

Any Las Piñas resident who has yet to get registered for the free COVID-19 vaccines can learn the ways (4 methods) by clicking here. Anyone who is ready and willing to register online can click bit.ly/LasPiñasVaccination

Meanwhile, the City Government recently launched the online registration process for COVID-19 vaccination for local minors (aged 12 to 17) which can be done at http://laspinascityonline.laspinascity.gov.ph/eCVRS/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction about this recent move by the City Government?

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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COVID-19 Crisis: Total inoculation count in Las Piñas City approaching 875,000

November 2, 2021November 1, 2021carlocarrasco

Yesterday the City Government of Las Piñas announced through social media that its overall COVID-19 inoculation count is approaching 875,000 overall based on their latest official statistics that include the vaccination of minors with comorbidities.

For transparency, posted below is the official image of statistics released by the City Government through social media.

As seen above, 423,478 patients received their 2^nd dose of COVID-19 vaccines making them fully vaccinated. The 454,840 patients who received their first dose includes the minors. On both the first and second dose statistics, the biggest category of patients was the A3 group.

As before, the official counts of the first dose and second dose don’t match the declared grand total of 874,295. Mathematically, adding 454,840 (first dose) with 423,478 should be equal to 878,318.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction about the latest vaccination statistics? Are you feeling confident about a more joyful Christmas and family gathers in the city this December?

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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COVID-19 Crisis: Alert Level 3 extension on Metro Manila takes effect today

November 1, 2021October 29, 2021carlocarrasco

In case you missed the news, the extension of Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila takes effect today and will last until November 14, 2021. This is the result of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) recent decision which was announced this past Friday and subsequently reported by varied news organizations. Prior to the announcement, there was anticipation that the community control and restrictions on businesses and people will be eased to Alert Level 2. The local stock market saw shares drop by over a hundred points last Friday in response to the extension of Alert Level 3 for Metro Manila.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin’s news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has decided to maintain the alert level classification of the National Capital Region (NCR) to alert level 3 for the first two weeks of November.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque revealed in a virtual press conference Friday, Oct. 29 that the decision was reached during the IATF’s meeting Thursday via Resolution No. 146-A.

This came about despite high expectations from the private sector and even the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)–which touches base with the different local government units (LGUs) of the country–that the alert level in Metro Manila would be downgraded to alert level 2.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you think the IATF made the right decision to extend Alert Level 3 all over Metro Manila? If you own or managed a food/beverage business here in Metro Manila, was there an increase on your sales during the recent Alert Level 3?

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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Beware of the “laglag-plaka” gang as they victimized motorists in Parañaque and Muntinlupa

November 1, 2021October 30, 2021carlocarrasco

Wherever you park your vehicles, be defensive and avoid people knocking on your window as two motorists in different cities here in South Metro Manila were victimized by a gang of thieves who executed what is referred to as the “laglag-plaka” (dropped plate) modus, according to a recent news report by GMA Network.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Tagalog GMA Network news report which was translated into English using Google Translate. Some parts in boldface…

Two drivers fell victim to the plaque-dropped modus operandi of thieves in Muntinlupa and Parañaque, Jonathan Andal reported in Unang Balita on Friday.

CCTV footage shows a man standing in the back of an SUV parked in front of a fast food chain in Parañaque. Three women with umbrellas followed him.

Although (it) could not (be seen on) the CCTV, the man knocked on the driver of the SUV and said that his license plate had fallen on the back.

While the driver was not yet leaving, a man was waiting in the back of a vehicle (parked beside) and when he saw the driver coming out, he quickly opened the passenger door.

The driver’s bag was stolen and handed over to a female colleague. The group quickly speared while the driver was left in the back of the vehicle and checked to see if his license plate had really fallen.

The group seized an expensive bag, wallet and 20,000 pesos, according to the report.

According to Parañaque Police, this modus operandi is called “laglag plaka”. The group allegedly was timing the vehicles and told the driver that something had fallen in the back of the vehicle.

Seven individuals were found conspiring in the modus and they use umbrellas to hide from people what they are doing.

After the incident in Parañaque, CCTV also captured the group in the parking lot of a building in Muntinlupa where they stole the victim’s gym bag and expensive earphones.

According to the victims, when they got out of the vehicle there were coins. They think they put them in to confuse and hold them back while removing the drivers ’valuables.

For added insight, watch this related news video below…

So there you have it! The “laglag-plaka” thieves work together as a group using strategic moves like distraction, careful timing, and taking advantage of unlocked vehicle doors to open and steal the valuables while the distracted driver checks the rear of the vehicle to see if the plate was indeed loose or had fallen off. It should be noted that the other gang members use umbrellas standing next to each other near the victim’s vehicle to conceal their act.

From a visual standpoint, I would find it suspicious to see at least three individuals each using an umbrella at the parking lot while it is not even raining. As for the parking area itself, if a person approaches your vehicle and he or she is not even a legitimate worker of the local administration assigned to the parking, better be defensive and watch not only your back but also the sides of your vehicle.

For your own safety, be mindful of people who approach you and knock on your vehicle’s window shortly after parking. Better not let these thieves distract you no matter what they do and always LOCK YOUR VEHICLE’S DOORS as soon you get off.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you a victim of the “laglag-plaka” gang?

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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Star Ocean The Divine Force is coming to Xbox consoles and PC (via Steam) in 2022

October 29, 2021October 28, 2021carlocarrasco

Star Ocean, the long-running Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) series under Square Enix, has a brand-new RPG coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and PC (via Steam) sometime in 2022 titled Star Ocean The Divine Force. Take note that this year marks the 25^th anniversary of the Star Ocean game franchise and the new game is being made by tri-Ace.

To start with, watch this official Star Ocean The Divine Force trailer below…

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the official press release issued by Square Enix. Some parts in boldface…

Developed by tri-Ace Inc., STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE will transport players to an expansive sci-fi fantasy world and take them on an exhilarating journey with fast-paced action combat, rich exploration and an original story. With STAR OCEAN celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, THE DIVINE FORCE builds on that rich history with new features that are sure to delight for many years to come.

To watch the STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE Debut Trailer, visit: https://youtu.be/jIJe4ZUD0Gc

The Debut Trailer showcases various new and returning elements to the STAR OCEAN franchise that players can look forward to:

Super-high-speed action battles
No random encounters – players will seamlessly enter battles with enemies that populate the world
Players can float in the air, dive at enemies and fly around areas
Richer exploration – climb towering mountains, venture into dark, vast valleys and investigate the castles and towns present in the world

Showcasing a diverse cast of playable characters, STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE will tell a gripping story that seamlessly melds science fiction and fantasy elements and can be enjoyed by newcomers to the series and veterans alike. The game features dual protagonists, which offer different story perspectives and gameplay experiences: Raymond, the captain of the space trading ship, Ydas, and Laeticia, the princess-knight of a kingdom on an underdeveloped planet. Fate will bring Raymond, Laeticia, and several other ally characters together, all designed by renowned artist Akiman (STAR OCEAN: Integrity and Faithlessness, STREET FIGHTER series).

For the newcomers reading this, the very first Star Ocean video game made by tri-Ace and published by Enix was released on July 19, 1996 for the Super Famicom console in Japan. The first Star Ocean game translated into English and released outside of Japan was Star Ocean: The Second Story which I myself played on the original PlayStation console in 1999. In 2003, Enix and Square Co. merged and became Square Enix. In 2008, Square Enix announced Star Ocean: The Last Hope for Xbox 360 and its release in Japan and North America took place in February 2009.

Going back to Star Ocean The Divine Force, which is the sixth main game of the franchise, the trailer shows the ever-present fast-moving action scenes taking place in real-time during battles. As with past games of the franchise, there will be lots of slashing and fantasy inspired elements even though the game has a science fiction concept. At least tri-Ace keeps on striving with making key locations look grand.

*Expect to see so much of hack and slash action in this RPG.*

*What a grand looking place, tri-Ace! How about showing how much exploring and fun gamers can have within it?*

The artistic approach on rendering the characters in polygons within the game, however, shows a lack of willingness to evolve on the part of the developer to do better. To begin with, take a look at the character concept artworks below for the game.

*Those are interesting character design concept artworks.*

Now take a look at how the above two characters looked like in polygons within the game below…

*She looks too cartoonish and even plastic-looking than her concept art version.*

*Could someone please tell me who at tri-Ace is responsible for this kind of polygonal character work?*

When compared to other Japanese RPG franchises, Star Ocean’s unique approach on action, battles and the presentation of locations still stands out and that’s pretty incredible considering the 25-year history of the franchise and all those other JRPGs that came out along the way. The new game’s story and overall concept will have to live up to gamers’ impression and expectations and we will find out how the game will turn out next year. When it comes to the growing number of upcoming RPGs – from both East and West – on the Xbox ecosystem, Star Ocean The Divine Force adds variety to say the least. I believe that the tri-Ace-made game, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes and Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising will easily capture the interest of Xbox gamers who love JRPGs. Don’t forget that many other future RPGs exclusive to Xbox are coming such as Starfield, Avowed, Fable, The Elder Scrolls VI, The Outer Worlds 2 and more. Truly the Xbox ecosystem is becoming the premier place for gamers who love RPGs which is something Sony and Nintendo CANNOT stop as those two competitors don’t have their own wide range of RPGs to make. As for Square Enix and other RPG makers in Japan, they should be seriously considering releasing more games on Xbox and Windows PC because Team Xbox’s heavy investments on RPGs will eventually achieve tremendous sales in the near future.

*How many of you Xbox fans are looking forward to Star Ocean The Divine Force?*

In closing this piece, posted below are Xbox-related videos as well as a few videos related to past Star Ocean games for your viewing pleasure.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Around 200 hundred minors with comorbidities vaccinated in Muntinlupa City in the first two days

October 29, 2021October 27, 2021carlocarrasco

Following the launch of vaccinating local minors (aged 12-17) for COVID-19 in Muntinlupa City, the Manila Bulletin reported recently that almost two hundred minors with comorbidities got vaccinated locally based on the latest statistics.

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

The Muntinlupa City government has vaccinated 198 minors aged 12 to 17 years old with comorbidities.

According to Dr. Edwin Dimatatac, medical director of Ospital ng Muntinlupa (OsMun) which has been designated by the government as one of the pilot hospitals for the vaccination of minors with comorbidities, 72 minors were vaccinated on the first day last Oct. 25 followed by 126 on Oct. 26 for a total of 198.

The first 72 minors did not experience any reaction to the vaccine, Dimatatac said. Details on any reactions from the 126 minors were unavailable as of this writing.

As of Oct. 25, 14,896 12-to-17-year-olds have registered with the Muntinlupa City COVID-19 Vaccination program, equivalent to 27 percent of the estimated total population of 55,391 for the age group in the city.

Minors, classified by the Department of Health (DOH) as Pediatric A3 group, are currently being vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, one of two vaccines approved by the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in people 12 years old and above. The other vaccine approved for minors is Moderna.

Under the DOH guidelines, the parent or legal guardian and the minor should sign the consent and assent forms before vaccination.

A medical certificate for the minor is also needed while the parents or guardians need to present a valid ID and proof of filiation such as birth certificate.

Muntinlupa residents may register for vaccination at vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac.

The comorbidities allowed for the vaccination of minors are: medical complexity, genetic conditions, neurologic conditions, metabolic/endocrine diseases, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, HIV infection, tuberculosis, chronic respiratory diseases, renal disorders, hepatobiliary diseases and immunocompromised state due to disease or treatment.

Residents of Muntinlupa City who remain unregistered and unvaccinated should make a move to get registered by learning the ways to do it. Those who are prepared (with personal information available) and willing to go through online registration for the free vaccines in Muntinlupa are encouraged to click https://vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac/

Muntinlupa minors may register online through the city’s COVID-19 vaccination registration system at www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac and choose category “C – Rest of Population.”

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what can you say about this latest local development? If you are a Muntinlupa City resident with a child aged 12 to 17-years-old, are you comfortable about the idea of having your child 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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COVID-19 Crisis: Enough supplies of COVID-19 vaccines for booster/3rd shots according to DOH

October 28, 2021October 26, 2021carlocarrasco

As the issue of the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot and 3^rd shot begins to be more talked about in the public, the Department of Health (DOH) announced that there will be enough vaccines in stock to meet the demands for such shots, according to a recent 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 there will be enough supply of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines in the Philippines once the government starts the implementation of giving booster doses and additional shots to certain groups of the population.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said millions of vaccine doses are expected to be delivered in the country within this year.

“Actually, ang ating vaccine cluster has already announced itong mga parating na bakuna dito sa ating bansa. So starting this November, meron po tayong inaasahan na almost 20 to 25 million doses pa (Actually, our vaccine cluster has already announced these additional vaccines for our country. So starting this November, we expect about 20 to 25 million more doses),” said Vergeire in a television interview on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

“So with the existing stocks pati yung mga parating, enough naman po yung ating supplies (as well as the ones that are coming, we have enough supplies),” she added.

Based on the data of the National Task Force against of COVID-19, a total of 97,678,340 vaccine doses were already delivered in the Philippines.

The Philippines has already administered 56,202,893 vaccine doses as of Oct. 25, as shown in the DOH COVID-19 vaccination dashboard.

Even if the DOH already approved the administration of booster doses and third shots, Vergeire said that they are still in the stage of planning on how it will be done.

“Iyan po ang rekomendasyon ng ating WHO (World Health Organization)—for the immunocompromised, senior citizens, and healthcare workers. Although tinitingnan natin, syempre operationally—– kailangan natin tingnan kung paano natin maisasagawa with this short time period, hanggang December. Baka mag-spill over din tayo hanggang sa isang taon (That is the recommendation of the WHO — for the immunocompromised, senior citizens, and healthcare workers. Although we are looking, of course operationally —– we need to see how we can do this with this short time period, until December. It may spill over into next year),” she said.

Also, before this can be implemented, an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would still be needed.

“Before we can be able to implement this, kailangan ng amended emergency use authority nung ating mga bakuna dito sa ating bansa (we need an amended emergency use authority for our vaccines here in our country),” said Vergeire.

“Lahat ng bakuna natin ngayon ay may emergency use authority. Pero yung EUA po kasi nila, ngayon, currently, specific po yun na dalawang doses lang ang ibibigay, and para sa Janssen na vaccine, isang dose lang. Kaya kailangan po natin ma-amend (All our vaccines now have emergency use authority. But the EUA currently, it’s specific that only two doses will be given, and for the Janssen vaccine, only one dose. So we need to amend that),” she added.

On Monday, Oct. 25, Vergeire said that they are looking to administer COVID-19 booster shots and additional doses to health workers and other eligible groups by November or December.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this latest development? If you were fully vaccinated, how long has it been since your 2^nd dose? Do you fully trust the WHO? Are you ready to take a 3^rd shot of the vaccine once you are contacted?

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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