More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
The new Ombudsman says he will be revisiting the Pharmally corruption scandal.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2122488/ombudsman-remulla-to-revisit-pharmally-corruption-scandal |
Newly installed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said his immediate tasks would include a review of the multibillion-peso Pharmally case, the corruption scandal that left a smear on the Duterte administration’s pandemic response.
“We’ll look into that because it seems like it’s been forgotten, buried in oblivion. But these kinds of cases shouldn’t really be forgotten because we know the allegations have weight,” Remulla said after his oathtaking on Thursday.
He added that the Senate conducted a hearing, “but it did not move forward from there, so we need to revisit it.”
Acting Chief Justice Marvic Leonen, who administered Remulla’s oath-taking, wished the latter “the wisdom to find and give priority to the strategic cases and issues that would lead to fundamental reform and rid corruption from our society.”
Remulla told reporters that he would review pending cases, identify those that have long been unresolved, and study the existing system to develop policies that would expedite case resolution.
“The first thing I’ll attend to, I think this is an emergency situation when it comes to what happened at the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways). We have to focus on that, build up the cases, and make sure that well-prepared cases are filed before the Sandiganbayan and the RTCs (regional trial courts),” he said.
When asked if the reopening of the Pharmally investigation might involve former President Rodrigo Duterte, the former justice secretary said he was unsure.
“The responsibility will always depend on the evidence. We will go as far as the evidence takes us,” Remulla said.
A Senate blue ribbon committee probe from August 2021 to January 2022 found that Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. won contracts amounting to P11.5 billion despite having a paid-up capital of only P625,000. It was the single biggest chunk of government contracts for COVID-19 supplies awarded to private companies at the time.
The contracts included 8,000 BGI real-time fluorescent RT-PCR test kits, amounting to P600 million; 2,000 A*Star Fortitude RT-PCR test kits worth P688 million; and 41,400 BGI real-time fluorescent RT-PCR kits worth P2.877 billion.
Former Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon, who led the probe as chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee earlier, urged Remulla to revisit the case and asserted that Duterte should be held responsible for defrauding the government at the height of the pandemic.
“I’m saying he was part and parcel of a conspiracy to fleece the country of at least P11 billion to P47 billion in the Pharmally scandal,” Gordon said in an interview on One News.
“Now is the time for all good men to come together because if we do not do that, then forever the Filipino is [going to] be victimized by these people,” he added.
The Senate inquiry culminated in a draft committee report that endorsed criminal charges against several public officials and private individuals, but was archived at the close of the 18th Congress in June 2022 due to a lack of signatures.
In August 2023, the Office of the Ombudsman endorsed graft charges against Lloyd Christopher Lao.
Lao, a former budget undersecretary, together with Overall Deputy Ombudsman Warren Rex Liong, procurement management officer Paul Jasper de Guzman, and former procurement division chief Webster Laureñana, were also held administratively liable for grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, serious dishonesty, and conduct detrimental to the service’s best interests.
Among the penalties imposed on the officials were dismissal from the service, forfeiture of all retirement benefits, and a lifetime ban on government service.
Former Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) officers Christine Marie Suntay, Jasonmer Uayan, and August Ylagan were also found guilty of gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the service and given the same penalties.
In August 2024, Lao and former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III were charged with violating the anti-graft law by the Ombudsman in the Sandiganbayan for alleged irregularities in the transfer of P41 billion from the Department of Health (DOH) to the PS-DBM.
In September 2024, Lao was arrested but later released after posting P90,000 bail. He was charged with graft for accepting the transfer and subjecting the DOH procurement to a 4-percent service fee amounting to at least P1.65 billion.
In September 2024, the Ombudsman dismissed the administrative charges against Duque.
In July, the Sandiganbayan asserted jurisdiction over the case, ruling that it falls within its authority under Republic Act No. 10660, which covers cases involving government losses exceeding P1 million or those implicating high-ranking public officials.
The evidence is there, people have been arrested, and yet justice remains delayed. Very typical of the Philippine justice system.
CrossFit has rebounded since the pandemic hit.
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| https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/551633/all-out-game-faced-and-growing-philippine-crossfit-looks-ahead/amp/ |
The sight was almost surreal: hundreds of athletes, coaches, and CrossFit enthusiasts packed in The Filinvest Tent in Alabang—cheering, slugging it out, and celebrating not just a competition, but the resurgence of a community once brought to its knees by the pandemic.
At the height of Manila’s COVID-19 lockdown—among the strictest and longest in the world—such a gathering would have been unthinkable, even illegal. Yet in 2025, just a few years after a crisis that nearly decimated the Philippine CrossFit industry and demoralized its community, the sport has not only survived, but returned stronger: revived, reenergized, and thriving with bigger numbers than ever before.
“CrossFit has been steadily growing year after year since the pandemic. In fact, last year, we saw the greatest growth to date, with the number of CrossFit affiliates nationwide almost doubling. Each year, more affiliates open their doors and bring the CrossFit methodology to new communities across the country,” explains Albert Co, the Philippines’ CrossFit country manager.
He continues, “The community here is not just growing in numbers, but also in participation and engagement. For example, CrossFit Open participation in the Philippines grew by 150 percent from 2024 to 2025, which is a strong indication of the potential still ahead.”
The full article does not say exactly how they have rebounded but it seems to be through various sporting events being held across the nation.
Here is another story of resilience from when the pandemic hit. Jameson Cerdan lots his job as his business place closed. Then he became a delivery driver and delivered not only food but himself from despair.
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| https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/10/13/news/national/filipino-delivery-rider-finds-hope-and-healing-on-two-wheels/2199159 |
WHEN the pandemic swept across the Philippines five years ago, Jameson Cerdan’s world closed in. The 42-year-old father of two lost his job as businesses shuttered. Days turned heavy, filled with uncertainty and silence.
“There were times I didn’t even want to step outside,” Cerdan said in Filipino. “I felt like I had nothing left to give.” Like many Filipinos, Cerdan struggled to stay afloat in a world that seemed to have stopped moving. A 2024 MindNation survey found that 72 percent of workers felt stressed and 68 percent dealt with constant worry — figures that remain high years after the pandemic’s peak. But Cerdan’s story did not end there. One evening, scrolling through his phone, he saw a post about flexible delivery work. Three days later, he was back on the road — helmet on, engine running, and a sense of direction slowly returning.
At first, the deliveries were simply a means to put food on the table. But each trip offered something more — structure, purpose, and human contact.
“Every delivery felt like a small win,” he told The Manila Times. “I’d come home and my kids would ask, ‘Daddy, what did you bring?’ It gave me a reason to keep going.” The job’s flexibility also helped him recover his footing. Being able to manage his time meant he could work while still being present for his family. The freedom of the road became his quiet therapy.
Cerdan eventually joined one of the country’s largest logistics networks for delivery riders — a system that connected him with a wider community of people facing similar challenges. That sense of belonging, he says, made all the difference.
“On the road, you learn to look out for one another,” he explains. “When I see another rider in trouble, I stop. It feels like we’re part of the same family.”
Over time, Cerdan began sharing his experiences through short online videos, showing tips on how to sign in, manage orders, and handle daily challenges. What started as casual advice grew into a small community of riders helping riders.
“I didn’t expect people to listen,” he says. “But when someone messages me saying they learned something or felt encouraged, it feels good.” The act of helping others became part of his healing. Each video, each ride, and each story shared was another step away from the darkness that once defined his days.
Today, Cerdan still rides daily, balancing work, family, and community with quiet pride. His story is not about one company or one job — it’s about rediscovering purpose in motion, and the power of connection on the road.
As the Philippines observes Mental Health Month, Cerdan’s journey is a reminder that resilience can take many forms. Sometimes, it’s found not in grand gestures, but in everyday movement, on two wheels, between stops, carrying more than just food, but a bit of hope with every delivery.
Cerdan is one of thousands of independent delivery partners nationwide working under digital logistics platforms such as foodpanda Logistics, which connect riders and businesses in the growing gig economy. These systems have quietly become a lifeline for many who continue to rebuild after the pandemic.
Not only did he deliver food but he also began vlogging about all aspects of it which helped him connect with a wider community. Today he still rides.
Filipinos are still dealing with the effects of the pandemic five years on.
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| https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/10/10/tmt-anniversary/covid-19-specter-still-haunts-filipinos/2197464 |
It’s been more than five years since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, but Filipinos are still dealing with psychological issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the Department of Health (DOH) said.
Assistant Health Secretary Albert Domingo told The Manila Times that unverified reports of new diseases can easily trigger anxiety among the public.
“When a new disease is mentioned, even if it’s not true or verified, you can see the stress. People panic right away,” he said, citing Filipinos’ reaction to rumors of a new virus from China earlier this year.
Domingo explained that PTSD is a serious psychiatric condition not to be taken lightly, saying, “Whenever we hear about a new disease, or even just see the numbers in the news, it brings back the trauma of the pandemic years.”
While acknowledging the media’s role in informing the public, he said journalists should stick to responsible reporting and shun sensationalism, adding, “We dont’ want to bar the truth from coming out, but we also want to manage the way we deliver the news.”
While crucial during the pandemic, the regular release of Covid-19 bulletins became a source of anxiety for people. “There’s a way to give results without causing panic,” Domingo said.
He outlined several lessons from the pandemic, including the need for better management of medical supplies and health worker benefits. He admitted that issues such as over-procurement and expired medicines must be addressed but also warned against being too conservative with stockpiles, which could leave the country unprepared.
He highlighted the problems with the timely release of Health Emergency Allowances (HEA) for health workers, particularly in local government units (LGUs) and private facilities.
“It’s sad to see that many health workers are still waiting for their benefits,” he said, calling for improved coordination between the DOH, LGUs and other agencies.
A study conducted by Dr. Marife Yap of the Ateneo School of Government revealed that LGU implementation is key to making the Universal Health Care (UHC) law successful. Yap told The Manila Times that while national policies are crucial and stronger provisions are needed, real transformation must happen at the local level, where health services directly reach Filipinos.
The study revealed that there is a mismatch between the priorities of the DOH and LGUs.
“The problem arises when it comes to deciding what our priorities should be in the budget preparation plan...the DOH may send medicines that the rural health unit cannot use because they do not match current needs,” she added.
Domingo said the pandemic exposed weaknesses in the UHC law, which was just enacted when Covid-19 broke out.
“We thought the UHC Act solved the devolution problem, but it didn’t,” he admitted, pointing to disparities in resource allocation and policy implementation across provinces.
“If you wait for Congress — the House and the Senate — to act, legislation takes years, and that’s a fact. But if the Executive, the President as the head of the executive, can form a council, then it is more flexible to adjust.”
Domingo also called for better budget allocation and inter-agency communication, especially as the Mandanas-Garcia ruling increases LGU shares in national taxes.
“We hope LGUs will put more resources into health,” he said, acknowledging challenges in coordination.
A study published by the National Institute of Health revealed that containment measures such as imposing lockdowns and travel restrictions were more effective in pandemic responses than mitigation measures such as wearing masks or physical distancing.
This was evident in Singapore and Korea, where they implemented containment measures. The United States did not impose a nationwide lockdown at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in 1,226,890 confirmed deaths due to the disease.
When asked about the country’s approach to pandemic containment, Domingo said the Philippines adopted a blend of containment and mitigative measures — strict and liberal measures that are shaped by the country’s unique sociocultural context.
“We’re not as authoritarian as some countries, but we’re not as libertarian as others. We’re somewhere in the middle,” he explained, citing that with the culture of humility among Filipinos, wearing masks and taking the vaccines were not seen as a violation of their human rights.
He noted that while containment is the gold standard from a medical perspective, public health responses must also consider human rights and cultural factors.
“You can only be so iron-fisted to a certain point. In a public health setting, you cannot be as tough,” he said, citing the country’s approach to its loose vaccine mandate and testing requirements.
On Sept. 9, the DOH presented its seven priority measures at the House of Representatives committee on health organization meeting, where it revealed its Health Executive Agenda for Legislation. In the hearing, there was no mention of future pandemic responses.
Domingo explained, “The best pandemic response is preparedness because when you say response, in the formal public health sense, the pandemic is ongoing. Preparedness comes before the response.”
He added that the department is always preparing for what they call Disease X, or the unknown next pandemic, through the expansion of primary care services and the conversion of former Covid-19 isolation facilities into Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service Centers for urgent care.
“We are preparing, not exactly for a pandemic, but we are behaving like we should have through universal health care,” he said.
Domingo added that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp’s expansion of its benefit packages and lowering of the out-of-pocket expenses by 2 percent is another pandemic response.
“People will keep getting sick. We need to keep getting people vaccinated,” he explained. These overall projects by the DOH are “preparedness responses” once Disease X comes.
“Moving forward, we already know what to do, and this is what we should do for the next pandemic. We just don’t call it pandemic preparedness, but it’s universal health care.”
He said that the UHC became “very concrete” because of the pandemic, as it exposed the gaps in the country’s health system.
Despite the gaps and hurdles, Domingo said, the work does not end.
“We do not stop. It’s still far [from perfect], but it’s already far from where we were in 2019,” he said, pointing to improvements in health coverage and reduced out-of-pocket expenses for Filipinos.
It's less the pandemic than the economically devastating and authoritarian response from the Duterte administration from which Filipinos are still recovering.
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