#Philippines – Page 5 – Author Carlo Carrasco

COVID-19 Crisis: Metro Manila under GCQ from September 8 to September 30, 2021

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021carlocarrasco

Finally, residents and businesses of National Capital Region (NCR) will experience relief and added liberty as the national authorities declared that starting September 8 until September 30, Metro Manila will revert back to general community quarantine (GCQ) according to a report by the Manila Bulletin. It should be noted that August 2021 was full of restrictions for Metro Manila such as the sudden enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the prohibition on outdoor exercise and the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) (which saw an extension) due to the rise of COVID-19 cases. These same restrictions also resulted damaged to the national economy in the form of increased unemployment and further business hardship which prompted the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to make a proposal with economic recovery in mind.

Very recently, granular lockdown action happened around the NCR and such forms of restrictions look like will become the new normal for communities with infections.

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

After enduring a month of strict lockdown, Metro Manila will shift back to a general community quarantine (GCQ) although it will also serve as the pilot area for the implementation of granular lockdowns starting Sept. 8 until the end of the month.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement on Monday, Sept. 6, or a day before the expiration of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status of the National Capital Region (NCR).

In his press briefing on Monday, Roque announced that Metro Manila will be placed under the more lax GCQ beginning Sept. 8. He also confirmed reports that granular lockdowns will be implemented in the region as a new tact against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Roque said limited dine-in services and religious gatherings will be allowed again in Metro Manila once it shifts to GCQ.

Granular lockdown

However, Roque said details about the granular lockdown were still being finalized and will be announced before Sept. 8.

He explained that it will be the governors and mayors who will decide on the granular lockdowns. The Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases can reverse the decision of the local chief executives, he said.

The Palace official explained that the granular lockdown should cover the smallest area as possible.

“The granular lockdown does not have to be an entire barangay. It can be a street, it can be a house, it can be a community. It should be as granular as we can,” he said.

According to Roque, the government shifted to granular lockdowns because the number of COVID-19 cases did not seem to go down despite the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ)–the strictest quarantine level possible.

“Ang tingin ng mga eksperto, mas epektibo po kung tayo po talaga ay magpapatupad ng systematic at scientific granular lockdowns (Exprets think that the implementation of systematic and granular lockdowns will be more effective),” he said.

We have the Lord to thank for the Metro Manila GCQ. So much economic damage has been done already and it is high time for businesses and the affected employees to move forward and lead the way for economic recovery. It is also high time for the faithful to be allowed to worship the Lord on-site at church facilities as it is a fact that online worship is very limiting (especially when Zoom is used as a digital platform). When it comes to public health, people of Metro Manila should have more freedom and time to exercise outside of their homes to gain fitness and strengthen their immune system which itself is crucial during this pandemic.

Of course, each and every individual has a personal responsibility to properly follow health protocols (social distancing, using sanitizers, contact tracing and more) whenever he or she enters a church to worship the Lord, or enter a restaurant or a personal care service provider to be served, or visiting random places outdoors. Each of us has a role to be taken seriously to stay safe, be safe and avoid getting infected while moving around in public to fulfill our respective objectives.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Does the new GCQ announcement for Metro Manila surprise you in relation to the daily high numbers of new COVID-19 infections?

If you are a Metro Manila resident, do you trust your mayor or the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) when it comes to making big, sweeping decisions that affect you and your family? Have you prayed to the Lord to enlighten all the government and community leaders so that they can do their jobs better and rightfully?

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: Over 6,000 violators apprehended in Muntinlupa City for the month of August 2021

September 3, 2021September 2, 2021carlocarrasco

For the month of August 2021, over six thousand people who violated quarantine rules and local ordinances in Muntinlupa City were apprehended according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin. Officially the city count of the said violators is 6,639. Do the math, that’s an average of over 214.16 violators per day for the month that had the last enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) that followed (click here and here) and the restrictions on outdoor exercise (click here, here and here) in effect over the National Capital Region (NCR).

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

The Muntinlupa police caught more than 6,000 people in August for violating city ordinances on quarantine rules.

A report presented Wednesday by the Muntinlupa police headed by Col. Melecio Buslig showed that 6,639 people in Muntinlupa were apprehended for violating the curfew and not wearing face masks and face shields.

Of the total, 1,059 persons were fined and 5,580 individuals were given warnings for the violations.

By violation, not wearing of face shields topped the list with 3,039 (46 percent) followed by curfew with 1,879 (28 percent) and not wearing of face masks with 1,721 (26 percent).

In the first week of August, curfew in Metro Manila was from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and it was extended from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. starting Aug. 6 when the National Capital Region was placed under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

The eight-hour curfew is still in effect in Metro Manila since the region was placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from Aug. 21.

According to the Muntinlupa police, 1,879 people were caught violating the curfew hours in August consisting of 621 (33 percent) who were fined and 1,258 (67 percent) who were warned.

Among barangays in Muntinlupa, Tunasan had the highest number of curfew violators with 520 followed by Poblacion, 268; Alabang, 267; Putatan, 253; Bayanan, 252; Cupang, 121; Sucat, 114; Buli, 54; and Ayala Alabang, 30.

A total of 1,721 people were apprehended for not wearing face masks consisting of 438 (25 percent) who were fined and 1,283 (75 percent) who were given warnings.

Alabang topped in the number of face mask violators caught with 349 followed by Tunasan, 321; Poblacion, 292; Bayanan, 205; Cupang, 160; Putatan, 126; Sucat, 121; Ayala Alabang, 76; and Buli, 71.

The above report ended stating that Barangay Ayala Alabang had the highest number of face shield violations with 769 counted.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to the news story? Do you believe that Muntinlupa residents still have a long way to go before understanding the rules and following them?

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: Vaccine czar Galvez favors vaccine booster shots for health workers and patients with comorbidities

September 3, 2021September 2, 2021carlocarrasco

Were you fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in your local community? If you were, you better make sure you keep your records and remember under what category you were counted in as a patient and what brand of vaccine you were injected with because recently Philippine vaccine czar and secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. announced that he favors vaccine booster shots for health workers and patients with comorbidities which GMA Network reported.

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

Philippine vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Wednesday said he is in favor of giving COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to healthcare workers and people with comorbidities.

“I don’t have any problem with it. Our healthcare workers must be given full protection,” he said in Filipino during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay online forum, adding Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac is willing to donate 500,000 booster doses for medical workers.

Galvez, however, said the government is still waiting for the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the vaccine expert panel.

The Duterte administration has requested for standby authority from Congress to buy P45.367 billion worth of booster doses next year.

And posted below is the related GMA news video…

If ever the said booster shots will be approved and made available and legal for the Philippines, the government and the local government units (LGUs) better establish the health policies and clarify it to the constituents. This is because a certain person who got fully vaccinated in Mandaluyong City crossed over to another city to get injected with a third shot (the so-called booster) which caught the attention of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos who himself was mayor of Mandaluyong. In relation to that incident, Muntinlupa’s City Council approved a local ordinance against illegal vaccine booster shots.

That being said, it is important to look closely at how the MMDA and the Metro Manila Council (MMC) behave, think, analyze and make decisions not only with the vaccine booster shots but also on the proposal to allow vaccinated patients to enter food-beverage joints as well as personal care service joints operating at 20% capacity during MECQ.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you believe vaccine czar Galvez knows what he is talking about? Do you agree with him favoring healthcare workers and comorbid patients as the first recipients of potential vaccine booster shots? If not, which type of patients should receive the vaccine booster shots first?

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: Residents of locked community in Parañaque City complain about limited essentials

August 31, 2021August 30, 2021carlocarrasco

In recent times, due to a report that there were individuals living in Annex 35 (a community of about one thousand houses within Better Living Subdivision) had contracted COVID-19, the City Government of Parañaque had the said community locked-down supposedly for fourteen days to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

This past weekend, GMA Network reported that Annex 35 residents have been complaining about the effects of the granular lockdown.To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA Network news report. Some parts in boldface…

Residents of a portion of the Better Living Subdivision in Parañaque City have been complaining after they were reportedly placed under a granular lockdown without prior notice, leaving them isolated for 10 days.

According to residents of Annex 35 of the subdivision, they were only made aware of the initial four-day granular lockdown at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The lockdown was implemented four hours later, and was then extended to 10 days.

“8 p.m. halos sarado na ang establishments. ‘Di ba meron po tayong allowed na time for Metro Manila na open ang ganitong establishment, so ‘di lahat nakapuno ng enough food and water supply,” a resident of the area said in a report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

(At 8 p.m. almost all establishments were already closed. Don’t we have an allowed time for establishments in Metro Manila to open? Not all residents were able to store enough food and water.)

“Hindi lahat ay okay. Kasi meron kaming community page sa Facebook, ang daming hinaing like water supply, ‘yung food supply namin not enough for 10 days,” the resident added.

(Not all are okay. We have a community page on Facebook and there are a lot of appeals for water supply, our food supply was not enough for 10 days.)

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) released food packs, but the residents said this is not enough. The homeowners’ association could not intervene as the granular lockdown was implemented by the local government.

The resident said that there were food packs that were supposed to have been distributed among the residents, but these were spoiled due to the lack of manpower to deliver the goods.

“Sa sobrang dami ng houses dito, kulang sila to deliver ‘yung mga food na naka-ano sa gate namin. ‘Yung iba nasisira na ‘yung food kasi kulang ‘yung tao, isang patrol car lang ang umiikot,” the resident said.

(With the number of houses here, only a few people are distributing the food stored at the gate. Some get spoiled because of the lack of manpower, only one patrol car was making the rounds.)

The resident acknowledged that the lockdowns are for health reasons, but the local government should have given residents ample time to store goods for the lockdown.

“Alam ko po na kailangan mag-ingat, they are after doon sa aming health na hindi kumalat ‘yung virus. Pero po sana binigyan nilang konsiderasyon, binigyan nila yung mga tao at least one day na makapag-plan, one whole day. Hindi ‘yung 8 pm tapos 12 midnight sarado na,” the resident said.

(I know we need to be careful, they are preventing the virus from spreading, but they should have given consideration. They should have given residents at least one day to plan, one whole day. Not announce at 8 p.m. and then close the barriers at midnight.)

GMA News has reached out to the local government of Parañaque, but calls were left unanswered.

And now here is a related news video also from GMA Network. Watch it closely…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFRpq0e8MIg

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this latest development in Parañaque City? Are you able to relate with the complaints raised by the people living in the locked Annex 35 community? Do you believe that the City Government of Parañaque and the local DSWD were lacking (if not unprepared) with regards to manpower and efforts to provide sufficient supplies to the Annex 35 residents? What do you think will help prevent food from getting spoiled? Do all of these somehow impact your personal beliefs about the power of the local government unit (LGU) over residential communities that already have their own community management?

If you are a resident of Annex 35 reading this, what else should the City Government and DSWD do to make your lives easier apart from supplying your essential needs? Are you searching for charitable organizations out there to provide you assistance?

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: Online stockbroker predicts PSE index to reach 8,100 level by the end of 2021

August 5, 2021August 3, 2021carlocarrasco

With the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) all set to take effect all over Metro Manila for two weeks starting August 6, a lot of people are disturbed about what lies ahead. For one thing, there is the highly infectious Delta variant spreading nationwide. There is also the potential economic damage and the effects ECQ will have on many workers.

And then there is the local stock exchange. While many investors are constantly looking on different directions and varied factors to decide what to do with their respective investments, the COL Financial Group recently revised its end-of-the-year estimate for the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) but their new prediction still points to a higher count than what the current index shows.

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

Online stockbroker COL Financial Group expects the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) to end the year at 8,100, slightly lower than previously projected, supported by optimism for faster economic recovery and earnings growth.

COL chief equity strategist April Lynn Tan said their forecast for PSEi has been reduced from 8,300 considering the lower earnings incurred by property companies as their mall operations are affected most by the implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

The National Capital Region (NCR) will be placed under the most restrictive ECQ from Aug. 6 to 20 to prevent the spread of the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant.

This, after the one implemented from May 17 to April 13, 2021 to stem the country’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) surge.

“We cut our earnings forecast and fair value estimates for the property companies given that they are part of a lot of the big holding companies that also dragged our fair value estimates. (But) an 8,100 target is still significantly higher from where we are today. That is why, we keep on saying that the negatives are priced in,” Tan said in a virtual press briefing Monday.

She said companies are “coping well” with the pandemic, adding that almost all sectors, except the property sector, reported higher year-on-year earnings.

“The reason why companies were able to deliver higher profits in the first quarter of this year compared to last year even though we are still in the pandemic is because they have adapted to the pandemic scenario by cutting cost and of course they also benefited from the lower tax rate, thanks to the CREATE (Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives) law,” Tan said.

President Rodrigo Duterte last March 26 signed into law the CREATE Act reducing the corporate income tax rate by 5 to 10 percent for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other corporations.

Moreover, Tan said they remain bullish of the stock market on the back of efficient vaccination efforts and inflation reaching its peak.

Predicting the future is very unpredictable no matter what category gets discussed. Remember when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) predicted a brighter post-Olympics future for the city of Rio de Janeiro in relation to hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic Games? What happened after Rio Olympics were lots of unfulfilled promises, deteriorating facilities and a lot of embarrassment.

Going back to Philippine stocks, the COL Financial Group showed lots of details in their explanations of their 8,100 index end-of-2021 prediction. They were right to point to the CREATE Law which itself was a factor in the spike of foreign direct investments (FDI) in the country last April. The CREATE Law effectively reduced the corporate income tax rates for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). From this point on, it is interesting to see how the CREATE Law will impact the national economy and the local stock exchange in the months to come.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are an investor, what can you say about COL Financial Group’s end-of-the-year prediction for the Philippine Stock Exchange? Are you confident that the economic stakeholders, the businesses and investors will emerge stronger starting with the end of the next ECQ period until the end of the year? Is the CREATE Law positively impacting your business and/or investments?

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: Over 100,000 patients in Muntinlupa City fully vaccinated

July 29, 2021July 28, 2021carlocarrasco

In the City of Muntinlupa, the number of people who got fully vaccinated (injected with two doses of vaccine) has exceeded the 100,000 mark and it is further growing according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin.

To be exact, the number of fully vaccinated patients in the city is now at 114,182. Counting the fully vaccinated will be a bit tricky since Muntinlupa personnel have been vaccinating certain patients with the single-dose vaccine called Janssen produced by Johnson & Johnson. Getting vaccinated is more crucial than ever as the Delta variant is here in the Philippines and is infecting more people. Previously the City Government of Muntinlupa announced that the Delta variant has not been detected within the city. Considering how infectious the Delta variant really is, the City Government’s previous statement that minors are not to be vaccinated makes sense.

Metro Manila is currently under GCQ (general community quarantine) until July 31 at least and the curfew hours have been adjusted.

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

The Muntinlupa City government’s vaccination program has administered 288,638 doses of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.

Data as of July 27 showed that of the total, 174,456 individuals have received their first dose, or 45.22 percent of the target population of 385,725.

For the second dose, 114,182 individuals are now fully vaccinated, or 29.6 percent of the target population. There are also 2,293 individuals who received the single shot Janssen vaccine and if these are included, there are now 116,475 individuals who are fully vaccinated in Muntinlupa.

Among the first dose recipients, 11,429 are A1 (health workers), 22,648 are A2 (senior citizens), 68,028 are A3 (persons with comorbidities), 59,462 are A4 (essential workers), and 12,889 are A5.

By vaccine brand, 105,886 received Sinovac Life Sciences’ CoronaVac, 35,723 got AstraZeneca, 3,879 were given Sputnik V, 24,575 got Pfizer-BioNTech, 2,100 had Moderna, and 2,293 got Janssen.

Of the 114,182 second dose recipients, 7,977 are A1, 16115 are A2, 48,642 are A3, 35,191 are A4, and 6,257 are A5.

By vaccine brand, 85,614 got Sinovac, 2,458 received AstraZeneca, 2,934 were given Sputnik V, and 23,176 had Pfizer-BioNTech.

The Muntinlupa City COVID-19 Vaccination Program (MunCoVac) team is currently completing the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech recipients whose schedules were postponed in the third week of July.

MunCoVac is also ramping up its efforts through home vaccination of bedridden individuals or those with limited mobility.

Apart from the Muntinlupa vaccination program, the OCTA Research Group urged the national government to go into a “circuit breaker” lockdown due to the spreading infection from the Delta variant according to a Manila Times news report.

With the Delta variant already infecting more people here in the Philippines, it is always best to be cautious when moving out in public while there is no lockdown in effect. Apart from wearing face masks and face shields, there is also the need to prioritize which places you need to visit and be mindful how crowded those places are. Those who have not been vaccinated should realize the tremendous risks that come with the Delta variant and they need to get registered and join the lines for vaccination. The COVID-19 vaccines are free by the way.

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/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you believe that the City Government of Muntinlupa and its strategic partners will be able to fully vaccinate the 385,000+ they targeted before the year ends? Are there people in your local community who deliberately refrained from getting registered or vaccinated? Have you encountered someone who remains unvaccinated because he/she is very afraid of vaccines or needles or the idea of getting injected?

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

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I Love Israel: Israel’s medical experts on a mission here in the Philippines

July 28, 2021July 27, 2021carlocarrasco

I am very delighted to learn that the State of Israel continues to provide much-needed assistance to the Filipinos with regards to the COVID-19 crisis. To be specific, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported that another group of medical experts from Israel arrived here in the Philippines recently to take a look at the local response to the pandemic and to enlighten local officials and frontliners. To be clear, this is a follow-up to the previous Israeli health experts who arrived this past June for very similar matters.

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

Another group of Israeli medical experts arrived in Manila on Monday to observe the country’s pandemic response and share their best practices in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients.

They were the second group of Israeli experts to arrive in the country following the initial team who visited Manila last June to offer advice on ways to implement a successful vaccine rollout.

The four-member team is composed of infectious diseases and Covid-19 specialist Dr. Guy Choshen; Shira Peleg, head nurse and nursing manager at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center’s Emergency Department; Eyad Jeries, trauma coordinator at Galilee Medical Center; and Chaim Markos Rafalowski, disaster management coordinator at Magen David Adom.

The Department of Health (DOH) said the four will visit hospitals and hold a dialogue with the country’s pandemic response cluster from July 27 to 31 to share their local clinical guidelines for Covid-19, infection control protocols, hospital management, and other practices.

“They are all part of the treatment of Covid-19 in Israel so I’d like to welcome them all and we do hope that they can share with us their best practices in Tel Aviv so we can actually beat this Covid-19 pandemic as fast as we can,” Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said in a speech at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Director Maria Soledad Antonio of DOH-Bureau of International Health Cooperation said the country particularly looks forward to knowing how Israel was able to achieve a low coronavirus mortality rate.

“Baka mamaya may makuha pa tayo sa kanila na mas mai-improve ‘yong kaso lalo na ngayon. At present naman pinapalakas natin ang health system natin (We might get more information from them on ways to improve our situation now in terms of treating patients. But at present, we continue to boost our health system),” she told reporters.

“Sila ay mga batikan sa pag-handle ng pandemya, sila ang nauuna, one of the countries na nauuna (It’s a fact that they are one of the best in handling the crisis, they are one of the leading countries on this),” she added.

Chosen, meanwhile, was elated to visit Manila, seeing this exchange as a great example of strong cooperation between the two nations.

“I think it’s not a common practice in the last year of pandemia to see a coalition of friends, of colleagues, holding hands together, sharing information and trying to solve problems together in contrary to what you usually see, you see nations fight each other. And this is a great example of cooperation between Israel and the Philippines. Hopefully, there would be more in the future,” he said in his arrival speech.

From this point on, the local officials, frontliners and others should pay close attention to what Israel’s medical experts say, point out and emphasize. Organizing vaccination (and the storage for the vaccines), isolating infected patients and assigning the frontliners on each and every location is indeed very challenging due to the archipelago of the Philippines. If there are any major breakthroughs that will happen during the current mission of the Israeli medical experts, I’ll share them here.

For the newcomers reading this, here are some videos to help you know Israel better…

The latest exchange between Israel and the Philippines is a reflection of the stronger ties between the two nations. We should all be thankful to our Lord for making this happen.

Before I end this, here are two holy scriptures for you all…

Jesus looked at them and replied, “With people it is impossible, but not with God—God makes all things possible!”

Mark 10:27 (TPT)

Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Genesis 18:14 (NKJV)

If you truly believe in Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Heavenly Father wholeheartedly and you continue to be faithful (not religious), you should be aware that Christians are meant to stand united with Israel, love the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. You can do your part supporting Israel by donating to Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Do not forget to read the Holy Bible, then pray in tongues to the Lord in the privacy of your room with the door shut.

Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel!

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COVID-19 Crisis: GCQ with some restrictions in Metro Manila in effect

July 16, 2021July 15, 2021carlocarrasco

Effective today, Metro Manila is officially under general community quarantine (GCQ) status and the additional restrictions that were previously in place have been lifted. This in turn makes it a more relaxed GCQ in the metropolis in relation to what was previously declared.

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

The additional restrictions in Metro Manila amid the general community quarantine (GCQ) status have been lifted, Malacañang announced on Thursday.

This developed after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), in a meeting held Wednesday, decided to recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte the further easing of restrictions in Metro Manila.

Metro Manila will be placed under the more relaxed GCQ starting July 16, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who also serves as IATF-EID spokesperson, said in a video message.

Metro Manila was initially placed under GCQ “with some restrictions” from July 1 to 15.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Metro Manila resident or if you own a business within Metro Manila, do you feel more confident about the so-called more relaxed GCQ status? Do you think that the current number of vaccinated Metro Manila residents was a factor with the lasted decision?

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

July 1, 2021June 30, 2021carlocarrasco

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.

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COVID-19 Crisis: GCQ in NCR Plus continues until mid-July

June 30, 2021June 29, 2021carlocarrasco

Be informed that the general community quarantine (GCQ) for NCR Plus (National Capital Region plus the bordering provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal will continue to be in effect until mid-July as President Rodrigo Duterte extended it very recently.

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

President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday extended the general community quarantine (GCQ) classification in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus with Laguna and Cavite still under “heightened restrictions” until July 15.

In his pre-recorded Talk to the People, Duterte said GCQ will also continue to be imposed in Metro Manila, Rizal, and Bulacan “with some restrictions” until July 15.

Aside from NCR Plus, Ifugao province, City of Santiago, Guimaras, Aklan, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Antique, Capiz, Zamboanga Sibugay, City of Zamboanga, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Sur will also be placed under GCQ in the next 15 days beginning July 1.

The GCQ will be imposed in Baguio City, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Batangas, Quezon, Ilagan City, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato, South Cotabato, and Cotabato City until July 31.

Meanwhile, Duterte also placed Cagayan, Apayao, Bataan, Lucena City, Puerto Princesa, Naga City, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Negros Oriental, Zambaogan del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, Butuan City, Dumagat Islands, and Surigao del Sur under stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from July 1 to 31.

Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, and Davao del Norte are also under MECQ but only up to July 15.

The rest of the country will be placed under modified GCQ.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said gyms/fitness centers at 40 percent capacity and other indoor sports courts at 50 percent capacity will be allowed in Metro Manila, Rizal and Bulacan but not in other areas of NCR Plus like Laguna and Cavite.

He said 40 percent capacity for historical sites and museums will also be allowed in the NCR Plus areas except in Laguna and Cavite.

The non-contact sports are allowed in GCQ and MGCQ areas while individual outdoor exercises are allowed within the general areas of their residence in MECQ places.

Roque said outdoor dining (Al fresco) with 50 percent capacity will be allowed in GCQ and MGCQ but not in MECQ areas.

He added that indoor sports courts and venues as well as indoor tourist attractions can operate up to 50 percent capacity GCQ areas but should be closed in MECQ places as well as in Laguna and Cavite.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you find the extension of GCQ status for NCR Plus justified? Considering the so-called heightened restrictions, what do you think is the problem going on in the provinces of Laguna and Cavite?

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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