Southies – Page 129 – Author Carlo Carrasco

COVID-19 Crisis: MECQ in Metro Manila remains in effect until September 15 as GCQ gets deferred

September 8, 2021September 7, 2021carlocarrasco

Remember what happened this past August when general community quarantine (GCQ) for Metro Manila was announced only to be changed suddenly into the stricter enhanced community quarantine (ECQ)?

Such an unpleasant radical shift after making a big announcement of GCQ (September 8 to 30) struck again today as the national government clarified that Metro Manila will remain under modified enhanced community (MECQ) which will last until September 15, 2021.

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

The switch to a general community quarantine (GCQ) along with the pilot-testing of granular lockdowns in Metro Manila won’t push through on Sept. 8 after all.

This, as members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) appeared to struggle to come up with guidelines for the localized granular lockdowns a day before the scheduled implementation of the vaunted scheme Tuesday, Sept. 7.

“The [IATF] deferred the pilot implementation of the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with Alert Levels System in the National Capital Region (NCR),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement to Malacañang reporters early Tuesday evening.

“Metro Manila’s current risk classification as Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) shall be maintained until September 15, 2021, or until the pilot GCQ with Alert Level System is implemented, whichever comes first,” he said.

In his virtual press briefing past noon Tuesday, Roque said he was instructed at the last minute not to discuss the guidelines of the granular lockdown pending additional inputs from local government units (LGUs).

An IATF meeting was held at 3 p.m. to supposedly iron out the remaining kinks of the pilot-testing, but it instead resulted to the postponement of not just the granular lockdowns but the downgrading of the quarantine classification in NCR from the current MECQ to GCQ.

Roque had earlier said that under rather granular lockdown set-up, the different LGUs in the metropolis would be placed under varying “alert levels”.

“Having said this (maintening MECQ classification), indoor and al-fresco dine-in services, and personal care services including beauty salons, beauty parlors and nail spas shall remain prohibited,” Roque said in the same statement.

“Religious services, on the other hand, performed through online video recording and transmission shall be allowed,” he said.

So there you have it! The national authorities announced one thing and did something else. By this time, a lot of people have heard about the GCQ supposed to take effect today. What is frustrating apart from the flip-flop by the national authorities is that the affected businesses, the unemployed and the faithful who had been waiting to worship the Lord on-site in church venues have once again been put on-hold. In short, the frustration and long wait continues. With MECQ for Metro Manila extended, it’s time to focus on the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) proposal. It is also time to pray to our Lord to enlighten our government officials to do better and avoid making blunders at the expense of people.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you believe that the most recent GCQ announcement was badly done by the national authorities?

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

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

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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: Las Piñas City inoculation count now over 630,000

September 7, 2021September 6, 2021carlocarrasco

Recently, the City Government of Las Piñas announced that over six hundred and thirty thousand people were vaccinated for COVID-19.

To be more specific, the official count as of September 3, 2021, was 636,312 in total inoculation. As for the breakdowns, 397,420 patients were vaccinated with the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 247,567 patients got vaccinated with the second dose.

As before, the numbers of first dose and second dose do not add up to match the declared inoculation total of 636,312. Do the math, 397,420 first dose patients plus 247,567 second dose patients equal 644,987 in all.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the official visual reference released by the City Government on their Facebook page on September 5, 2021 and this includes the types of patients who got vaccinated.

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

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, are there still people in your local community who have not yet been vaccinated? If you have been vaccinated within the city, would you encourage the unvaccinated members of your local community to get registered to avail of the free COVID-19 vaccines?

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

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COVID-19 Crisis: Around 44% of Muntinlupa City’s target population fully vaccinated

September 6, 2021September 4, 2021carlocarrasco

This past weekend, MunCoVac published through its Facebook page the latest statistics about the vaccinated residents of Muntinlupa City showing that 169,444 patients have been fully vaccinated which is equivalent to almost 44% of the target population of 385,725. Those numbers were accurate as of September 3, 2021. In connection to this, the Manila Bulletin published a news story about Muntinlupa’s vaccination statistics.

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

The Muntinlupa City government announced that it has fully vaccinated 44 percent of its target population.

According to figures from the Muntinlupa City COVID-19 Vaccination Program (MunCoVac), a total of 169,444 individuals are now fully vaccinated, or 43.9 percent of the target population of 385,725.

The target population for vaccination is 70 percent of the estimated total population of 551,036 in Muntinlupa.

For the first dose, 318,647 have been vaccinated, equivalent to 82.6 percent of the target population and it includes 11,404 individuals who got the shots at vaccination sites of private companies in the city.

According to MunCoVac, 483,732 vaccines have been administered to date.

By barangay, Buli has the highest first dose vaccination rate with 107 percent as of Aug. 28; followed by Cupang, 97 percent; Ayala Alabang, 96 percent; Alabang, 93 percent; Tunasan, 82 percent; Sucat, 76 percent; Bayanan, 71 percent; Putatan, 69 percent; and Poblacion, 53 percent.

By fully vaccinated population, Brgy. Ayala Alabang is leading with 70 percent; followed by Cupang, 58 percent; Alabang, 47 percent; Tunasan, 41 percent; Sucat, 40 percent; Buli, 36 percent; Putatan, 34 percent; Bayanan, 31 percent; and Poblacion, 24 percent.

Data showed unvaccinated people accounted for 65 percent of the total active COVID-19 cases in Muntinlupa.

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

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident who remains unregistered for the free COVID-19 vaccines, what exactly is keeping you from getting vaccinated? Have you been waiting for Muntinlupa to announce the arrival of new supplies of the single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson?

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

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COVID-19 Crisis: Over 6,000 violators apprehended in Muntinlupa City for the month of August 2021

September 3, 2021September 2, 2021carlocarrasco

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Las Piñas City mayor expresses immense gratitude to those who sent messages of condolence

September 2, 2021September 1, 2021carlocarrasco

It has been a few weeks since former Las Piñas City mayor Vergel “Nene” Aguilar passed away at age 74. Naturally, people in the city got emotional over his death and at the same time, memories of his legacy of leadership and service came back. Not only did Las Piñas City win awards or got recognized for excellence during his time as mayor from 1995 to 2004 and 2007 to 2016, the Friendship Route was established which changed the dynamics of local traffic flow. The late Aguilar was also one of the first local chief executives in the nation to introduce free basic and secondary education.

This past weekend, incumbent Las Piñas City mayor Imelda Aguilar issued a message of gratitude to all those who expressed their love and condolences for her late husband.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the said message that was published via the city’s official Facebook page.

*An official message from Mayor Imelda Aguilar.*

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City during the time of Vergel “Nene” Aguilar was mayor, what do you best remember him for? Were you able to see him in person many times? Was there a time you attended a meeting with him at his office at City Hall?

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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Entrapment operation in Muntinlupa City results arrest of suspect

September 2, 2021September 1, 2021carlocarrasco

Better be defensive and careful because there are criminal elements around even during this time of COVID-19 pandemic. This past Monday in Muntinlupa City, someone got arrested for robbery extortion as a result of an entrapment operation according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin.

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

A woman was arrested by the Muntinlupa police after duping a security guard into paying for a fake property.

The Southern Police District (SPD) identified the suspect as Catherine Gumarang, 40, who was arrested in an entrapment operation by the Muntinlupa police intelligence section in front of SM Center Muntinlupa in Brgy. Tunasan Monday.

Gumarang was arrested after security guard Phil Jun Yu sought the help of the police. According to Muntinlupa police chief Col. Melecio Buslig, Yu paid P50,000 to Gumarang for a house that she allegedly was selling but he discovered that it was already sold to another claimant identified as Merry Love Fernandez.

The suspect called Yu and asked him to pay for the remaining P50,000 balance. Yu went to the police for assistance to arrest Gumarang.

The police recovered P5,000 entrapment money from Gumarang, who was turned over to the Muntinlupa police criminal investigation unit for documentation.

Gumarang was previously arrested along with four others for the same offense in Sta. Mesa, Manila in March, 2018.

The above report ended stating that the Muntinlupa City police will file a complaint of robbery extortion against the suspect.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Did you notice any extortionists or scammers in your local community lately? If you have enough money and you want to buy a property, do you know anyone legitimate to contact and make deals with?

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

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COVID-19 Crisis: Residents of locked community in Parañaque City complain about limited essentials

August 31, 2021August 30, 2021carlocarrasco

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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COVID-19 Crisis: MECQ in Metro Manila extended until September 7, 2021

August 30, 2021August 28, 2021carlocarrasco

This past weekend, the national government announced that the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila that was scheduled to end on August 31 has been extended until September 7, 2021.

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

Metro Manila will remain under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the second strictest quarantine classification level, until September 7, Malacañang announced on Saturday.

“The Inter-Agency Task Force (for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases or IATF-EID) retained the modified enhanced community quarantine status of the National Capital Region,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

Apart from Metro Manila, the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal will also stay under MECQ, said Roque, who concurrently serves as IATF-EID spokesperson.

The MECQ implementation will also be continued in Bataan, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Lucena City, and Aklan, he said, adding that Iloilo province and its highly-urbanized city, as well as the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Cebu, Mandaue, and Cagayan de Oro, would also remain under MECQ.

Roque said “added restrictions” on dining, personal care services, and religious activities would be imposed in Metro Manila, Bataan, and Laguna.

Even in the full article of the PNA, there is no mention of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Metro Manila Council (MMC) at all. Did those two organizations meet about extending Metro Manila MECQ to September 7? Nothing has been revealed as of this writing. Still, it is important to remember that the MMDA and MMC left the decision on community control to the national government which is directly related to the August 21-August 31 Metro Manila MECQ.

And here is a related news video to watch…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about the one-week extension of MECQ in Metro Manila?

If you are a Metro Manila resident, do you trust your mayor or the MMDA when it comes to vaccination and local community control? Do you trust the IATF? With regards to COVID-19 vaccination, do you think the Metro Manila local government units are doing a good job collectively? Have you prayed to the Lord to enlighten all the government and community leaders?

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

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COVID-19 Crisis: Over 600,000 vaccinated in Las Piñas City

August 30, 2021August 29, 2021carlocarrasco

This past weekend, the City Government of Las Piñas announced that over six hundred thousand people were vaccinated for COVID-19

To be more specific, the official count as of August 26, 2021, was 601,401 in total inoculation. As for the breakdowns, 382,653 patients were vaccinated with the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 227,423 patients got vaccinated with the second dose.

Like in my previous post about the city’s vaccination numbers, there is also a discrepancy in the newest numbers. If you do the math, 382,653 plus 227,423 is equal to 610,076. As of this writing, the City Government has yet to explain why the latest numbers just did not add up accurately.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the official visual reference released by the City Government on their Facebook page on August 28, 2021 and this includes the types of patients who got vaccinated.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas, are you still moving around the city using public transportation knowing that there are a lot of Delta variant cases in the city? Does the Delta variant news convince the unvaccinated members of your community to get registered and join the line for the free vaccines? Does the ongoing incentive program of Las Piñas Representative Camille Villar entice the unvaccinated members of your local community to get vaccinated? Were you able to find out if your city’s vaccination organizers have any doses of the Janssen vaccine?

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

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COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Council approves ordinance against illegal COVID-19 vaccine booster shots

August 26, 2021August 25, 2021carlocarrasco

Dishonest individuals to be involved in vaccination fraud or those falsifying their information to receive a COVID-19 vaccine “booster” shot in Muntinlupa will now be penalized and face charges following the approval of a local ordinance.

Muntinlupa City Council passed Ordinance No. 2021-262 this past Tuesday penalizing the dishonest and untruthful declaration of any person undergoing vaccination and to prevent fully vaccinated persons from getting additional COVID-19 vaccine shots as boosters.

Under the local ordinance, persons undergoing vaccination who “knowingly and deliberately lie, commit dishonesty or withhold relevant information such as excess in the number of doses presently allowed or taking different doses” shall be penalized. Violators will be meted with P5,000 penalty and imprisonment from six (6) to nine (9) months.

The ordinance against illegal COVID-19 vaccine booster shots is as an amendment to Ordinance 2020-088 or the Anti-Patient’s Dishonesty Ordinance of 2020 which seeks to apprehend individuals withholding relevant information and committing dishonesty on medical forms required by health workers.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi warns those who will falsify their information in order to get a booster shot that they will be apprehended. The local exec underscored the health risk of getting an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine more than what is presently allowed by the Department of Health or by mixing the brands of their first and second dose.

To date, DOH does not endorse booster shots of any COVID-19 vaccine because of the lack of studies backing up the efficacy and safety of booster inoculations.

Further, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has appealed to the public not to take a third dose, saying that the so-called booster shot is illegal. MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos said those taking booster shots are stripping others of the opportunity to get even one dose of the government-acquired and donated jabs considering the low supply.

As of August 23, 442,586 vaccines have been administered in Muntinlupa. At least 293,909 individuals have received their first dose, of which 7,160 were inoculated in vaccination sites of Muntinlupa private companies, translating to 76.2% of the target population. While there are 153,036 fully vaccinated individuals, or those who received their required doses, translating to 39.7% of the target.

The target population to be vaccinated in Muntinlupa is 385,725 individuals or 70% of 551,036 Muntinlupa’s estimated population for 2020.

Muntinlupa City has 18,586 confirmed cases with 15,860 recoveries, 2,299 active cases, 427 reported deaths, 4 suspect cases, and 3,028 probable cases as of August 24.

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The above information was sourced from the official press release of the Muntinlupa PIO. Some parts were changed for this website.

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