Tag: PNA.gov.ph

I Love Israel: Exchange of scientists between Israel and the Philippines confirmed

I Love Israel: Exchange of scientists between Israel and the Philippines confirmed

carlocarrasco

As I was browsing the latest and most relevant news at the Philippine News Agency (PNA) recently, I spotted the latest development about Israel-Philippines ties and it is about the exchange of scientists. Very recently, Israeli health experts provided valuable advise to Philippine authorities on dealing with COVID-19.

For me, this is significant because I observed that Israel itself has made lots of advances in the field of science and this was confirmed by the Bloomberg Innovation Index wherein Israel finished as the fifth most innovative country in the world for the year 2019. Israel also has its high-tech industries and excels in green science or agriculture feeding the world along the way.

To put things in perspective about the Israel-Philippines exchange of scientists, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…

Israel and the Philippines will be sending scientists to each other’s countries as part of capacity building and trainings, an official of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said on Tuesday.

“The specifics such as the number of the experts, duration and date of the visit will still have to be further discussed. While we want to proceed with the activity as soon as possible, we also need to consider the current situation, including travel advisories both in the Philippines and Israel,” DOST Assistant Secretary for International Cooperation Leah Buendia told the Philippine News Agency.

She said the Filipino experts going to Israel will be trained on drip irrigation, medicinal chemistry, Israel’s drug discovery, and artificial intelligence (AI).

On the other hand, the Israeli scientists going to the Philippines will meet with Filipino researchers.

“One of the agreements during the (Philippines-Israel joint committee meeting on science and technology) is to conduct a workshop which will serve as a platform for Filipino and Israeli experts to discuss their works, and identify potential collaboration. During the meeting, our Israeli counterparts said that they want to visit the Philippines,” she said.

DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said the meeting with Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) chief scientist, Avi Domb, and other officials of both agencies was held virtually last June 30.

He said they talked about the potential joint initiatives to be implemented on the identified priority areas that include agriculture (water management); AI (robotics); and health (biomedical engineering and drug discovery).

The discussed priorities were guided by the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Scientific Cooperation signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during his official visit to Israel in 2018, he added.

“Israel is a valuable partner for us. It is part of our 20 priority partners for STI (science, technology, innovation) international cooperation, recognizing their strengths in STI and considering the pronouncements of engaging with non-traditional partners,” Buendia said.

She added that the DOST officials are happy that they finally had the meeting to lay out their plans for the collaboration.

De la Peña earlier reported that capacity building activities include scholarships, visiting professors, and trainings.

The conduct of joint conferences to discuss the respective researches and projects of experts shall also be expected, eyeing the development of AI applications for government/public service and emergency response, among others.

And here are some videos to help you know Israel better…

The latest exchange between Israel and the Philippines regarding scientists is a reflection of the stronger ties between the two nations. We Filipinos should be grateful to the State of Israel, no matter what happens and no matter who are leading as national authorities both here and there. We Filipinos can also give back by supporting Israel in more ways than one. We can pray for Israelites and provide varied support for them (note: refer to the Christians United for Israel reference near the very end of this article below) knowing that there are still terrorists (sponsored by Iran) and other forces of evil that are obsessed in destroying Israel.

Before I end this, here is a holy scripture for you all…

Now, this is what Yahweh says:

    “Listen, Jacob, to the One who created you,

    Israel, to the one who shaped who you are.

    Do not fear,

    for I, your Kinsman-Redeemer, will rescue you.

    I have called you by name, and you are mine.

  When you pass through the deep, stormy sea,

    you can count on me to be there with you.

    When you pass through raging rivers,

    You will not drown.

    When you walk through persecution like fiery flames,

    you will not be burned;

    the flames will not harm you,

  for I am your Savior, Yahweh, your mighty God,

    the Holy One of Israel!

    I give up Egypt as the price to set you free,

    Cush and Seba in exchange to bring you back.

  Since you are cherished and precious in my eyes,

    and because I love you dearly and want to honor you,

    I willingly give up nations in exchange for you—

    a man to save your life.

  I am with you now, even close to you,

    so never yield to fear.

    I will bring your children from the east;

    from the west I will gather you.

  I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’

    and to the south, ‘Don’t hold them back!’

    Bring me my sons from far away,

    my daughters from the ends of the earth!

  Bring me everyone who is called by my name,

    the ones I created to experience my glory.

    I myself formed them to be who they are

    and made them for my glory.”

Isaiah 43:1-7 (TPT)

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!

+++++

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

COVID-19 Crisis: 11.7 million people vaccinated nationwide

carlocarrasco

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: No hospitalization, deaths recorded after full vaccination according to FDA

COVID-19 Crisis: No hospitalization, deaths recorded after full vaccination according to FDA

carlocarrasco

Were you fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with two doses already? There is something worth paying attention to related to health and immunity towards COVID-19, particularly on what happens once a person successfully got two doses. I’m talking about the local Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which declared that there were no hospitalizations and no deaths related to COVID-19 recorded after more than two weeks of getting the 2nd dose.

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

Out of the 8.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines administered as of June 20, no hospitalization and deaths due to Covid-19 were observed after more than 14 days of getting the second dose and only 0.6 percent reported reactions, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Preliminary data presented by FDA Director General Eric Domingo showed that some Covid-19 infections occurring after vaccination were recorded after more than 14 days from the second inoculation but all were mild cases.

In a news release, the FDA said Sinovac, with 1.6 million individuals completing the two doses, recorded 33 infections. AstraZeneca with 428,000 individuals vaccinated with the full dose, recorded one infection.

Pfizer had one infection after 82,800 individuals were vaccinated with two doses. There were no recorded infections in Sputnik V among the 14,000 individuals who received the full dose.

The performance of Covid-19 vaccines in the country, as initially reported by the FDA, supports the results of the clinical trials and real-world data reported by several countries that vaccines prevent hospitalization and deaths.

Health experts locally and abroad have reiterated the importance of getting vaccinated as an additional layer of protection against Covid-19.

Among the common reactions after vaccination included increased blood pressure, pain in the injection site, headache, fever, dizziness, rashes, and respiratory symptoms. No local events of blood clotting and myocarditis were reported.

“To date, the evidence gathered from all causality assessments has concluded that all serious reactions reported were unrelated to the Covid-19 vaccine. We reiterate that vaccines with emergency use authorization are safe and effective against Covid-19 and the benefits of using them outweigh the risks,” Domingo said.

The Department of Health and the FDA emphasized the importance of completing the required two doses, as maximum protection sets in two weeks after getting the second dose.

“Gaya ng ating nakita sa mga clinical trial, kapag tayo ay nakakompleto ng 2 dose ng bakuna ay walang naospital at walang namatay dahil sa Covid-19 matapos ang 14 araw (The clinical trials show that when we have completed the required two doses, no one gets hospitalized or die from Covid-19 after 14 days). Vaccines do protect us from getting severe Covid-19 and prevent hospitalization and death. We urge everyone to get vaccinated when it is their turn to protect themselves and their families against Covid-19,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

While the preliminary report shows that chances of hospitalization and death are reduced, fully vaccinated individuals may still get infected with Covid-19 and therefore may still infect others, especially those who have not received their vaccines yet.

So there you have it! The FDA and local health officials found that being fully vaccinated (2 doses) for COVID-19 is really helpful in the sense that you become more protected from the coronavirus, although not necessarily 100% protected. By analyzing the risks and the high costs of medical care today, it is more preferrable to avoid hospitalization for COVID-19 and this alone should motivate the unvaccinated to get registered and vaccinated.

Getting fully vaccinated also enable people – especially the unemployed – to get back to work and become part of the economic recovery effort. In fact, COVID-19 vaccination was cited in the ease of national unemployment for the month of May. Here is an excerpt from another PNA article. Some parts in boldface…

The economic managers added that 1.5 million jobs were created between April and May this year.

“Following the trend of recovery from the previous months, total employment remains above pre-Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) levels with a net job creation of 2.2 million since January 2020,” they said.

They are also optimistic that the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) and the faster rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination program will support the government’s target to grow the economy by 6 to 7 percent this year.

Some 829,662 economic front-liners under the A4 priority group have received their first dose of Covid-19 jab since the list was expanded last May 27.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Have you been vaccinated with two doses for COVID-19? What was the brand of vaccine you got injected with? Do you believe that the Food and Drug Administration conducted their research properly?

As far as employment is concerned, do you consider COVID-19 vaccination essential?

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

COVID-19 Crisis: 36% of target population in Muntinlupa City vaccinated as of June 30, 2021

COVID-19 Crisis: 36% of target population in Muntinlupa City vaccinated as of June 30, 2021

carlocarrasco

According to the Manila Bulletin, 36% of the target population of Muntinlupa City got vaccinated with their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of the end of June 2021. However, with the way the data was presented, understanding the statistics can be a little tricky.

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

The Muntinlupa City government has already vaccinated 36 percent of the target population as it continued to ramp up its daily output.

As of June 30, a total of 139,942 individuals received their first dose of the vaccine, equivalent to 36.28 percent of the target Muntinlupa population of 385,725, or 70 percent of the estimated 551,036 set by government to achieve the so-called herd immunity.

In addition, 37,215 individuals of the 139,942, or 26.6 percent, have been fully vaccinated after receiving their second dose.

Of the 139,942 who received the first dose, 10,674 or 7.62 percent belonged to A1 (health workers); 18,462 or 13.2 percent to A2 (senior citizens); 63,510 or 45.38 percent to A3 (persons with comorbidities); 40,727 or 29.1 percent to A4 (essential workers), and 6,569 or 4.7 percent to A5 (poor population).

By vaccine, 93,337 individuals or 66.7 percent were given Sinovac Life Sciences’ CoronaVac; 24,564 or 17.55 percent with Pfizer-BioNTech; 19,062 or 13.62 percent with AstraZeneca; and 2,979 or 2.13 percent with Sputnik V.

Among the 37,215 recipients of the second dose, 3,156 are A1, 8,231 are A2, 25,111 are A3, 291 are A4, and 426 others who got the jab at a hospital.

Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi had previously said the city government was aiming to finish vaccinating the target population of the city by November.

As revealed in the above numbers, the 139,942 people who got vaccinated with the first dose also includes the 37,215 people who got fully vaccinated (2 doses). Do the math and if you were to separate the people who got 1 dose apart from those who got 2 doses, the results would be 102,727 patients vaccinated with 1 dose and 37,215 with 2 doses. Regardless, it is nice to see the Muntinlupa City and its people are moving closer to achieving herd immunity. Herd immunity is crucial to achieve economic recovery and normalizing life. This COVID-19 pandemic has lasted way too long already.

For Muntinlupa City residents who have not yet registered for the free COVID-19 vaccines, learn the ways to register right here. If you are ready to get registered online, click https://vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you a Muntinlupa City resident who got vaccinated recently? If yes, was it your first dose or your second dose? How long did the last vaccination process last? Were the personnel at the vaccination site very helpful to you?

Are you aware that Coffee Syndicate in Alabang offers a 10% discount to customers who can prove they were vaccinated for COVID-19?

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

+++++

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

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

carlocarrasco

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: GCQ in NCR Plus continues until mid-July

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

carlocarrasco

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.

+++++

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

COVID-19 Crisis: Moderna vaccines now in the Philippines

COVID-19 Crisis: Moderna vaccines now in the Philippines

carlocarrasco

Good news for the Philippines. COVID-19 vaccines of Moderna have arrived in the country at last with an initial supply of almost two hundred fifty thousand doses.

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

A total of 249,600 doses of the American-made jabs arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 via Singapore Airlines Flight SQ918 on Sunday evening.

“This is very significant as we now have five brands of vaccines in the country. It can create a lot of confidence because globally, this is the 2nd (most used) vaccine by many countries. As what I have said earlier, the side effects of this vaccine are very rare, very negligible and most of the countries agreed that they are very comfortable with using Moderna vaccines,” National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. told reporters in an interview.

The vaccines currently being used by the Philippines in its fight against Covid-19 are Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Sputnik V.

Of these initial doses, 150,000 doses were procured by the Philippine government, while 99,600 doses were purchased by the private sector, led by the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), Galvez said.

“We will study the deployment of these vaccines because this is our first time handling Moderna. The majority of the vaccines will be deployed in the National Capital Region and later, we will give other urban centers and areas. The priority sectors for deployment are A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities but we have committed a bulk of these vaccines to OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) and the seafarers and government front-liners,” Galvez explained.

The Philippines has inked a supply agreement for 20 million doses of Moderna vaccines which will be delivered in staggered batches in the coming months.

Of this number, 13 million doses were procured by the government while the remaining 7 million doses were purchased by the private sector for their workers.

Here is a related news video by GMA Network…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Does the arrival of Moderna vaccines encourage you to get vaccinated? Did your local government announce that Moderna vaccines are available?

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

I Love Israel: Thank you Israel for sharing your COVID-19 expertise to help the Philippines improve its ways

I Love Israel: Thank you Israel for sharing your COVID-19 expertise to help the Philippines improve its ways

carlocarrasco

We Filipinos should be thankful to the State of Israel as their health experts shared their expertise to the national and local authorities about handling COVID-19 since they arrived here in the Philippines. They also visited and inspected vaccination hubs.

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

Visiting Israeli health experts shared best practices in managing their country’s cold chain and logistics systems during a meeting held here with Covid-19 task force officials, members of the medical community and private sector representatives on Tuesday.

Considering the archipelagic composition of the Philippines, the health experts advised their Filipino counterparts to create centralized vaccine storage hubs that will cater to both urbanized and far-flung areas in the country.

“The Philippines needs more hubs since it is an archipelago. You should go for creating centralized hubs for Pfizer vaccines based on the ability to reach a certain population, and possibly with a customized approach in more remote areas,” said Adam Segal, logistics and operations manager of Salomon Levid & Elstein Ltd.

“Centralized hubs for vaccine storage will work with metropolitan areas, with a dedicated approach in remote areas,” Segal added.

He said the Israeli Ministry of Health has also developed a smaller packaging for their vaccines. He explained that the vaccines are more secure and less prone to shaking with the smaller packaging they use.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje requested the Israeli team to provide samples of their vials so that it will be easier for the Philippines to reproduce them.

Efficient data management

The effective management of Covid-19 data was also among the main topics covered during the learning session held between Covid-19 task force members and Israeli health experts.

Officials from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) led the discussions on the current strategy of the Philippines in managing its vaccine deployment data.

The three-member Israeli delegation explained how they developed and managed their vaccination data system.

According to Dafna Segol, the Israeli government uses a data-based approach when making decisions related to its vaccination program.

One key feature of the Israeli vaccine information system is its use of a “traffic light” model. Through this approach, Israeli authorities are able to identify cities or areas that warrant immediate action.

“It allows us to focus on cities that need more attention,” Segol added.

Data warehouse

DICT’s Christian Edmond Chua said the agency established a data warehouse to capture information related to the vaccine supply chain and then process them to make crucial day-to-day decisions.

Chua noted that the local government units’ lack of resources remains the biggest challenge for data management in the vaccination program.

To address this situation, he said the DICT has designated LGUs as the “data owner” of their vaccination records.

This means the LGUs are accountable for submitting accurate information based on their vaccination records.

“In terms of the development of the technologies and tools to help in the submission (of vaccine data), we are adopting a low tech and low internet process,” Chua said.

The National Task Force Against Covid-19 has also developed an application that will ensure transparency and accountability in submitting data to the National Vaccination Operations Center.

“We monitor not only the performance of the LGUs but it is also helpful in providing feedback for the public policy health experts in calibrating our vaccination program,” Chua said.

The Covid-19 task force officials thanked the delegation for sharing their insights on how the Philippine government can further enhance its data management system.

“We look forward to applying the same lessons we have learned into our own practices in the Philippines,” DICT Director Amelia Dean said.

Lessons learned

Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Ma. Carolina Vidal-Taiño noted that the meeting with the Israeli health experts would help the government further improve the implementation of its vaccine rollout.

“As we prepare for the arrival of the 40-million vaccines from Pfizer, the sharing of best practices and strategies from our Israeli partners will be a learning opportunity that we can adopt in our practice,” Vidal-Taiño said.

“We will consider the four success factors of Israel on vaccine distribution. First, the availability of trained human resources and the availability of infrastructure. Second, the small batch packaging, which we are very interested in. Third, the high usage rate and minimal waste. And lastly, the adequate preparation for the storage capacity and the outstanding cold chain distribution,” she said.

“We have to strictly follow the safe handling of the vaccines,” said NTF Against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez during the discussions.

As you can see in the details above, the Philippines is very fortunate to learn from Israel’s health experts. As the Philippines has a population of over 100 million and an archipelago with lots of cities, towns and small communities scattered throughout, dealing with COVID-19 and getting people tested or vaccinated will always be a tremendous challenge. Israel’s success in handling COVID-19 and normalizing the lives of many people make a good starting point that leaders here in the Philippines – from the national government down to the provincial governments, the local governments, the barangays and to the homeowner’s associations – can learn from and be able to make adjustments. There are certain factors about the COVID-19 problem that the Philippines does not share with Israel, but new ways can made to improve the local COVID-19 programs now that the Israeli health experts shared their views and strategies to their local counterparts.

Watch this informative video about Israel’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

Even though major breakthroughs in the Philippines’ effort on solving the pandemic-related problems and getting everyone vaccinated have yet to be realized, we Filipinos should be grateful to the State of Israel and give back by supporting them in more ways than one. We should also strengthen Israel-Philippine relations! Remember that Israel helped us and they committed with advising and improving the local COVID-19 efforts and processes. Iran did NOT help the Philippines. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) did NOT help the Philippines. Black Lives Matter cares NOTHING about the Philippines. The Democratic Socialists and SJWs overseas DO NOT really care about people here in the Philippines. Israel cared for us Filipinos.

Before ending this article, posted below is a holy scripture…

Pray and seek for Jerusalem’s peace,

for all who love her will prosper!

Psalm 122:6 (TPT)

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!

+++++

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: Face shield policy emphasized by Duterte

COVID-19 Crisis: Face shield policy emphasized by Duterte

carlocarrasco

The confusion and debate over the importance of face shields during the COVID-19 crisis here in the Philippines continues. Very recently, President Rodrigo Duterte spoke out about face shields and even called their use a small inconvenience as part of preventing disaster.

To put things in perspective, posted below are excerpts from the June 22, 2021 article published by Philippine News Agency (PNA). Some parts in boldface…

The “small inconvenience” of wearing face shields is a “small price to pay” to prevent impending “disaster” caused by new coronavirus strains, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday.

Duterte defended his decision to retain the mandatory face shield policy, citing the need to be more cautious over the highly infectious Delta coronavirus variant (B1617) first discovered in India.

The Philippines, he said, could not afford another coronavirus wave as it would take a toll on the country’s economy.

He also cited reports that the new coronavirus strain could be resistant to some Covid-19 vaccines.

“I will apologize to the Filipino people that this thing was being discussed openly and many thought that we were ready to do away with the face [shields]. But with the kind of aggressive infection that poses a very grave danger to…it’s a small inconvenience, actually. I know that it is inconvenient really to be wearing the mask, adjusting it from time to time. But that is only a very small price to pay than rather gamble with doing away with it and courting disaster,” Duterte said in a meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), some Cabinet members, and medical experts.

His decision to retain the mandatory face shield policy came following health experts’ recommendation to “triple” precautions against the Delta coronavirus strain.

“As of now, the face [shield] is on…It is to the national interest that we must triple our effort because I said we do not know if it would require a new vaccine which has to be invented first. Second, we cannot afford a second wave because it might be far worse than the first and then we will have a problem with the economy and as I said it would be disaster for the country,” he added.

He also clarified that he never said with finality that he would lift the mandatory wearing of face shields.

Last week, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Duterte has agreed that the public should only be required to wear a face shield when they go to hospitals.

The IATF-EID, however, appealed to keep the rule on the use of face shields in enclosed public spaces such as commercial establishments, malls, and public transportation.

“When I mention about the face shield, I was only shooting the breeze with the members of the Congress who were there. I never said with finality that we will do away with the face shield,” Duterte said.

As you can see in the above details, there was confusion about the national authorities’ approach with face shields. President Duterte claims that he never declared with authority that the mandatory wearing of face shields will be lifted. And then there is the issue about the Delta coronavirus variant (B1617) which the World Health Organization (WHO) claims is mutating and has spread around the world.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you believe that face shields are essential for personal protection and for public health in general during this time of pandemic? How much money have you spent on face shields this year? Do you believe President Duterte and his view about face shields?

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

I Love Israel: Israel health experts in the Philippines to assist in COVID-19 matters

I Love Israel: Israel health experts in the Philippines to assist in COVID-19 matters

carlocarrasco

Before starting the topic of this article, I want to reach out to all business people and Israel supporters reading this that the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ICCP) will be having its 23rd General Membership Meeting tomorrow (June 23) 5PM via Zoom. As of this writing, registration is still ongoing. If you are interested in the event and if you want to know the latest about Israel-Philippine relations, I recommend you get registered now.

Now for the topic on hand…

In case you missed the news, Israel now has a new Prime Minister – Naftali Bennett. Before he took office, Israel committed to send their health experts to the Philippines and help solve the COVID-19 crisis. The good news is that they arrived this past weekend.

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

Three Israeli experts arrived in Manila on Sunday to assist the Philippines in its coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) response and to share Israel’s best practices as one of the world leaders in vaccinating its population.

The team is composed of Avi Ben-Zaken, deputy director of medical technologies and infrastructure development at Ichilov Hospital; Dafna Segol, senior strategic planner at Covid-19 control center of the Israeli Ministry of Health; and Adam Segal, logistics and operations manager at SLE, who’s also experienced in resolving complex supply chain challenges.

From June 20 to 25, the delegation will meet with the Philippines’ top medical experts and visit some vaccination sites and cold storage facilities in Metro Manila.

“The inputs from our guest will enable us to fine-tune our approaches so that we can get the anti-Covid jab into the arms of as many Filipinos in the most effective and efficient ways possible,” vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said after welcoming the delegation at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“We are optimistic that this week will provide us an opportunity to share our best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations on how we can further improve our vaccination systems and procedures, and realize our goal of achieving herd immunity within this year,” he added.

Galvez said the Israeli delegation would discuss how to boost vaccine uptake, efficiently deploy jabs, and how to handle “sensitive” vaccines, specifically those manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna.

The visit also comes timely as the country signs a deal to procure 40 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech jabs, which will arrive in the third and fourth quarter of the year.

“Israel is one of the world models in terms of efficient and swift deployment of vaccines so iyon ang gusto nating malaman (so that’s what we want to learn) to have some sort of minimized wastage,” Galvez told reporters in an interview.

Israel no longer requires its citizens to wear masks even indoors as its infections continue to decline following a robust vaccination program that has so far fully inoculated 59.49 percent of its population.

And here is a relevant news video about the development…

Even though the Philippine authorities have been working hard to solve the COVID-19-related problems, major improvements are very much needed and we will find out soon enough what the Israeli health experts will advise. The nation’s population is north of 100 million people and the expert advise of Israel on COVID-19 matters is indeed crucial. Definitely, more cooperation between Israel and the Philippines is needed. My native country should do its part in defending Israel in the diplomatic arena.

As a believer in Israel-Philippines relations, I am very thankful to the State of Israel as they went ahead in providing help to my native Philippines. It is a shame, however, that the Philippines at the corrupt United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) voted in favor of the investigation of alleged war crimes related to the Gaza strip. Last week, it was stated that President Rodrigo Duterte was supposedly not consulted on the UNHRC vote and that he supposedly disagreed with it. If you ask me, no worldly organization such as the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) should be allowed to abuse its powers on nations by means of diplomatic bullying, and they should not be allowed to violate any nation’s sovereignty. In fact, those worldly organizations should be investigated for corruption and their ties to terrorist organizations. Also, remember the fact that Iran continues to sponsor terrorists and supported Israel’s enemies. That being said, I stand with Israel and I firmly reject terrorists.

Before ending this article, posted below is a holy scripture for you all…

Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.

Joshua 1:2 (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!

+++++

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