COVID-19 Crisis: Delta variant cases in Parañaque and Las Piñas reported

According to a recent news report by the Manila Bulletin, the highly infectious Delta variant has been detected in Metro Manila totaling twenty-five cases while the nation as a whole has over one hundred so far. Focusing on South Metro Manila, the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas have one Delta variant case each. The City of Muntinlupa so far has none and the Manila Bulletin’s report reflects the Muntinlupa City Health Office’s statement.

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

Twenty-five out of the 72 local cases of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus were found in Metro Manila, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said.

Of the said cases, 10 were found in the City of Manila, seven in Pasig City, two cases in San Juan, while one case each for Las Pinas, Makati, Malabon, Quezon City, Taguig, and Paranaque, said DOH-National Capital Region (NCR) Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit head Dr. Manuel Mapue II during a televised press briefing on Tuesday, July 28.

“Dito sa dalawampu’t lima na ito, walo na ang gumaling, isa ang namatay; at kasalukuyan, labing-anim ang active ang kanilang sakit (Of these 25, eight have already recovered, one has died; and currently, sixteen cases are still active),” said Mapue.

To note, the Philippines already detected 119 Delta variant cases, 72 of which were considered local cases while 47 were returning overseas Filipinos.

COVID-19 surge in NCR?

Meanwhile, there is still no definitive evidence to say that Metro Manila is currently experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases amid the threat of the Delta variant, said Mapue.

“Batay doon sa aming tala hanggang kahapon, hindi natin na matatawag pa na surge sa ngayon. Wala tayong ebidensya pa na tawagin ito na surge, although nakikita natin na nag-uumpisa ng tumaas ang mga kaso (Based on our record until yesterday, we cannot call it a surge yet. We have no evidence yet to call it a surge, although we see that the cases are starting to rise),” he said.

“Karamihan sa ating local government units nag-uumpisa na ring tumaas although hindi pa stable ang pagtaas. May araw na mababa. Merong araw na konti lang ang nadadagdag sa kaso nila (Most of the cases in our local government units are starting to increase, although the rise is not yet stable. There are days that are low. There are days when very little is added to their respective caseload,” he added.

Mapue said that there is an uptick in COVID-19 cases in Las Pinas, Makati, Pasay, and San Juan.

To call it a surge, the DOH official said that the daily cases should have a “steady” increase.

Mapue urged the different LGUs to intensify their responses against COVID-19, particularly on the prevent, detect, isolate, treat, and reintegrate (PDITR) strategy to curb the rising number of cases.

It should be noted that in recent times, the City Government of Las Piñas made its move with the Delta variant in mind. Within the city, Barangay Talon Dos posted on July 24 via its Facebook page its confirmation that the Delta variant has been detected. The following is an excerpt from their July 24, 2021 Facebook post: Covid cases are high and the highly contagious DELTA VARIANT has entered Talon Dos. For the meantime, vaccinated or not, avoid going out unless necessary. If you experience headache, cold, cough, fever, nausea, LBM, loss of smell or appetite, fatigue please stay at home, isolate, and call your physician.

Considering how infectious the Delta variant is, that alone should compel any unregistered and unvaccinated Las Piñas City resident (or any resident from other cities and towns) to make the move to register themselves and join the line for vaccination once called by the local vaccination organizer.

Any Las Piñas resident who has yet to get registered for 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

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about the latest news? Do you believe that the slow spread of the Delta variant in Metro Manila will lead to another lockdown? Do you think that the local authorities of Parañaque and Las Piñas are capable of preventing the spread of the Delta variant among their residents?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Strict GCQ declared for NCR and bordering provinces effective August 1 until August 15, 2021

Even as more people in Metro Manila have gotten worried about the highly infectious Delta variant which has been detected already in Parañaque and Las Piñas, the general community quarantine (GCQ) for the National Capital Region (NCR) and bordering provinces has been declared which will take effect on August 1, 2021 and will last until August 15, 2021, as reported by the Philippine New Agency (PNA).

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

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved the recommendation to extend the general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions in Metro Manila until August 15, Malacañang announced on Wednesday.

The stricter GCQ has been retained in Metro Manila, after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) observed an increase in the daily attack rate, two-week average attack rate, and health care utilization rate in the country’s metropolis, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a pre-recorded Talk to the People.

“The Chief Executive extended the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions classification of the National Capital Region beginning August 1, 2021 until August 15, 2021,” Roque said in a press statement.

Apart from Metro Manila, four of its nearby provinces – Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal – will also be placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions from August 1 to 15, Roque said.

And here is a related news video by GMA Network…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you surprised about the strict GCQ for Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal? Do you believe that the highly infectious Delta variant can be contained? Are you ready for another lockdown? Have you been vaccinated already?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

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

Twelve foreign nationals apprehended in Parañaque City over credit card fraud

The wave of crime involving Chinese nationals in Parañaque City continued (to understand the trend click herehereherehere and here) as the Manila Bulletin reported that twelve Chinese were apprehended in the said city recently over credit card fraud.

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

Twelve Chinese nationals allegedly involved in credit card fraud were arrested by police in Barangay Moonwalk, Paranaque City on Friday afternoon.

Southern Police District (SPD) director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg identified the arrested suspects as Ma Juan,24; Chen Bung Hui,34; Zheng Shi Feng,27; Li Zhu Xing,26; Wa Zhen,30; Tong Chao Yun,29; Ji Qing Laz,22;Li Ling Yu Q,32; Yang Shu Qi,23; Yu Zin,32; Wang Shen,20 and Li Wei,2, all staying in Paranaque City.

Macaraeg said the suspects were apprehended at about 5:45 p.m. at 50 Matthews St., Multinational Village, Barangay Moonwalk.

Armed with a search issued by Judge Noemi Balitaan of Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 258, the cops raided the suspects’ place after receiving reports about the foreigners’ involvement in the credit card racket.

The SPD chief said the police operatives caught the suspects operating an online gambling.

Police recovered from the suspects laptop computers, cellular phones, dongles, point of sale machine, and blank card.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think makes Parañaque City a hot spot in South Metro Manila for crimes involving nationals from China? Did a Chinese national cheat you over your money when you did business with him or her locally? Do you believe that there are still a lot of Chinese nationals living in Parañaque doing illegal activities like credit card fraud, email scam and forms of crime?

When you hear the words Parañaque Renaissance, is crime often the first thing to enter in your mind?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

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

P500K in illegal drugs seized and 4 suspects apprehended in Parañaque City

The wave of crime involving illegal drugs continued in Parañaque City yet again (for past reports click herehereherehere, here and here) as the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that police officers and anti-drug agents successfully pulled off another buy-bust operation that resulted the arrest of four suspects and a little over half a million pesos worth of illegal substances.

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

Four were arrested in a drug bust in Parañaque City on Wednesday that also yielded over P500,000 worth of illegal drugs.

Operatives from the Southern Police District (SPD) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) apprehended suspects Myla Rodolfo, 43; Maria Elena Conche, 60; Gina Magyani, 57; and Annalyn dela Cruz, 33; in an operation at Manggahan St., Brgy. Dionisio at around 6 p.m., said SPD chief Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg Jr.

Seized in the bust were a total of 75 grams of suspected shabu or crystal meth valued at P510,000, two bundles of ‘boodle money,’ and the marked P1000 bill as buy-bust money.

The evidence seized was turned over to the SPD Crime Laboratory for chemical analysis. The arrested suspects will be facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002).

And here is a related news video by PTV…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What makes you think that Parañaque City is a hot spot in South Metro Manila for crimes involving illegal drugs? Are you thankful to the PDEA and the local police for pulling off another successful buy-bust operation?

When you hear the words Parañaque Renaissance, does crime become the first thing to enter in your mind?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

PDEA and partners apprehend suspect and confiscate P3.4 million worth of illegal drugs in Parañaque City

The crime wave involving illegal substances continued in Parañaque City (for past reports click here, here, here, here and here) as the Manila Bulletin recently reported the successful buy-bust operation of the local police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) which resulted the confiscation of more than P3 million worth of illegal drugs and the arrest of one suspect.

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

A drug suspect was arrested in possession of P3.4 million worth of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) during a buy-bust operation by combined operatives from the Parañaque police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Saturday.

Southern Police District (SPD) Director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg commended the operatives for the arrest of suspect Nabel Sarip, 23, a resident of Parañaque.

Macaraeg said the suspect was arrested at about 3:10 p.m. in front of Raf Mansion Hotel on Service Road, Roxas Boulevard in Baclaran.

Sarip was placed under surveillance by the police after receiving several complaints on the illegal activities of the suspect.

A policeman who acted as a poseur-buyer was able to buy shabu from the suspect leading to his arrest.

Police were able to confiscate from the suspect about 500 grams of shabu placed inside two plastic bags and estimated to be worth P3.4 million.

Macaraeg said the confiscated shabu was brought to the SPD Crime Laboratory for chemical analysis.

Police filed charges of violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002, before the Parañaque Prosecutor’s Office against Sarip, who is now detained at the police custodial facility.

Below is a related news video by ABS-CBN…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are resident of Parañaque City, are you tired about your city being a hot spot for crimes related to illegal drugs? What do you think makes Parañaque an attractive place for drug pushers/smugglers/mules/traders?

Do you believe it is time for the City Government of Parañaque to become more active in making the city free of illegal drugs?

When you hear the words Parañaque Renaissance, does crime become the first thing to enter in your mind?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

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

Two suspects arrested and P1.3 million in illegal substances seized in Parañaque City

The Manila Bulletin reported that on July 6, 2021 (Tuesday), local police officers successfully seized P1.3 million worth of illegal substances and apprehended two persons as suspects as a result of buy-bust operation that took place in Barangay San Isidro, Parañaque City. This is the 2nd straight illegal drugs-related crime report about Parañaque following the drugs-in-DVD-cases report.

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

Southern Police District (SPD) operatives arrested two drug suspects on Tuesday in Paranaque City and confiscated from them P1.3 million worth of shabu.

SPD Director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg, citing a report by city police chief Col. Maximo Sebastian, said the arrests were made during a buy-bust operation along San Juan Miguel St., San Antonio, Valley 6, Barangay San Isidro, Paranaque City on Tuesday.

The arrested suspects were identified as Myrna Sobinsky, 47, and Marjun Estolonio, 30, both residents of Paranaque City.

The police said the suspects were placed under surveillance by members of the Station Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU) after receiving reports on their illegal drug activities.

Members of the SDEU immediately conducted a buy-bust operation and were able to confiscate from the suspects four pieces of medium heat sealed transparent sachet containing about 200 grams of shabu worth P1.3-million.

And now here is the related news video by GMA Network…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are living in Parañaque City, do you believe that the local police officers and barangay tanods are doing enough to protect your local community from criminals? Who do you think is the mastermind behind the presence of illegal drugs in Parañaque City?

Did someone promise you that Parañaque City would be a drug-free or crime-free city soon? Do you believe in the so-called Parañaque Renaissance?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

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

Illegal drugs contained in DVD storage cases seized in Parañaque City

Very recently, the Manila Bulletin published new Parañaque City crime news related to illegal drugs. There is a catch, however, because this latest crime development involved the use of a DVD storage cases as a means to contain the illegal substance which amounted to hundreds of thousands of Pesos.

Think about that. Plastic DVD cases not used for storing movies on disc format but for storing illegal drugs instead. Fortunately for the city and the people, the person suspected to be responsible for the illegal drugs got arrested by police officers (who deserve thanks).

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

A 30-year-old man was arrested by members of the Southern Police District Drug Enforcement Unit (DDEU) during a buy-bust operation in possession of P340,000 worth of shabu hidden inside DVD cases in Paranaque City on Monday night.

SPD Director Brig. Gen, Jimili Macaraeg identified the suspect as Roy Francis Tolesora. He is now detained at the SPD custodial detention facility and charges for violation of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002, will be filed against him.

Macaraeg said Tolesora was arrested by members of the DDEU along Angelina Canaynay Avenue, Barangay San Dionisio, Paranaque City at about 7:00 p.m.

He said DDEU members conducted a buy-bust operation against the suspect resulting in the confiscation of about 50 grams of shabu amounting to P340,000.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you believe that it is possible for local authorities to make Parañaque City a drug-free city? Do you believe that the police are doing enough to get rid of criminals by organizing buy-bust operations? When it comes to crime, what particular form of crime do you think defines criminal activity in Parañaque City?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: 11.7 million people vaccinated nationwide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: 40 million doses of Pfizer vaccine coming to the Philippines

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

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

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

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

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

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

The vaccine czar said the deliveries of 40 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines will begin “after eight weeks starting August”, to be delivered in bulk.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

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