Tag: PNA.gov.ph

With a huge delegation, the Philippines begins its quest for gold at the 31st SEA Games

With a huge delegation, the Philippines begins its quest for gold at the 31st SEA Games

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While most of the country has been focused on the May 9 General Elections (national and local levels) as people will elect a new President who will lead the country for the next six years, the Philippines has a huge delegation gradually arriving in Vietnam for the 31st Southeast Asian Games (AKA the 31st SEA Games, SEA Games 31 and Hanoi 2021), according to an article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). While the opening ceremony of the SEA Games has been set to happen on May 12, there are already sports events that were held days ahead of the said ceremony. The Philippine Team, which has a financial support of over P200 million, will start very soon its quest for gold while adjusting themselves to the new environment, culture and society there in Vietnam.

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

The Philippine contingent for the 31st Southeast Asian Games is scheduled to check in on Tuesday with the Philippine Sports Commission on hand to facilitate their arrival and have them comfortably settled two days before the opening ceremony of the 11-nation sportsfest.

A large wave of athletes led by 2019 SEA Games multiple medalist and world champion gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo will set foot here together with the highly admired women’s volleyball team featuring its top celebrities Alyssa Valdez, Aby Maraño and Jaja Santiago.

Yulo, who brought along his Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya, won two gold medals and five silvers in men’s artistic gymnastics back in Manila 2019 and is expected to deliver again for Team Philippines.

“We are ready to receive our athletes and coaches and extend the assistance they need once they arrive here. They have to be free of distractions so they can focus on their respective competitions ahead,” said PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, the chef de mission of Team Philippines.

Women’s volleyball and men’s volleyball have a total headcount of 38 players and officials while gymnastics has 22 athletes and coaches comprising the 193 members of the delegation set to arrive on Tuesday.

Filipino athletes and officials from badminton (19), bodybuilding (13), fencing (28), table tennis (17), tennis (12), athletics (8), wushu (17), and one swimmer will likewise depart from Manila on the same day along with the PSC medical team (6) and members of the media (12).

Already settled in the Vietnamese capital and have moved to their respective billeting areas are athletes from kickboxing, handball, men’s and women’s football, rowing, chess, kurash, pencak silat, men’s 3×3 basketball, women’s basketball, golf, and triathlon/duathlon.

The main bulk of track and field athletes and officials (50) will be here on Wednesday, including pole vault Asian record holder Ernest John Obiena.

Speaking of the Philippines’ quest for gold in the SEA Games, triathlon and duathlon events are scheduled for May 14 and 15 respectively according to details at Triathlon.org (references here and here) and it has been confirmed already that Quang Ninh is the Vietnamese province which will host triathlon and other events. To know more about the Philippine Team triathletes and duathletes who are set to compete in the SEA Games, click here and here. Take note that the Philippines’ best triathletes and duathletes recently competed in the Subic Bay International Triathlon or SUBIT.

The Philippine Team for triathlon and duathlon at the airport before they departed to Vietnam. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission Facebook page)

To know more about what kind of competitors Team Philippines will face in the SEA Games triathlon and duathlon events, check out my recent post related to the highly detailed interview with the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA). To find out who exactly are the Southeast Asian triathletes and duathletes in the men’s triathlon, women’s triathlon, men’s duathlon and women’s duathlon, check out the SEA Games pages at Triathlon.org which now have official lists of starters for public viewing.

Considering what is at stake and what kind of competitors the Philippine delegation will face at the SEA Games, I urge you to pray to our Lord for victories to be achieved by our nation’s finest athletes (note: each of them went through qualification processes in their respective teams and sports) and that they (along with their coaches) will be rewarded abundantly. We should not believe on luck because we have the victory of Lord Jesus to believe in and God is the definitive source and provider of blessings, breakthroughs and miracles that we must believe in. To pray to the Lord, be in your room with the door shut and pray in tongues to Him with all your heart. Also be thankful to Him wholeheartedly.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: How excited are you right now with the Philippines’ SEA Games campaign? What is the one sports event of the SEA Games you are excited for?

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

For other SEA Games-related articles, click here, here, here, here and here.

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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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Less than 13 million boosted in the Philippines so far

COVID-19 Crisis: Less than 13 million boosted in the Philippines so far

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Recently the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported that the number of people in the country counted as fully vaccinated for COVID-19 was approaching the 70,000,000 mark. What is disturbing, however, is that the number of people who received their booster shots (note: the 3rd shot after two doses of most COVID-19 vaccine brands) is still low at less than 13,000,000 counted.

The anti-vaccine crazies out there can discourage people all they want but nothing changes the fact that booster shots are essential for the Philippines in order to truly emerge from the COVID-19 crisis and progress.

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

The Philippines has administered 144,781,087 doses of coronavirus vaccines, with 66,979,873 Filipinos already with the full primary series.

Of the total, only 12,687,684 have booster shots as of Tuesday.

The latest data of the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 also showed that 72,010,262 individuals, or 80.01 percent of the country’s target for population protection, have received at least one dose.

During President Rodrigo Duterte’s prerecorded “Talk to the People” aired late Monday night, NTF chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. acknowledged the country is still lagging in the administration of booster shots or third doses.

Among the pediatric age groups, 9,918,970 first doses have been given to the 12 to 17 bracket and 2,694,251 for 5 to 11.

“Maganda po ang coverage natin from 18 to 59 years old. Ito po ‘yung adult population at mayroon po tayong (We have a good vaccination coverage from 18 to 59 years old. This is the adult population and we have) more or less 94.28 percent (of the target), with 52 million already with the first dose,” Galvez said.

For the 60 years old above, Galvez said the country has already vaccinated 6,907,715 with at least one dose.

If you do the math, 12,687,684 patients with booster shots out of the 66,979,873 fully vaccinated people is equivalent to 18.94%. In terms of simple numbers, there are more than 54 million fully vaccinated patients who have yet to get boosted. Still a long way to go before many others get boosted.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? If you have been fully vaccinated already, how long has it been since that happened? If you have not received your booster shot yet, have you tried contacting the local vaccination team? Do you think that it is time for the local governments to start announcing incentives to convince fully vaccinated patients to get boosted at last?

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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

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

Triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon officially included in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia

Triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon officially included in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia

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As many millions of sports enthusiasts all over the Southeast Asian region are anticipating the start of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (also referred to as 31st SEA Games, Hanoi 2021 and SEA Games 31) in Vietnam (for external references, click here, here and here), the wheels for the 2023 edition of the SEA Games (AKA 32nd SEA Games) in Cambodia are already moving forward and already close to forty events have been confirmed, according to a news release published through the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

And here are the most notable news for the people who love multisports – triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon are officially part of the 2023 SEA Games events! Very recently, a high-profile meeting about the next SEA Games was held in Cambodia.

The official logo of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games (also referred to as Cambodia 2023).

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

Cambodia will be putting on a showcase as a first-time host of the Southeast Asian Games in 2023 with 39 sports already on its competition program.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said Cambodia has shown its readiness to host next year’s Games during a SEA Games Federation meeting held over the weekend in Siem Reap, a resort town that’s the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Wat.

“Cambodia is ready to host and they promised an excellent edition of the Games,” Tolentino said in a news release on Monday.

Tolentino was joined in the meeting by POC Deputy Secretary General Bones Floro, triathlon head Tom Carrasco, volleyball chief and POC broadcast committee chair Ramon “Tats” Suzara, soft tennis Capt. Bob Moran and bowling legend Bong Coo representing women’s sports.

Cambodia scheduled the 32nd edition of the SEA Games from May 5 to 16—a year after Vietnam hosted this year’s Games—with the capital Phnom Penh as the main hub.

Tolentino said centerpiece athletics and aquatics tops the sports program as Category I sports with the marathon for men and women starting and finishing at Angkor Wat as well as the road and mountain bike (MTB) cycling.

The other sports under Category II are badminton, basketball (5×5 and 3×3), boxing, billiards, cycling (road and MTB), canoeing, rowing, Ok Chaktrong, Asean and Xiangxi), dancesport, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics (aerobic and artistic), hockey (including indoor), judo, karate, muay, petanque, sailing, sepaktakraw (including chinlone), soft tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, traditional boat race, triathlon (including duathlon and aquathlon), volleyball, wrestling and weightlifting.

In relation to the above news release, triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon are also listed in a recent article on the official website of the 2023 SEA Games.

Take note that Cambodia will be hosting and organizing the SEA Games for the first time ever. The official website of the 32nd SEA Games is located at http://cambodia2023.com/ and their focus on preparing for the games is real. Check out the video below from the Cambodia 2023 YouTube channel.

For more about the Cambodia SEA Games on social media, visit their official Facebook page, their official Instagram account and follow them on Twitter.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are an enthusiast of triathlon, duathlon or aquathlon, what is your reaction towards their declared inclusion in the 2023 SEA Games? With regards to Cambodia’s first time hosting the SEA Games, are you excited to see the region’s biggest sports event to be held there?

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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

I Love Israel: Israel and the Philippines agree to speed up deployment of Filipino hotel workers

I Love Israel: Israel and the Philippines agree to speed up deployment of Filipino hotel workers

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The essential ties between Israel and the Philippines continue to create positive results once again as the two nations formally agreed to speed up the deployment of Filipino hotel workers to Israel which recently reopened its borders to international visitors (including the unvaccinated), according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report in reference to an official announcement by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

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

Israel and the Philippines are working to fast-track the deployment of some 500 Filipino hotel workers as Israel reopens its tourism industry, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

The agency said Philippine Ambassador to Israel Macairog Alberto met the officials of the Israel Hotel Association (IHA) last March 14 in hopes to expedite the OFWs’ deployment by April 2022.

“As Israel reopens its tourism industry, allows the entry of both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers, and eases its travel and health restrictions, its hotel sector will require a full workforce to cater to the expected influx of tourists to the Holy Land,” the DFA said.

“The Philippines and Israel are thus working together to fast-track the arrival of the initial batch of 500 Filipino hotel workers in the first week of April, ahead of Passover and Holy Week, both peak holidays and tourist-draws for the country,” it added.

The project is under the 2018 Philippines-Israel labor agreement for a government-to-government arrangement for Filipino hotel workers in Israel.

During the March 14 meeting, IHA said its members may require up to 10,000 laborers and expressed readiness to hire 800 Filipino hotel workers, which will then be increased to 2,000 at the earliest opportunity.

IHA also praised the Filipino workers’ professionalism, English proficiency, and work.

Alberto, meanwhile, assured the association that the Embassy is working closely with the Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, as well as with Israeli labor and immigration authorities for the deployment.

It is indeed a blessing from the Lord that the essential ties and established agreements between Israel and the Philippines created many job opportunities for Filipino hotel workers as they are already needed to fill the labor needs of Israel’s tourism industry as lots of foreign travelers are already arriving there. Do not forget that here in the Philippines, a lot of Christians are eager to visit Israel to tour the Holy Land as pilgrims and already Behold Israel has scheduled Bible Experience Tours for June, September, November and December this year! Truly God is good, He is always watching us and we should be thankful to Him as both the Philippines and Israel are recovering from COVID-19 crisis.

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!

In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure and enlightenment.

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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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Have you received your booster shot already?

COVID-19 Crisis: Have you received your booster shot already?

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Are you one of the many millions of people here in the Philippines who got fully vaccinated (received two doses of most COVID-19 vaccines) for COVID-19 months ago? By now, you should be eligible to receive your booster shot and I wonder if your local government’s vaccination team contacted you about the said shot. Also, have you taken the effort to contact the local vaccination team about getting boosted?

The reason I ask these questions because only a minority of the Philippines’ fully vaccinated population got boosted and the number of boosted people is growing so slowly as revealed in a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report.

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

An infectious disease expert on Monday urged fully vaccinated individuals to get their booster shots to prevent another surge of Covid-19 cases.

In a televised public briefing, Department of Health – Technical Advisory Group member Edsel Salvaña said that the resurgence of infections is a possibility since Covid-19 “showed surprises worldwide”.

“We have tools with which we have turned Covid into almost an endemic virus. Kung mapapagpatuloy pa natin ‘to, wala na pong bagong variant na lumabas, tuloy-tuloy na po ‘yan (If we can continue these, no new variant comes out, these will go on) towards endemicity,” he said.

The administration of a fourth dose for the immunocompromised, Salvaña said, is being studied as data are “still very preliminary” worldwide.

To date, 65,171,415 Filipinos are fully vaccinated while 11,530,728 of them have booster shots.

The vaccination for the pediatric sector also continues to gain momentum, with some 11 million aged 5 to 17 receiving at least one dose.

This number is expected to increase following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the use of the Sinovac vaccine for minors, pending the release of the final guidelines.

As seen in the above report, only 11,530,728 people successfully got boosted. That number is only 17.69% of the grand total 65,171,415. Still a very long way to go before the count of the boosted patients even comes close to the grand total.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? If you have been fully vaccinated already, how long has it been since that happened? If you have not received your booster shot yet, have you tried contacting the local vaccination team to verify if you are eligible and if there is a booster shot reserved for you?

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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

I Love Israel: Philippines’ dairy sector to get boosted thanks to partnership with Israel

I Love Israel: Philippines’ dairy sector to get boosted thanks to partnership with Israel

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The generosity of Israel for the Philippines will soon be realized specifically in the dairy sector of the nation as a partnership between the two nations was formally signed, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported. This is

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

In a signing ceremony on March 2, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar and Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss signed a joint declaration that would jumpstart technical and economic partnerships between Filipino stakeholders and Israeli agri-food industry players.

“We aim to introduce smart and precision agriculture while using Israeli technology adjusted to local conditions to address the local challenges. Signing the joint declaration is a strong signal that MASHAV, Israel’s agency for development cooperation, will be happy to support the Philippines through technical assistance and capacity-building programs, especially in the dairy industry,” Fluss said.

In the proposed 2020-2025 Dairy Road Map, the government seeks to increase the country’s dairy input to provide milk for Filipino children and address malnutrition and poverty.

“Israel is a model to us. The Philippine government is eager to learn from Israel’s best dairy practices, we want to know more about the technologies. We have also watched with great interest the progress of the joint-dairy projects between Israel and Vietnam, and we wish to learn as much in the Philippines,” Dar said.

“I trust the joint declaration is only the first step to continuing mutual relationship and assistance,” he added.

The signing was followed by a virtual event, which featured best practices from Israel’s dairy industry and leading technologies to increase farm productivity.

At the webinar, Dairy Fresh Asia’s chief dairy expert and co-founder Gonen Harel said his company plans to build a demo farm that can help change the dairy industry and its scale in the Philippines by training the local workforce and blending it with Israeli technologies that have proven its success in Vietnam.

Dr. William Medrano, DA Undersecretary for Livestock, for his part, acknowledged the need to attract more Israeli companies and utilize their technologies for the Philippine milk industry.

Ariane Blancia, commercial officer and sector lead for Agrotechnologies, said that about 1.5 billion liters of cow milk were produced in Israel last 2020 alone.

“There are many reasons why Israeli Holstein cow is a world leader in milk yields, but the real answer lies actually in the combination of the unique method of production and quotas, heat stress management, breeding among others that are used in Israel to manage and improve the dairy herd,” Blancia said.

The Philippines will soon have its dairy industry boosted thanks to this strategic and beneficial partnership with Israel. The State of Israel is very well known for its advancements in agriculture and dairy. Truly this latest development about the blossoming ties between Israel and the Philippines is something we all must be thankful to the Lord for.

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

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

In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure and enlightenment.

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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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

Over 650 Philippine athletes counted so far for the 31st SEA Games

Over 650 Philippine athletes counted so far for the 31st SEA Games

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If you are rooting for the Philippines to become successful in the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (AKA 31st SEA Games, the Vietnam SEA Games or Hanoi 2021) in Vietnam this coming May, be aware that more than six hundred fifty national athletes have been listed to represent the country, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) article published recently. To make things clear, these athletes were collectively submitted by the varied national sports agencies (NSAs) to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). The current number of athletes is tentative at best as there are NSAs still finalizing their respective athletes for the SEA Games.

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

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) has so far summed 656 athletes who will do battle in the 31st Southeast Asian Games that are due in under two and a half months in Hanoi, Vietnam.

POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said majority of the 39 national sports associations which are fielding athletes to Vietnam have submitted tentative rosters for the May 12 to 25 Games.

The Philippines is competing in 39 of the 40 sports programmed by Vietnam for its only second hosting of the Games since 2003. In these 39 sports, the country is participating in 44 disciplines, according to Tolentino.

“Comparing the numbers when we hosted the Games in 2019, we’ll have a delegation that’s slashed almost in half from three years ago,” Tolentino said in a news release on Monday. “And a quick look at the numbers show we’ll be hard-pressed to repeat as overall champions.”

There were 1,115 Filipino athletes in 2019—an automatic privilege that host countries have—and they won 149 gold, 117 silver and 121 bronze medals for a guaranteed overall title.

“But we’ll have a fighting team in Vietnam, setting aside the difficulties of training and competing or training overseas because of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Tolentino said.

Of the 44 disciplines, the POC has yet to receive a tentative list for athletics, men’s 3×3 and 5×5 basketball, weightlifting and jiujitsu.

The deadline for the submission of entries by names is on March 12 and Tolentino said the POC is hopeful to complete the list—including expected revisions from NSAs which already complied with the body’s February 24 internal deadline—by then.

“Several NSAs were allowed to submit tentative lists because they’re still completing their final qualifications or trials,” he said.

The estimated size of the delegation is pegged at 874. Also on the tentative list are 177 team officials (coaches, team managers and/or NSA heads or representatives) and 20 members of the medical (doctors, nurses, and masseurs/therapists) and administrative staff.

Competition venues for Filipino athletes are spread out in four clusters although majority will be in the main hub of Hanoi, Tolentino said. The POC based the clusters on their proximity to Hanoi.

Filipino athletes will be competing in diving, swimming, finswimming, archery, athletics, badminton, 3×3 and 5×5 basketball, billiards and snooker, bodybuilding, bowling, boxing, canoe-kayak, chess, cycling, dancesports, esports, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics (artistic, aerobic and rhythmic), beach handball, judo, jiujitsu, karate, kickboxing, kurash, muaythai, pencak silat, rowing, sepak takraw, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon/duathlon, volleyball, beach volleyball, vovinam, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Considering the difficulty everyone had to endure with the COVID-19 pandemic, do you think that the current athletes the Philippines has right now are competitive enough to bring home SEA Games gold medals? Among the all of the above listed SEA Games sports the Philippines will compete in, what are the five sports that interest you the most right now?

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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

I Love Israel: Israel monitoring Philippine developments as a result of the police intelligence report about Hamas plot in the country

I Love Israel: Israel monitoring Philippine developments as a result of the police intelligence report about Hamas plot in the country

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Recently, it was reported that intelligence work by the Philippine National Police (PNP) showed that the Palestinian militant group Hamas plotted to not only establish their presence in the Philippines but also recruit Filipinos and kill Jews in the country. As a result, the Israel Embassy is monitoring developments and has appreciated the efficient response of the PNP’s intelligence work.

Be aware that this is not the first time Hamas (which has been identified for terrorism by some governments around the world) tried establishing its presence in the country and in recent times the ties between Israel and the Philippines got stronger (for some reference, click here, here, here, here, here, here and here) .

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) article dated February 17, 2022. Some parts in boldface…

The Israel Embassy in Manila is monitoring developments in the Philippines following an intelligence report alleging Palestinian militant group Hamas was planning to recruit subordinates to mount an attack against Israeli nationals.

“We appreciate the efficient response of the Philippine police and their efforts to make sure that the Israelis are well-protected. We are closely monitoring this,” the Embassy said Thursday.

The statement came following a report that Hamas has denied the supposed plot.

Citing a source from Hamas, Gaza-based Shehab News Agency said the movement had belied the allegation, noting “commitment to its well-known and declared policy of limiting its conflict with the Israeli occupation within the occupied Palestinian territories, and not to transfer it to any Arab or foreign lands.”

On Tuesday, the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group said it uncovered a plan to recruit Filipinos who will be “utilized to kill Jews present in the country, conduct rallies at the Israeli embassy and spread (of) video propaganda against Israel.”

For further perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the other PNA article also dated February 17, 2022. Some parts in boldface…

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said some persons are being monitored in connection with the reported plan of the Middle East-based Hamas militant group to operate in the Philippines.

“Those people mentioned in the report are now under surveillance and monitoring,” he said in a phone interview on Wednesday night, referring to a report that was recently submitted to him by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

He, however, did not say how many individuals are being monitored for supposedly being involved in the plot.

“The PNP Intelligence Group is into this, they’re monitoring the movement of these Filipinos who are reportedly (involved),” said Año, adding that the effort has been coordinated with the Anti-Terrorism Council.

While he believes that the plot was already preempted, the DILG chief said intelligence personnel continue to monitor and gather relevant information on the matter.

“There are no indicators that they are really on the verge of implementing it (plan to establish foothold). It’s still information that is being acted upon by the intelligence community,” the DILG chief added.

On Tuesday, the PNP Intelligence Group said it has uncovered a plan to recruit Filipinos who will be “utilized to kill Jews present in the country, conduct rallies at the Israeli embassy and spread (of) video propaganda against Israel.”

The information was uncovered through information provided by a local contact of Hamas who was allegedly approached by Hamas-Foreign Liaison Section head Fares Al Shikli, who is based in Turkey, as early as 2016.

The “local contact” reportedly made several trips to Malaysia from 2016 to 2018 to discuss the possibility of launching attacks in the Philippines in exchange for financial assistance.

The above article ended stating that in 2018, police operatives arrested Iraqi national Taha Mohammed Ahmed al-Jabouri. Al-Jabouri, who was later deported by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to Turkey, was described by local law enforcers as a “chemist with knowledge on explosives” and “closely affiliated” with Hamas.

For the newcomers reading this, Hamas is described as a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization which has a record of violence and terror. Hamas is an enemy of Israel.

As such, we must pray to God to help the State of Israel and its people to be protected more and to emerge victorious in its conflicts with Hamas. We also need to pray to the Lord for the fall of Hamas so that their agents will realize the errors of their ways, get out of the wickedness they lived with, repent to God and submit themselves to Him willfully. Pray also that the apartheid practiced by the Palestinian Authority (PA) will come to an end and that the Palestinians be freed from their government’s corruption and wickedness. Pray to the Lord that the millions of young people in North America brainwashed by socialists in colleges will stop supporting terrorists, stop those reckless “Free Palestine” activities, and realize they need to come to Jesus to be redeemed.

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!

In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure and enlightenment.

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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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

I Love Israel: Israel donates 16,000 antigen test kits to Philippines’ Department of National Defense

I Love Israel: Israel donates 16,000 antigen test kits to Philippines’ Department of National Defense

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Recently the State of Israel’s Ministry of Defense formally donated sixteen thousand antigen test kits to the Department of National Defense of the Philippines which was done by the Israeli Embassy and government officials in a ceremony, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported. This latest development is helpful in terms of combatting COVID-19 while aiding the health of Philippines defense personnel.

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

The Ministry of Defense of the State of Israel, through the Israeli Embassy in Manila, donated 16,000 units of antigen test kits to the Department of National Defense (DND) of the Philippines to help its fight against Covid-19.

Israeli diplomats Ambassador Ilan Fluss and Defense Attaché Mr. Raz Shabtay turned over the antigen test kits to National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

“Friends support each other in times of need. Israel is a friend of the Philippines and will continue to assist and share its expertise in various fields. I am proud to deliver this Israeli assistance today to support the Department of National Defense of the Philippines in keeping this country safe and secure,” Fluss said.

“The relationship between Israel and the Philippines, particularly the relationship between both defense ministries, is never as strong as it is now,” Shabtay said.

“We are delighted to be able to support once more, in the form of contributing 16,000 antigen test kits, to help the Defense Forces of the Philippines in fighting this current Global Pandemic,” he added.

Israel continues to assist the Philippines in combatting Covid-19. In 2021, the Israeli government turned over personal protective equipment to the Department of National Defense and the Philippine National Police, two Israeli delegations of medical experts assisted the country’s national vaccination campaign and shared Israel’s local clinical guidelines for Covid-19 infection control protocols and hospital management.

Israel also continues to share its experience and knowledge in emergency and pandemic response with the Philippines through webinars, courses, and joint meetings.

The handover ceremony was held at the DND Headquarters in Quezon City on February 9.

The above article ended stating that those who attended the ceremony were Assistant Secretary Jesus Rey Avilla, Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, Director Franklin Gali, Brig. Gen. Edgar Cardiñoza, Undersecretary Raymundo de Vera Elefante, and staff members of the DND and the embassy.

Be thankful to the Lord for the blossoming Israel-Philippines relations which are truly essential! For the newcomers reading this, Israel assisted the Philippines in varied ways such as sharing expertise on fighting COVID-19, vaccinating many Filipinos in Israel, and providing help to Typhoon Odette victims to name a few. In terms of national defense, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Philippines and Israel is in the works. Once again, be very thankful to God for Israel and its love for the Philippines! Be thankful that vaccination certificates of visitors from Israel are already being accepted here in the Philippines which is crucial to revive Philippine tourism! Be thankful to the Lord that the Abraham Accords are progressing and leading to more peace even though the United States has Commies in the Biden administration who prefer siding with Israel’s enemies. I urge you all to stand with Israel and help protect it from their enemies.

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!

In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure.

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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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

COVID-19 Crisis: More than 75% of Philippines target population declared fully vaccinated

COVID-19 Crisis: More than 75% of Philippines target population declared fully vaccinated

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When it was reported that the nation of Denmark lifted most of its pandemic restrictions, more than 60% of their population received a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines. Three doses meaning getting fully vaccinated with two doses of most vaccines and getting boosted with the third shot afterwards. Here in the Philippines, there is still a long way to go before 60% of the population gets boosted but the country has been progressing as more than 75% of Filipinos under the target population got fully vaccinated (2 shots), according to an article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

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

A total of 59,120,367 individuals nationwide or 75.7 percent of the target population are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), according to the National Task Force Against Covid-19.

In an interview Wednesday night, National Task Force Against Covid-19 consultant Dr. Maria Paz Corrales said the number is 53 percent of the total Philippine population.

More are expected to receive the life-saving shots as the national government further ramps up its vaccination campaign, expanding it to children aged 5 to 11 years old starting February 4, and in provinces badly hit by Typhoon Odette last year.

Corrales said a total of 780,000 doses of reformulated Pfizer vaccine for this age group would arrive February 3.

She added that the government is planning to hold another round of the national vaccination days for the young age group that would also cover booster doses.

“Meron tayong pinaplanong (We are planning a) national vaccination day that will cover the pediatric population, that’s 5 to 17, and then for the senior citizens, and the booster. We have to ramp up the three so the government is planning to have a national vaccination days para tumaas ang (to increase the number of) vaccination. We hope to achieve 90 million by June,” Corrales said.

In areas stricken by “Odette”, Corrales said the use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson and the Sputnik Light vaccines are recommended since they get protected against the disease immediately, without having to return for a second dose.

“The problem is ‘yung mga Odette stricken areas, may ibang may problema pa sa storage kasi ‘yung iba wala pang kuryente, may iba naman, ‘yung mga vaccinators apektado dahil sa (There are areas with storage problems since some are still without power. There are also some vaccinators affected by the) Omicron surge but they have fully recuperated and they are going back to work. The government is doing all its efforts to help build again those Odette stricken areas,” Corrales said.

The country was at the height of its national vaccination days in December when “Odette” struck provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao, causing massive flooding and power outages that went on for days, disrupting the vaccination program in many areas.

Just a few days ago, it was announced that the planned vaccination drive of younger minors aged 5 to 11-years-old would be delayed. Nationwide, local government units have been accepting and processing the registration related to the said vaccination drive. Take for example the City Government of Las Piñas confirmed that more than 9,000 children (aged 5 to 11) were registered. For sure the national count of people getting vaccinated, fully vaccinated and boosted will go up. How long it will take for a majority of the fully vaccinated Filipinos to get boosted remains uncertain.

Regardless, I should reiterate that the Philippines should acquire more Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines to immunize people from coronavirus and its variants (including the more infectious Omicron variant). For related articles about Sputnik versus Omicron, click here, here, here, here and here.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about the current vaccination efforts of the Philippines? Do you think the government officials from the national level down to the local level are doing the best they can to get as many people immunized from 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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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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.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