No vaccine for COVID-19, no MGCQ for the Philippines

People here in Metro Manila who have gotten tired with the general community quarantine (GCQ) limitation during the COVID-19 pandemic will have to wait a bit longer as President Rodrigo Duterte refused to shift the entire nation to the less restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status because the vaccination for COVID-19 should be done first.

This was announced during the Cabinet meeting last night. Below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency report…

“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte gave his directive to the Cabinet that the Philippines would not be placed under modified general community quarantine unless there is a rollout of vaccines,” he said in a statement.

While Duterte acknowledged the need to reopen the economy, Roque said the President refused to put people’s health and safety at risk.

“The Chief Executive recognizes the importance of reopening the economy and its impact on people’s livelihoods. However, the President gives higher premium to public health and safety,” he added.

The President made it clear that the vaccination roll-out should go first before shifting the entire nation into MGCQ control. While it is clear that reopening the economy is essential, Duterte prefers to take time to be cautious and reduce the risks of new infections. As far as he is concerned, vaccines should go first.

It has already been reported that vaccine shipments to the Philippines have been delayed. This is undoubtedly bad news for the entire nation as there are lots of people who lost their jobs and fell into poverty as restrictions severely brought the economy down. The more people fall down into poverty, the more expensive it becomes for local governments to serve them. Speaking of local governments, the City of Las Piñas made preparations for COVID-19 vaccination and already they are handling the applications of constituents who applied to register themselves. Over at Muntinlupa City, meetings and preparations for COVID-19 vaccines were done.

Going back to Metro Manila, a majority of mayors voted to have the metropolis shift to MGCQ status by March 1. As the President made the rejection and insisted vaccination should go first, business owners, their affected employees and the unemployed will have to wait longer before MGCQ will be declared not only for the National Capital Region (NCR) but for the entire nation. The MGCQ status for the Philippines is key to economic revival which the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) supports.

For those of you reading this, do you think the President made the right decision? Would you insist on declaring an MGCQ status nationwide without the COVID-19 vaccines? Please answer by commenting below. Thank you.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Vaccine Registration in Las Piñas City Ongoing

In a recent notice to its constituents, the City Government of Las Piñas announced that it is collecting data for those who will be granted a free COVID-19 vaccine covering all barangays in the city.

Specifically, each family will be given profiling forms to be filled out. The steps to be followed for manual registration are as follows (UPDATED January 2022):

1. Make sure that all the requested details in the form are answered.

2. Submit the understood forms to your barangay / Homeowner’s Association (HOA).

3. Include one (1) 2 x2 size ID photo and photocopy of any government issued ID with address.

4. Wait for a text message from Ezconsult. Your PATIENT ID NUMBER and other relevant information will be revealed.

5. Bring a government-issued ID with you on the day of your vaccination.

Registration can also be done online with the following steps:

1. Scan the QR Code or go to bit.ly/LasPiñasVaccination in your web browser.

2. Answer the questions and make sure your details are correct.

3. Your information will be verified. Wait for a text message.

4. Wait for a text message from Ezconsult. Your PATIENT ID NUMBER and other relevant information will be revealed.

5. Bring a government-issued ID with you on the day of your vaccination.

Offered recently is what the City Government referred to as on-site assisted registration. The City Government described on-site assisted registration as follows (translated from Tagalog): There are designated officers-of-the-day at every vaccination site in the city where they are ready to assist residents who wish to register. Residents who register on-site will also be given a profiling form where they will need to disclose their details.

The latest update from the city shows the three ways to get registered for free COVID-19 vaccines.

A fourth method of registration was introduced by the City Government. For this, let’s refer to it as the eZConsult method. Below are the visual references. Read the details carefully.

And now we can focus on COVID-19 vaccine registration for minors (aged 12 to 17). If you are a parent and your family resides in the city, you can do the registration by clicking http://laspinascityonline.laspinascity.gov.ph/eCVRS/

Previously the City Government and its strategic partners conducted a simulation on how the vaccination will happen. The said simulation was attended by Mayor Imelda “Mel” Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery.

For updates about the city, visit https://www.facebook.com/cityoflaspinasofficial

For South Metro Manila discussions, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

For your references, posted below are important information. Please read and pay close attention to the details. These are official references from the local health office.

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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: Muntinlupa City Government launches Virtual Town Hall Meetings for COVID-19 Vaccine demand generation

In a bid to generate demand for vaccination services and increase vaccination uptake among residents, the City Government of Muntinlupa launched a series of COVID-19 Vaccine Virtual Town Hall Meeting with health professionals from national government agencies.

At least 100 participants from homeowners’ associations (HOAs) and urban poor groups attended the launching of Muntinlupa’s COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall Meetings in partnership with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and Food and Drug Administration last February 10.

During the virtual meeting, RITM Infection Prevention and Control Committee Chair Charissa Borja-Tabora underscored the safety of vaccines, the process of clinical trials, and the role of vaccines in protecting individuals and communities.

FDA Center for Drugs Regulation and Research Jesusa Joyce Cirunay also discussed the agency’s Emergency Use Authorization and the stringent process and policies for the approval of vaccines.

Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said the initiative is part of the local government’s campaign to enable, inform, motivate, and empower high priority groups to access the vaccination service.

Navarro hoped that the communication strategy in inviting healthcare professionals to explain information on the vaccine will help improve the immunization uptake in Muntinlupa.

“We will conduct a series of dialogue with individuals and communities to help them understand the value of vaccines so more Muntinlupeños will be convinced to be inoculated,” Navarro said.

As of February 11, the city’s COVID-19 vaccine survey showed that out of the 17,561 respondents from Muntinlupa’s nine barangays, 76% or 13,077 individuals said they are willing to get vaccinated, an increase from 63% in the last survey dated February 5.

While, a total of 4,484 respondents or 24% said they are not willing to take the vaccine. The most common reasons for the refusal to take the vaccine include fear of side effects, doubts with the efficiency rate of the vaccine, and fee of vaccination.

Further, Muntinlupa’s COVID-19 vaccination plan and other best practices on public health earned praise from officials of the Department of Health during the assessment visit of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 and Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) Team in the city last February 5.

Muntinlupa City Health Office has identified 6,758 medical frontliners from barangay health centers, emergency responders, public and private hospitals/clinics. Under the local COVID-19 vaccination plan, there will be 82 vaccination teams to be deployed in 35 vaccination posts and 8,200 target individuals to be vaccinated per day.

Muntinlupa City has 62 active cases, 5,460 confirmed cases with 5,227 recoveries, 171 reported deaths, 81 suspect cases, and 417 probable cases as of February 11, 2021.

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The above information was provided by the City Government of Muntinlupa for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website.

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: COVID-19 vaccination program simulated in Las Piñas City

Recently the City Government of Las Piñas headed by Mayor Imelda “Mel” Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nerry and in cooperation with the Department of Health (DOH) conducted a simulation or dry run of their vaccination program for COVID-19 at the vaccination site located at Las Piñas Elementary School Central, P. Diego Cera, Barangay Elias Aldana.

Present during the simulation were DOH Assistant Regional Director Ma. Paz Corrales and physicians of the City Health Office Dr. Ferdinand Eusebio, Dr. Julie Gonzales and Dr. Ellaine Gumpal.

Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar (front row, middle), Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery (front row, left) and other officials at the vaccination site on February 8, 2021. (source – Las Piñas City Facebook page)

The simulation is part of the City Government’s preparation and cooperation with the government’s mass vaccination program for the expected arrival of vaccines in the country this February.

During the simulation, the City Government and the CHO prepared an orderly, comprehensive and concrete vaccination plan to ensure the safety of vaccinators and prevent the possible spread of diseases in the city.

The Mayor and Vice Mayor observe during the simulation. (source – Las Piñas City Facebook page)

In ensuring order, a screening site has been set up in each barangay to initially list the potential recipients of the vaccine.  There are five registration sites in District 1 and District 2 for validation and profiling of the initial list.  Based on the final masterlist, QR codes will be issued to those who qualified. Each of the 20 barangays has one vaccination site where Las Piñas City residents will be vaccinated at. This past January, the City Government conducted a community level census for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The order of each area (waiting area, registration area, counseling area, medical screening, vaccination area, encoding area and post vaccination and monitoring area) will be followed at a designated vaccination site with the rules and procedures that must be followed by the locals for their safety before and after they are vaccinated.

Already personnel of City Hall underwent simulations of vaccinations in the area to demonstrate the Local Government’s preparation in tandem with the local Health Office.

When it comes to cold storage for vaccines, a storage facility has been prepared and there are ten additional freezers set for standby to temporarily store vaccines to keep them safe for the program.

The City Government aims to vaccinate three thousand residents per day. Previously, the City Government allocated P200 million for the purchase of additional COVID-19 vaccines. About 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were secured after Mayor Aguilar signed the tripartite contract with British drug maker AstraZeneca in collaboration with the government.

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The above information was provided by the Las Piñas City Government for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website.

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

Muntinlupa Joins National Campaign Against Polio

Yesterday the City Government of Muntinlupa joined the entire nation in the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio which was a simultaneous mass polio vaccination campaign of the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for children aged 0-5 in the country.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi led the launching of the synchronized polio vaccination at NHA, Southville 3, Brgy. Poblacion in Muntinlupa City together with Congressman Ruffy Biazon, representatives from WHO, DOH, Rotary, and other partners.

Kick-off events of the polio vaccination campaign were held in various cities in Metro Manila, Davao City, Davao del Sur, and Lanao del Sur, including Marawi City. The first round of free polio vaccination will run from October 14 to 27 while the second round is scheduled from November 25 to December 7.

Fresnedi vowed to support the campaign to end polio and ensure that Filipino children will receive proper vaccination to protect them from acquiring preventable diseases.

What is Polio?

For the newcomers reading this, Polio is a contagious viral illness that in its most severe form causes nerve injury leading to paralysis, difficulty breathing and sometimes death. (source – Mayo Clinic)

Polio symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, fatigue, back pain or stiffness, neck pain or stiffness, pain or stiffness in the arms or legs and muscle weakness.