Philippines One of Only 30 Countries With a Cholera Outbreak in 2023

The Philippines is number one in a lot of things. It is number one in online child sex trafficking. It is number one in social media users. It is number one in the amount of time spent on Pornhub. And now the Philippines is number one in cholera cases for the Western Pacific region.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/897390/philippines-only-country-in-western-pacific-with-cholera-in-2023-who/story/

The Philippines is one of only 30 countries that reported cholera or acute water diseases (AWD) cases in 2023, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The 2023 WHO Global Cholera and AWD Dashboard records 708,200 cholera cases worldwide, including in nine countries where at least 10,000 cases were monitored. 

More than 4,300 deaths were also reported.

"While data from 2023 cannot be directly compared to the more detailed official reports submitted to WHO for 2022—when there were 472,697 cases and 2349 deaths—the marked increase in preliminary figures for 2023 suggests a concerning escalation in global cases and deaths associated with cholera," the WHO said in its report. 

The Philippines is the only country in the Western Pacific Region to have a cholera outbreak last year.

Latest data from the Department of Health (DOH) shows 3,756 cholera cases reported last year, including 19 deaths.

According to the WHO, cholera is an “extremely virulent” disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhea due to ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

This infection affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.

Being one out of only 30 countries to report a cholera outbreak puts the Philippines in an exclusive class. Here is a map showing the other 29 countries which reported a cholera outbreak in 2023. 

https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/multi-country-outbreak-of-cholera--external-situation-report--11---12-february-2024

The DOH says there was 3,756 cases and 19 deaths in 2023. But why does cholera continue to plague the Philippines? Because of the lack of access to clean water. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1211483

The Department of Health (DOH) regional office in Eastern Visayas has reported 3,683 cholera cases with nine deaths from January to September this year, slightly higher at 4 percent than the 3,556 cases recorded in the same period in 2022.

Of the total cases, 2,996 were treated in hospitals, and the rest recovered through home treatment, DOH regional information officer Jelyn Lopez-Malibago said in a phone interview Tuesday.

Of the nine deaths, Eastern Samar and Samar provinces recorded three each, Leyte had two, and Northern Samar had one. Most patients who died of cholera were children.

The youngest fatality was a seven-month-old boy, while the oldest was a 93-year-old woman. The latest death was recorded on July 13.

The DOH report said 1,390 cases were in communities that lack access to safe drinking water in Eastern Samar.

Malibago said the DOH has intensified its information drive to prevent the spread of cholera.

They also strengthened their technical assistance to local government units to end the outbreak in some areas, she said.

“To prevent the possible surge of these diseases, especially during the rainy season, the Department of Health recommends the practice of good personal hygiene. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing or eating food, after using the toilet, after clean-up activities, and handling particles coming from public places and after attending to a sick person,” Malibago added.

The DOH urged the public to clean all utensils, equipment, and surfaces before and after cooking; thoroughly wash and cook all meat, seafood, and vegetables; eat properly prepared food; and eat food while it is still hot.

Drinking water from known sources, boiled or treated with chlorine is highly recommended.

“By undertaking these tasks, we will be able to attain better health outcomes in Eastern Visayas and reduce the number of food and water-borne diseases cases and deaths,” Malibago said.

While the people do bear a responsibility for their health and well-being it is the government's mandate to provide the people with clean water and proper sewage systems. Much of the pollute water people are using is fouled by human waste. 

The fact that the Philippines made this exclusive list is a testament to the dysfunctionality and ineptness of the government. Let us congratulate the corrupt politicians who run this nation for this accomplishment.

The Philippines' Diarrhea Pandemic

Another village in the Philippines has declared a diarrhea outbreak.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1147405

Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte Mayor Ernesto Evangelista declared a diarrhea outbreak in Barangay Tulalian on Friday. 

In a statement on Saturday, the Municipal Information Office (MIO) said the declaration was due to the death of a resident while 47 others were confined in various public and private hospitals. 

As of Saturday, the Municipal Health Office said the fatality is a 58-year-old male resident who experienced loose bowel movement, stomach pain, and vomiting. 

“The 47 residents were rushed to both private and public hospitals; some are still recovering while others were discharged,” the MIO said. 

Charlemagne Fernandez, MHO administrator, said the local government unit (LGU) and the MHO began their investigation to determine the cause of the outbreak. 

“But the Environment Sanitation Report from the MHO revealed that the water system source in the area was possibly contaminated because of the water’s poor quality due to poor chlorine disinfection. Such finding was based on the ocular inspection conducted by the Sanitation Team and random interviews with the Tulalian Water Association (TUWASA) personnel,” the MIO said. 

Lapiña said the Sto. Tomas LGU provided potable water, installed a makeshift treatment facility in Barangay Tulalian covered court, meals, and other medical support to patients complaining of severe diarrhea. 

The town also provided new water containers and water-purification chemicals to the affected areas while residents have been briefed about cleaning their surroundings and maintaining proper sanitation to prevent another outbreak. 

“We will continue to monitor the patients to make sure they were all safe,” Lapiña said. 

To avoid future outbreaks, Lapiña urged the officials of Barangay Tulalian to sit down with TUWASA to discuss how to improve the water supply in the barangay. 

She added that the town is available to guide and improve water services delivery in the area.

How many diarrhea outbreaks is that this year so far? If the government thinks shutting down the entire economy and forcing people to follow burdensome and unscientific health protocols like wearing face shields and face masks because of a virus with an official survival rate of 97% is acceptable then why not do the same for the diarrhea pandemic which has been gripping this nation for decades?

Just how serious is the diarrhea pandemic? To assess that we will have to review the available statistics. Oddly enough the statistics compiled by the DOH and PSA do not agree with one another.

First, let's look at the available stats for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. These statistics are whats available on the DOH's official website. 

2016:

2016

14,487 cases with 52 deaths.

2017:

2017

17,768 cases with 48 deaths.

2018:

2018

17,906 cases with 20 deaths.

2019:

2019

11,594 cases with 14 deaths.

Perhaps you cannot tell but this data is not complete. What is being recorded here is not all diarrhea cases and deaths but only those related to Acute Bloody Diarrhea which is not the same as regular or Acute Watery diarrhea. The DOH has a different publication which gives the details for both types of diarrhea. The stats for 2018 do not match the above stats from 2018.

The total number of Acute bloody diarrhea cases for 2018 is 30,886.

pg. 366

For acute watery diarrhea the number is much higher.

pg.391

The would bring the total number of diarrhea cases in the Philippines for 2018 to 164,446 which is much higher than in the DOH's other official figures. What accounts for this discrepancy?

It is not so easy to find hard data on the diarrhea situation in the Philippines. For instance, in 2008 the WHO and UNICEF released a report noting that 10,000 children in the Philippines die each year from diarrhea.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/119921/diarrhea-kills-10-000-pinoy-kids-every-year-who/story/

Over 70,000 Filipino children have died of diarrhea in span of seven years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a study released Friday. In its study which it co-conducted with the Department of Health and United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), WHO said this figure makes diarrhea the fourth leading cause of deaths among children less than five years old and the third leading cause of illness among the children. The study showed that if the trend continues, it is expected to cause 10,000 deaths every year.

Try as I might I cannot find this study. It appears WHO and UNICEF deleted it from the web. Perhaps if this news article had given the name of the study and a link I could manage to find something. The only official reference I can find is on the web archive.

http://web.archive.org/web/20100430085500/https://www.unicef.org/philippines/mediacentre_10168.html

In the country, diarrhea is the 3rd leading cause of child illness and the 4th leading cause of deaths among children less than 5 years. It is estimated to cause 12% or almost 10,000 deaths a year. A 2004 UNICEF assisted study on the prevalence of soil transmitted helminthes, estimates that almost 70% of pre schoolchildren are host to at least one type of intestinal helminth infection and that  7 out of 10 children (aged 3-12) suffer from intestinal worms. 

I had to find this on the web archive because otherwise it is now a dead link. Strangely enough this dead linked article is cited in a textbook about the Philippines.

Diarrhea causes the death of about 10,000 Filipino children every year. It is the third leading came of illness among the children. The ratio of diarrhea cases in the Philippines is almost double the figure for other Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos or Cambodia. 10-20%—or 1.5 million children—under the age of five suffer from diarrhea. A 2004 UNICEF study shows that 70% of children aged 3-12 suffer from intestinal worms.

The Philippine Archipelago, Yves Boquet, pg. 141

The source for that paragraph is the UNICEF article quoted above and not the actual studies from 2004 or 2008. It is pretty odd that a text book would quote a press release as an authoritative source rather than an official study because in the context of the book there are many surveys cited to confirm what the author has written.

Let's take another look at official statistics on diarrhea deaths from the PSA. The most current report is from 2017.

pg. 50

4,039 deaths

2016:

pg. 51

4,801 deaths

The statistics from 2006-2015 are all laid out in one convenient table put together by the PSA. Diarrhea is the 18th cause of death in this time period.

pg. 1

We are given separate totals for both male and female deaths but I will only give the totals for each year.

2006: 4,390

2007: 3,989

2008: 4,306

2009: 4,572

2010: 3,708

2011: 4,199

2012: 3,970

2013: 3,273

2014: 3,313

2015: 3,675

That is 39,395 deaths from diarrhea over a ten year period.

Let's go back a little further and see all the statistics since the year 2000.

Going back 21 years to 2000 the annual death rate was not much different.

pg. 212

4,015 dead from diarrhea in the year 2000.

4,200 dead in 2001.  Pg. 116 of the report.

3,684 dead in 2002. Pg. 116 of the report.

3,135 dead in 2003. Pg. 123 of the report.

3,538 dead in 2004. Pg. 132 of the report.

3,982 dead in 2005. Pg. 133 of the report.

According to the PSA from 2000-2017 there were 66,589 deaths which is an average of 3,699 dead every year from diarrhea. 

So, what can be done to fight the diarrhea pandemic? The government has many solutions laid on the table. Making sure everyone has proper toilets is a big goal.

https://www.unicef.org/philippines/press-releases/department-health-100-toilet-coverage-possible-2022

“Our target is 100 percent coverage by 2022. Let us not wait till 2022. Nothing is stopping us to achieve this earlier than planned,” Duque said, citing his agency’s National Sustainable Sanitation Plan. 

According to the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), approximately six percent of Filipinos, mostly in rural areas, still do not have sanitary toilets, as of 2015. 

“When people living in our communities defecate in the open, in fields and waterways, our children will more likely experience frequent bouts of diarrhea, have worm infections, and grow up stunted and undernourished,” said UNICEF Philippines country representative Lotta Sylwander. 

Eliminating open defecation by 2022 is one of the goals of the Philippine Health Agenda. “But giving away toilets alone will not solve our problem,” said Duque. 

To address this, the Department of Health (DOH) is implementing the Zero Open Defecation Program (ZODP). The ZODP utilizes the approaches and strategies of Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). CLTS is under the umbrella concept of total sanitation that includes a range of behaviours such as stopping open defecation practices; ensuring that everyone uses a sanitary toilet, washes hands properly, handles food and water in a hygienic manner; and disposing animal and domestic waste safely to create a clean and safe environment. 

“Achieving zero open defecation is not easy. Households and communities need to be aware and prepared. We cannot just give toilets for free. All our efforts will be for naught if families are not willing to invest their time and resources in building and maintaining their own toilet facilities,” said Duque. 

According to DOH, eradicating open defecation and setting up the safe management of sanitation requires a shift in the use of approaches. This shift will include collective behavior change, strong supply chains and improved public services. Across these steps is a need for public regulation of behavior compliance, improvement of infrastructure and services of individuals, collectives and corporations.

Stopping open defecation is a major goal of the DOH and an important step in eradicating the scourge of diarrhea. But if families do not use those toilets properly then their efforts are pointless. What the public can do is practice basic hygiene like washing their hands. This has in fact lead to the decrease of diseases since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1130632

In its disease surveillance report, DOH data showed that from Jan. 1-30, influenza-like cases dropped to 69 as compared to the 678 -- a 130 percent decrease -- recorded in the same period last year; typhoid and paratyphoid cases with 29 cases from 266; and dengue with 35 cases from 251. 

The three illnesses logged the highest number of cases last year. 

Other illnesses, including viral hepatitis B and C, bacterial meningitis, non-neonatal tetanus, leptospirosis, and acute bloody diarrhea also logged decreases in cases during the first month of this year. 

Only one measles case was recorded in January as compared to the 106 in the same month last year. 

Dr. Ruby Constantino, DOH regional director, attributed the decrease in the number of illnesses to the observance of health protocols. 

“The practice to prevent getting infected with Covid-19 applies to other diseases. Iwas lamok, paglilinis ng paligid at ng katawan (avoid being bitten by mosquitos, cleaning of the environment and our bodies) is also protecting us from acquiring other diseases,” Constantino said.

Washing ones hands and keeping their environment clean is an obvious way to prevent disease but not everyone knows this. Just as important as proper toilets and sanitation are to preventing diarrhea outbreaks is having clean water. But what can people do when the water supply controlled by the city is tainted? 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1147931

The Sto. Tomas Municipal Health Office (MHO), in a statement, said they found E. coli bacteria in the village's water system which is run by the Tulalian Water Association (TUWASA), a private water service provider in the said village.

E. coli or coliform is bacteria that can be found in human or animal waste and causes diarrhea/bloody diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pains, and cramps.

“For now, we discouraged the residents from drinking water if it is not purified or boiled for about 20 minutes in order for the bacteria to die,” Lim said. As of July 21, the MHO recorded another 27 diarrhea cases.

In the Philippines it is better to never drink water from the tap.  

There is no single solution to this problem. The eradication of diarrhea as a cause of death in the Philippines will take a multifaceted approach involving both the public and the government. Seeing as the problem has persisted for decades there is likely no ending this pandemic anytime soon.

Circumcision Season in the Philippines

After delays caused by the pandemic circumcision season is finally open in the Philippines. That is the time of year when doctors hunt down young boys with intact foreskin, hold them down, drug them, and then slice it off.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/08/30/2123631/philippine-circumcision-season-underway-after-virus-delays

For more than a year, Caspien Gruta has been teased because his circumcision — a rite of passage for boys in the Philippines — was delayed, first by a volcanic eruption and then the coronavirus pandemic.

"I worry if I don't get circumcised now, I will be shamed," said Gruta, 12. 

The Philippines has one of the highest rates of circumcision in the world, with many seeing the centuries-old practice as key for boys to enter manhood. 

Even as circumcision comes under increasing scrutiny elsewhere, with some critics branding it "child abuse", it is rarely questioned in the Philippines and boys face tremendous pressure to undergo the procedure.

Every year, thousands of pre-teens have the operation for free at government or community-sponsored clinics.

But last year, the "circumcision season" was cancelled for the first time in living memory due to the virus outbreak, delaying the milestone for many boys like Gruta. 

Left in limbo — and with their foreskin intact — the boys have been ridiculed by their male relatives and friends. 

Gruta was one of the oldest boys to line up at a covered basketball court turned make-shift clinic in Silang, Cavite south of Manila, one of the few provinces that have slowly resumed the free service since May.

"I feel like I'm a genuine Filipino now because getting circumcised is part of being a Filipino," Gruta said after the 20-minute procedure.

Wearing masks and face shields, the boys sat on plastic chairs near a row of wooden tables surrounded by a red curtain. 

Some looked excited or did their best to appear nonchalant. Others fidgeted as they waited. 

After removing their shorts, the youngsters lay down on a table with their legs hanging over the edge and their groin covered by an operating sheet. 

Some bit into a facecloth or covered their eyes as they were given a local anaesthetic. The surgeon then went to work. 

"I got circumcised because they said I will grow taller and I will get better in sports," said 12-year-old Almer Alciro, who went to another outdoor clinic for his delayed procedure. 

While he waited for the free service to resume, Alciro's friends mocked him as "uncircumcised" — an insult similar to coward in a country where the procedure is a badge of masculinity. 

"I'm happy that I'm finally circumcised," Alciro said.

Boys as young as eight face social pressure to go under the knife. Even hospital advertisements urge boys to "Be Man Enough".

Mass circumcisions are common during the hottest months from April to June when school children are on a long break.

Normally hundreds of boys undergo outdoor surgery on a single day, but Covid-19 rules have drastically reduced group sizes.

Circumcision is an important "demarcating line" between boys and men, when the youngsters take on more responsibility in the family and learn about sex, said Nestor Castro, a professor of anthropology at the University of the Philippines.

"Once a boy gets circumcised, he already leaves the position of being a child and he is now considered... as an adult," Castro said. 

"If you are a circumcised male... you should act as a grown-up man, no longer as a young boy."

Imagine thinking cutting off the most sensitive part of your member will make you grow taller and get better in sports. Whoever told that boy such a thing would happen to him is an awful person. And what kind of relatives would ridicule a young boy about what his dong looks like? That's pretty sick and uncalled for.

The origin of circumcision in the Philippines goes way back before the Spanish arrived. Some think it has to do with the arrival of Islam in Luzon. When the Spanish arrived the Muslims had already made inroads into Luzon and had they been any later this nation would surely be another Muslim stronghold. But even though Ishmael, the reputed father of the Arab Muslims, was circumcised at the age of 13 Muslims are usually circumcised at 7 days of age.

Other groups, such as The God Culture, would say that circumcision is proof that Israelites made it to the Philippines long ago. But Filipino circumcision is not at all like that of the Israelites. For one thing it is the sign of entering manhood and not the sign of being a member of a unique covenant community. For another Israelites were circumcised 8 days after birth. Any delay and they would be out of the community. 

Circumcision in the Philippines is certainly not a Christian practice. In Christianity baptism serves as a new circumcision which cleanses and purifies the heart. Paul the Apostle is very clear that heart circumcision is more important than physical circumcision. Likewise the law of Moses says:

Deuteronomy 10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

One can certainly be circumcised and a Christian but it is pretty much worthless.

Galatians 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

You also will not become taller and better at sports. 

It is not clear why Filipino boys are circumcised between 8-14 years old. The origins of the practice are lost to time. The only thing really known about it is that it is a voluntary act of self-mutilation, with the help of a doctor of course, which makes one a man. One could say it is a sacrifice because the boy is sacrificing the pleasure he would have experienced with a fully intact member. 

Every culture has its rituals concerning what makes one a man or a woman. As barbaric and pointless as this custom is, it could be worse. The Etoro people of Papa New Guinea have their young boys ingest the semen of their elders in order to become men. 

Get back here you wascally wabbit so I can cut your foreskin off. It's circumcision season!

Hospital Emergency Room

Hospitals in the Philippines are wretched places. Even the private hospitals are awful. I had to visit an emergency room recently at The Doctor's Hospital. It looked like this:

What you should keep in mind is that this is a brand new emergency room. An addition to an already existing hospital. This place is where the ambulances will be dropping off people in need. Now why would they construct this new wing and leave a telephone pole stump in the road!! Can you see it in the picture?  Here it is up close!!!

Here it is even up closer!

It looks like a carabao patty but is a lot more dangerous. I watched at least two vehicles run over this obstacle. Imagine an ambulance running over it!  Imagine an ambulance coming there at all. Now I did ask about this stump and was told it was PLDT's responsibility because they own the telephone poles. I did go to PLDT to ask about it but was greeted with a very long line and told come back tomorrow.

You know what? It's not my job and if no one else cares why should I?  This is the Philippines!

Look at the first picture again. See that white thing in the middle of the driveway where the ambulances are supposed to offload?  Here is what the other side looks like.

Is this COVID-19 related!? Is this part of social distancing? You have to be dropped off and signed in at this station!? While all the traffic is driving by? RIDICULOUS!! I went by two days later and they moved this sign-in station from the center of the ramp to the side.

It's not any less stupid but at least the doors aren't blocked off anymore.

But I am not finished.  Look at this. 

This poor man is being pushed in his wheelchair IN THE BUSY STREET IN THE RAIN around the corner from the emergency room to I don't know where probably to some evaluation place. Do I need to point out how dangerous this is? Why does The Doctor's Hospital allow their staff to do this? They could have pushed him through the building but they didn't!! Why not? A few days later I saw the same scenario being played out.

Why are they pushing wheelchair bound patients through the busy street!? The answer I received was basically, "Well they are just going over there." That is not an excuse because when I was there the guy I was with was wheeled through the building to the emergency room area. It almost makes you wish a car would smash right into these people just so they can learn a lesson about how stupid this all is.

Coronavirus Lockdown: Hatched Balut, Living in a Tricycle, and A Coffin Full of Gin

As the lockdown continues in full and in part across the nation crazy things continue to happen.

With street vendors forbidden from hawking their wares and people forbidden to drink and hang out outside their homes the balut industry is taking a hit.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/735990/hundreds-of-balut-hatch-into-ducklings-as-covid-19-lockdown-stays/story/

In Pateros City, around 300 balut or fertilized duck eggs have hatched into ducklings in what could be a reminder of how long the enhanced community quarantine has been in effect. 

Known for its balut and salted eggs, the city is feeling the impact of the lockdown that started on March 17, which has halted almost all economic activities as a way of containing the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). 

Deo Reyes, who is in the balut business had to give away the ducklings and his stocks of around 15,000 eggs because of slow sales,  according to Bam Alegre's Tuesday report on 24 Oras. 

"Hundred percent. Wala talagang pinakinabangan the last two months. Lumaking sisiw, eh. Papunta na siya doon and then imbis na masayang, pinamigay namin sa mga taga-Pateros," Reyes said. 

He said some of the eggs were given to health workers and other frontliners. 

With a population of 70,000, the municipality of Pateros did not receive a large budget which can be used to give aid to balut makers as most had gone to relief goods for residents.

With no one to eat the duck embryos they have hatched into full ducklings. But what will healthcare workers do with the ducks? Where will they raise them?

Many small businesses like balut sellers might never come back due to new strict DOH protocols.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/736034/small-micro-businesses-may-opt-to-close-for-good-due-to-covid-19-protocol-demands-ecop/story/

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) on Wednesday said small and micro businesses may just close their operations altogether than comply with the strict health protocols against the COVID-19. 

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, ECOP chair Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said these businesses, which makes the 90% of enterprises in the country, do not have enough resources to continue their operations unlike large businesses. 

“Yung mga medium saka large company, walang problema ‘yan, pero 'yung small at micro natin, malaking problema 'yan. Sa dami ng ihahanda mo, baka ayaw na lang magbukas ng mga yan,” he said. 

According to ECOP, 90% of businesses in the country are micro and small enterprises, 8% are medium, and the remaining 2% are large.

Could the Philippines really see 90% of the economy vanish? Is the Philippines on the verge of an economic apocalypse?

Duterte has set aside more reward money. This time it's P20 million for any Pinoy who can develop a respirator.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/04/29/2010529/p20-million-any-pinoy-who-develops-respirator

President Duterte is offering a P20-million reward to any Filipino who develops respirators for patients infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Malacañang announced yesterday. 

The respirators should “outlast the lives of the patients,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. 

Duterte made the offer amid the global shortage of respirators and ventilators due to the high demand in treating patients severely infected with COVID-19, according to Roque.

Perhaps he means a ventilator? It should be an easy reward to claim since respirators were invented long ago. Ventilators too!

Deaths continue to mount from COVID-19. What to do with the bodies until they can be cremated?

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/735972/qc-creates-mobile-morgue-as-covid-19-deaths-mount/story/

The Quezon City (QC) government has created a “mobile morgue” to temporarily house bodies that are awaiting cremation. 

According to a 24 Oras report by Saleema Refran on Tuesday, the Baesa Crematorium has cremated 140 bodies since March 24, including 13 which were confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. 

Since COVID-19 hit QC, the local government noted that at least 10 families go to their one-stop-shop to process death certificates every day. 

As deaths continue to mount due to the pandemic, QC has converted a 40-foot-tall refrigerated container van into a mobile morgue that can house 40 to 45 bodies.

It seems only one mobile morgue has been deployed which is in stark contrast to New York which has deployed 45.

The lockdown has not been kind at all tricycle and jeepney drivers. With a total ban on public transportation some of them have lost everything and have ended up living in their tricycles and jeepnies.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/familyandrelationships/736167/family-lives-inside-tricycle-after-losing-source-of-income-amid-quarantine/story/

A tricycle driver and his family have resorted to living inside a tricycle after he lost his only source of income amid the enhanced community quarantine. 

According to Bernadette Reyes' report for "24 Oras," the family could no longer afford to pay rent and opted to endure living in the cramped space. They eat inside the tricycle and cook on the streets. 

Joel, the driver, collects cardboards wherever he could find them and sells it to junk shops just to feed his family every day.

Some netizens put up a Facebook group called "SuperTsuper" to facilitate donations for PUV drivers 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/hashtag/content/735950/puv-driver-s-family-lives-inside-jeepney-after-losing-source-of-income-amid-quarantine/story/

In the jeep that a driver and his family live in after they couldn't pay rent and lost their home since all passenger car travel was stopped. They rely on passing motorists to cross the food daily. In this jeep they sleep and eat while on the side of the road they cook and do laundry.

That is really just awful. While there is a Facebook group to raise donations for these people who knows if they will get that money when the government is having a hard time distributing the SAP funds.

Could you take in an old homeless man? One family did.  Turns out they were already homeless and living in a cart!

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/familyandrelationships/736162/homeless-family-takes-in-tired-and-hungry-elderly-man-amid-quarantine/story/

A homeless family took in a tired and hungry elderly man they met amid the enhanced community quarantine. 

According to Bernadette Reyes' report for "24 Oras," Genesis Cunanan lives in a cart with his wife and child. 

When the lockdown was imposed, they came across Lolo Gerry, who was already weak and starving. 

"The man had his belongings, and then of course we were sorry because we were heavy, we rode," Genesis said. 

"Blessing it, eh, share your blessings is not there so that's what I'm doing," he added.

This man living in a cart with his family is talking about sharing your blessings! Doesn't that make you feel like an unappreciative jerk?

Part of the new normal will be that the elderly and the young, those 20 and under and those 60 and over) will not be able to leave their houses even under a general quarantine. But there is something else that will be part of that new normal.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/04/30/2010757/seniors-arms-over-quarantine-rules

ECOP president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said government’s rule of not allowing senior citizens or those aged 60 and above, as well as the young or 20 years old and below, to leave their homes during GCQ may lead to people losing their jobs. 

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said shopping malls that will reopen in areas under relaxed quarantine are required to set their air-conditioning units at higher thermostat to prevent crowding. “The general rule is unlike in the past when we go to the malls for recreation and leisure, they (mall owners) will keep the temperature rather warm at 26 (degrees Celsius) so that people will not be loitering in the malls,” Roque told ABS-CBN News Channel. ?Restrictions in areas with low to moderate risks will be downgraded from enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to GCQ by May 1.

Warmer malls!  The malls will be kept at a warm 26 C of 78 F to keep people from loitering.

Imagine you live way out in the middle of nowhere.  You are going about your business when you hear a whirring sound growing louder and louder.  It's a helicopter! Is it blasting Fortunate Son or Flight of the Valkyries as it drops face masks and leaflets all over the countryside and your remote village?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1268368/1766-rats-eliminated-in-pied-piper-contest-at-baguio-market-during-quarantine

The Philippine Army dropped leaflets on coronavirus disease and facemasks in remote villages of the Agusan and Surigao provinces this week. 

Major Francisco Garello, civil-military operations officer of the 402nd Infantry Brigade said they used a Philippine Air Force Huey helicopter and two MG-520 gunships to drop 10,000 leaflets and 200 facemasks on Wednesday and Thursday. 

“This was part of our COVID-19 information awareness campaign to remote communities unreachable by vehicles,” Garello said. 

He said the airdrop concentrated on the remote villages of the towns of Kitcharao, Jabonga and Tubay in Agusan del Norte, and the towns of Alegria and Gigaquit in Surigao del Norte. 

He said they reached out to residents of these remote villages to urge them to observe the guidelines of the Department of Health on the virus.

How many of those 10,000 leaflets and 200 masks are littering the countryside?

Do you know what to do with your disposable face mask once it is finished being used?

https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/04/29/public-urged-to-separate-used-face-masks-from-household-garbage/

The Solid Waste Management Association of the Philippines (SWAPP) asked the public on Wednesday to separate used masks in a yellow garbage bag to allow waste collectors to know that a medical waste is included in the household waste. 

“I hope that households do not include (used) face masks in the municipal waste picked up by our garbage collectors,” SWAPP president Grace Sapuay said in an interview on DZBB. 

Medical wastes, such as face masks and gloves, are being dumped with the household garbage, while garbage collectors unknowingly pick up the medical waste that further poses the risk of infection. 

“We specifically call on all households who have members identified as persons under investigation or persons under monitoring (of COVID-19) to take extra precaution in handling their special wastes by initially disinfecting it with chlorine based solution prior to collection to prevent any further spread of the COVID-19 virus in the community,” the EMB said. 

Practicing proper waste segregation is in accordance with the Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act 2000. 

“Proper handling of household healthcare wastes, such as used face masks and gloves that are considered as special wastes will help stop the spread of COVID-19,” the EMB said.

How is the public supposed to separate medical waste (face masks) from their normal garbage when they don't segregate garbage now and too many practice open burning? RA 9003 is a joke and is hardly enforced or put into practice.

Some folks have not gotten their SAP money yet. One man will never get it.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/306942/man-waiting-to-claim-his-sap-cash-dies-of-heatstroke

Residents of Dumanjug, a southern town in Cebu, are being reminded to bring with them umbrellas or have someone accompany them when they run errands to avoid heatstroke this summer season. 

This, after a 59-year-old man who was supposed to receive his social amelioration program (SAP) assistance, was unable to claim them after he died of heatstroke while walking home for lunch in Barangay Lawaan, Dumanjug, Cebu on May 1, 2020. 

Police Major Ardioleto Cabagnot, chief of Dumanjug Police, said that the victim, Lolito Ferrer, from the same place, was found dead on a farm field about 300 meters away from Barangay Lawaan Hall at past 1 p.m. today. 

Responding medical personnel Dr. Josefina Malana, declared Ferrer dead due to heatstroke. 

It was found out that Ferrer might have been dead for hours before his body was found. 

Cabagnot said that prior to the incident, Ferrer was lining up to get his SAP, but he decided to go home to eat lunch when his name was not yet called then.

Just how far did he have to walk to get home?

Truly COVID-19 is the great equalizer. All around the world rich and famous celebrities are hunkered down in their mansions just like us! Some of them even got the virus just like us! They also get bored and post quarantine selfies on Instagram just like us! They also have to go shopping for groceries and then disinfect when they return home just like us!

https://entertainment.inquirer.net/373708/aldens-new-role-household-runner-during-quarantine

Alden is the household’s designated “runner”: He’s the one who goes out grocery shopping and takes care of utilities. As such, it’s crucial, he said, to take extra precaution, especially since he’s living with his grandparents. “I can’t risk their health and welfare,” he said. “I can’t let them get sick.” 

“Upon returning home from the grocery, our Ate Virgie (house help) would be waiting for me in the garage, where I change clothes. I disinfect my exposed body parts, especially my arms, before entering the house through the backdoor,” he related. “Then, I go straight to my room and take a bath.” 

One of the realizations Alden has had during this pandemic is that the virus has been an equalizer of sorts. “Regardless of who you are or what you have, when it comes to life and death… It has been an eye-opener for everyone. There’s a lot at stake. We have to be selfless,” he said. “What’s happening right now is something we can’t fully understand, and feels unfair, sometimes. But maybe there’s a reason for everything,” added Alden, who has been using his free time to “reestablish connections” with family and friends.

Wow!  He's just like us!

One stressed out NYC-based OFW has been using her spare time to destress by manufacturing face masks.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/familyandrelationships/736167/family-lives-inside-tricycle-after-losing-source-of-income-amid-quarantine/story/

A Filipina based in the United States, as a form of stress relief, started making face masks which she then donates to those in need. 

Based in New York, Chona Villacorta started making face masks with prints that she donates to her friends and family, as well as her colleagues. 

"We have so many reasons how we can help during this pandemic and you know... we can also pray for other people," she said in a report on GMA's 24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday. 

Villacorta currently makes 15 masks in an hour and could do as much as 60 during the weekends. She has given these out to her colleagues, including her boss' family.

That's nice but will that fabric really protect anyone from contracting COVID-19 or any other virus?

The nationwide lockdowns have been hard on everyone even the Aetas. Some volunteers have taken it upon them to provide them with what they need.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1268592/aid-volunteers-trek-through-rivers-lahar-land-checkpoints-to-reach-hungry-aetas

Tarlac province, along with the rest of Luzon, has been under strict quarantine since March 17, as the government tries to contain the spread of the coronavirus. 

Locking down the population will starve the virus of hosts, saving thousands if not millions of Filipino lives. But it’s a big-picture approach that can have dire consequences for those living in the margins. 

Thus, community workers like Arby (who asked to be identified only by his nickname for security reasons) are worried that hundreds of quarantined Aeta families in Capas might starve first as their income sources vanish and food becomes scarce. 

Arby said he tries to make deliveries to over 250 families in Santa Juliana and Bueno every other week. But with the supply of goods running dry in Cristo Rey, Arby is urging donors to ship powdered milk directly to his house instead of cash. 

“There are so many families to feed,” he said. “We focus on the children. But sometimes even the elderly approach us asking for food to eat. How can I say no?” 

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the Aetas of Capas made money as tour guides or traveled to towns such as Cristo Rey to sell kamote, ginger and banana heart harvested in their own lands. 

Among the estimated 10 to 20 million indigenous peoples (IPs) scattered across the Philippines, the Aetas cope with poverty, lack of economic opportunities and discrimination. 

Their isolation means they have no easy access to basic social services. In many cases around the country, IPs receive less priority when it comes to local government aid, private donors have told the Inquirer. 

Like most of the poor, they are bearing the brunt of the lockdown. 

Unlike Capas, the Aetas in Zambales are more isolated. Ammay said she worked hard to earn their trust. 

“It was different before we came here in 2015. If someone was very ill, they just wait for the person to die if their herbal medicines are not effective,” she said. “Today, I can coordinate with the local government and they now allow us to treat their sick.” 

“Tourism gets them out of the hunger zone. But the land has to produce something,” Dionisio said in an interview. 

Before the lockdown, money generated from tourism helped pay the Aetas to plant fruit trees such as sampaloc, guyabano and jackfruit. These will later create a sustainable source of income.

How did the Aetas, who are indigenous people, survive for hundreds of years but now cannot do without tourism bucks?

Tired of dancing yet?  These cops aren't!

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/307709/pro-7-dancers-teach-public-on-ecq-guidelines-good-hygiene-through-dance

Patrolman Christian Dabuco, currently assigned to the City Mobile Force Company (CMFC) of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) and a member of the PRO-7 dance troupe says he and his fellow police-dancers have come up with ways to migrate their thoughts from the challenges posed by COVID-19 like dancing with his colleagues during their free time. 

“Amoa nalang gyud isayaw amoang kaguol aning virus (We just dance our sadness caused by this virus),” said Dabuco. 

Then last May 1, Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of PRO-7, asked the dancers to come up with a dance presentation with a twist. 

And the twist is: the dance steps should help remind the public about the rules of ECQ and proper hygiene. 

The performance must then be filmed and uploaded in social media since social gatherings are still prohibited. 

Dabuco said that his fellow dance troupe members were ecstatic about the idea of encouraging the public about following the ECQ rules and practicing proper hygiene through their dance. 

And so on the evening of May 3, after the video was edited, it was immediately uploaded online.

Who knew the PNP had a dance troupe? Like busy bees these cops are dancing out an important message about proper hygiene.  You can watch it on Facebook here.


The liquor ban is still in effect and people are getting mighty thirsty.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1101906

“We sensed that something was wrong because of the speed of the hearse and especially when the driver maneuvered when he saw a checkpoint,” he added.

Authorities chased after the hearse until they were able to intercept it at Barangay Biec this town.

“Upon inspection, we saw inside the casket three boxes of liquor (gin). Each box contains 24 bottles of gin,” Palisoc said.

That's not a dead body! Hopefully it's real gin and not some bootleg poison.