Coronavirus Lockdown: Nearing Endemic Stage, Fell Short in Vaccination Target, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.

Last week a few Senators proposed shutting down the One health Pass which all travelers have been required to use to prove they have been vaccinated. Now low budget airlines are also backing this proposal.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1185995

Low-cost airlines AirAsia Philippines and Cebu Pacific (CEB) are backing calls to scrap the One Health Pass (OHP), saying some alternatives may be considered.

"As we head towards a strong air travel rebound, our passengers deserve a more convenient, reliable and hassle-free customer journey without sacrificing the safety net in our day-to-day operations," AirAsia spokesperson Steve Dailisan told the Philippine News Agency.

Senator Nancy Binay on Monday called on the lifting of the OHP, citing this has become impractical and inconvenient for many.

Passengers bound for the Philippines are required to register to the OHP, which Binay said has been a hassle to many returning Filipinos and overseas workers because this only adds to the screening procedures even if they are already quarantine-cleared and fully vaccinated with boosters.

The senator said overseas Filipino workers have been complaining that the process of verifying the OHP has led to long lines in the country's airports.

This was also observed by Carmina Romero of CEB. "Usually, there is a line of passengers who are unaware of the OHP, in check-in counters in our international destinations. I am sure they were sent an email about (OHP registration), but some passengers don't read notifications," she said.

Romero noted that OHP registration is also not easy for many, especially foreign travelers. 

"It is not easy for them to tick the boxes about specific details of their destination in the Philippines, such as which National Capital Region district, which barangay. A foreign national usually has a hard time answering that,” she said. 

She said without the OHP, a foreigner could instead be made to fill out an arrival card before landing. A returning Filipino, on the other hand, needs to prove that he or she is fully vaccinated or boosted against Covid-19.

"Maybe we should start considering these too," Romero said.

Dailisan, meanwhile, said AirAsia supports initiatives that will enable seamless travel among its guests, such as a unified electronic arrival card system that is customer friendly and accessible for arriving passengers.

Even the DOH is planning to review the "cumbersome" online requirements for travelers.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1679200/doh-to-review-cumbersome-online-screening-for-travelers

The Department of Health (DOH) has instructed the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) to review the content of One Health Pass (OHP), an online screening system for international travelers, amid calls from a senator to lift its implementation.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the officer in charge of the DOH, said the long list of details being required by the OHP can be “inconvenient” to passengers.

“When we reviewed the content of OHP, we saw that too many details were being required of our passengers,” said Vergeire. “Aside from submitting the requirements online, international travelers still have to go through the BOQ validation in our airports, which has caused long lines and delays.”

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian had also called the OHP system “cumbersome and an added red tape especially to tourists and foreign business people” who are planning to visit the country, and thus “should be scrapped immediately.”

Vergeire said the DOH would meet with other implementing agencies, including the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Tourism, on Thursday to discuss how to “further streamline the process” and make it more convenient.

Starting in September 2021, the BOQ and the DOTr-One Stop Shop have required the OHP as a way to process the mandatory health protocols and quarantine requirements of international travelers from their departure at their point of origin to their arrival and other onward destinations in the Philippines.

According to the OHP website, international inbound travelers are required to register on the system at least two days prior to their arrival in the Philippines. Proof of OHP registration will then be checked prior to flight boarding.

The two-page online questionnaire asks for their flight details, personal profile, and health and vaccination status. It also asks for the passenger’s occupation, the purpose of the visit, PhilHealth number, and residence details.

A personal QR code will then be issued to successful registrants. The code will be checked twice: during flight onboarding and upon arrival at the airport.

If it is cumbersome now it was cumbersome then. These protocols should never have been put into place. They inhibit travel by making it rather burdensome by having to jump through so many hoops.  Hopefully these barriers will be removed completely in the near future as the pandemic winds down and the world returns to normal. 

Quezon City has received an international award for its efficient COVID response.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1185986

The Quezon City government has been given the "Circle of Excellence" award, along with five other cities in the world, for its effective response to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Mayor Joy Belmonte personally received the award from the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) during the Fast-Track Cities 2022 conference in Sevilla, Spain.

"We dedicate this award to our healthcare workers and other front-liners who have put their lives on the line to address the needs of QCitizens during the pandemic,” Belmonte said in a statement on Wednesday.

“This is a validation of their hard work and the effectiveness of our Covid-19 response, especially in the delivery of basic services to the people,” she added.

Quezon City was selected by the IAPAC and the Fast-Track Cities Institute (FTCi) after a rigorous nomination and deliberation process in consultation with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

The cities of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, New York in the United States, Kingston in Jamaica, Johannesburg in South Africa, and Lagos in Nigeria received the same award.

Good for them. 

Many Filipinos have been dipping into their savings to pay for health costs during the pandemic. 

https://www.philstar.com/business/2022/10/14/2216657/amid-pandemic-more-filipinos-are-dipping-their-savings-stay-healthy

Over two years into the coronavirus pandemic and its economic onslaught, more Filipinos are forced to dip into their own savings to shoulder rising health costs in the country, as government support to keep its citizens healthy comes up short.

Health spending reached P1.09 trillion in 2021, up 18.5% year-on-year, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Friday.

Of that amount, 41.5% or P451 billion was paid out of households’ pockets. Data showed families’ out-of-pocket spending on health grew 9.2% year-on-year in 2021, higher than 4.1% annual growth rate recorded in 2020.

The latest report reinforces previous data which showed that overall, Filipinos regardless of age are spending more and more out of their own earnings to remain healthy.

This, while state spending on health slowed 16.1% on-year to P411.7 billion in 2021. Of the country’s total health expenditure, government support that came from its domestic revenues accounted for 37.9%.

Amid the pandemic, data showed P112.4 billion was spent on treatment of illnesses that now correlate with severe or critical cases of COVID-19. The figure was up 362.5% year-on-year and accounts for 10.3% of the country’s health spending in 2021, from just 2.7% in 2020.

The problem gets worse if one would consider the Philippines’ old population. With most senior citizens likely retired, chances are ballooning health expenses are exhausting their life savings, forcing them to rely on their families for support. 

This problem affects senior citizens more than others as they are forced to exhaust what savings they have. Another thing affecting senior citizens is Undas. One Cebu City councilor wants to make sure unvaccinated seniors citizens can visit the cemeteries this year. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/469178/zafra-allow-unvaccinated-senior-citizens-to-visit-cemeteries-for-undas

The Cebu City government is not keen on restricting senior citizens from entering or visiting public cemeteries for the Undas 2023.

Cebu City Councilor Philip Zafra, chairman of the Committee on Public Order, on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, said they had not recommended to Mayor Michael Rama to disallow unvaccinated senior citizens from visiting public cemeteries during the occasion.

(No. What we are saying is there are a lot of vaccinated people in Cebu City unlike the other areas.)

(The template that we are adopting is the template prior to COVID times. That is what we are applying now.)

While Cebu City claims to have more vaccinated people than in other areas Northern Mindanao admits they have failed to reach their vaccination goals.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/13/doh-northern-mindanao-admits-it-fell-short-in-vaccination-target/

The Department of Health Region 10 admitted it failed to meet a certain target to vaccinate people against Covid-19 within the 100-day period set by President Marcos Jr.

Dr. Ellenietta Gamolo, the DOH-10 assistant director, said in a phone interview on Thursday, Oct. 13, that the region (Northern Mindanao) has only achieved 74.27 percent vaccination coverage for senior citizens and 24.31 percent coverage for the first booster vaccination for the general population as of October 12.

The 100-day Presidential directive actually ended on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Under the presidential directives, the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) has been tasked to ensure all units of DOH, including the local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders to reach the 90 percent coverage for the primary series among all A2 (Senior Citizen) category and 50 percent coverage for the first booster dose vaccination for the general population within the first 100 days of the Marcos Jr. administration.

Out of the five provinces and two highly urbanized cities in the region, only the province of Camiguin and Iligan City achieved the 90 percent target for the senior citizens, with 91.61 percent and 90.59 percent coverage respectively.

For the 50 percent coverage for the first booster dose vaccination, only Camiguin province was able to hit the target with 50.47 percent coverage.

However, Gamolo said that DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire has lowered down the target for the first booster dose vaccination to 30 percent on October 8, as many LGUs are unable to achieve the original target due to some intervening factors.

“All LGUs are doing their best to achieve the target because of the instructions, once they reach that, there might be a little changes to our health protocols as there are a lot of people who are already vaccinated,” Gamolo said in vernacular.

Funny that they have to lower the target rate because many LGUs are unable to meet the original targets.

Once again the public is being told that the virus is on the way to becoming endemic.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/10/14/2216516/philippines-may-be-nearing-covid-19-endemic-stage

An infectious diseases expert said that the country could be nearing the COVID-19 endemic stage as cases are now on a downward trend and severe and critical infections remain low.

“If you look at the cases, even globally, cases are already trending down, which means that the number of cases for the past week is stable. There is no significant increase although there is also no significant decrease but it is trending down to the point that it looks like it is becoming stable,” Dr. Rontgene Solante told “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s One News the other night.

Solante, head for Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at the San Lazaro Hospital, also noted that the country’s health care utilization rate continues to be stable at less than 50 percent.

“That is the situation for almost two to three months now,” he said of the hospitalization rate for COVID-19.

“What we use as basis is that if we are able to manage the infection, or if it is already controlled. So most likely, we are already on the brink of that (endemicity),” he added.

The medical expert explained: “When you say endemic, the virus is still here with us but is not able to disrupt our livelihood, our mobility and we are able to  control where we are headed – is it towards cases going up, or becoming stable, or on a downward trend.”

However, Solante said the country still needs to strengthen its health protocols, including intensifying efforts for vaccination before endemicity sets in.

It's funny because the DOH already said COVID-19 was becoming endemic back in April.

Since face to face classes have started the DOH says there has been no uptick of COVID in schools. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/11/22/no-covid-uptick-among-kids-since-school-opening-doh

The Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday it has not recorded an uptick of COVID-19 cases among the pediatric population since Aug. 22, the start of School Year 2022-2023 that saw a widespread resumption of in-person classes.

Health Undersecretary Beverly So said the DOH remained supportive of in-person classes but also recognizes that COVID-19 cases would be present due to increased mobility.

"Categorically speaking, when we are looking at the trends for pediatric population since Aug. 22, we didn't really see an uptick," Ho said in a press conference.

"But what is important for all of us is to recognize 2 things: one is klaro sa amin (it's clear to us) that the face-to-face learning is superior, not just for education but for the health, holistic development ng mga bata. So we're very supportive of that," she said.

"Second is we need to recognize that as we go out of our houses, magkaka-uptick tayo (we will have an uptick). It's just a matter of time. But we want to reassure everyone, that's why we have technologies like vaccines."

Ho added that hospital admission rates have not increased.

(The more we go full blast face-to-face, it will really go up. What we don't want is the number of cases increasing alongside the hospital admission. But if the cases increase and hospital admission did not, we've done our job. We've protected ourselves enough from vaccines.)

There is no uptick but it's just a matter of time. They really can't help themselves with the fear mongering.

The Movement for Media Reform Is Just Another Pro-Marcos Propaganda Group

The Movement for Media Reform is one of several propaganda groups formed after the May elections which saw the Marcos family return to Malacanãng. Ostenisbly MMR is a group of likeminded people who have banded together to lobby for media reform in the Philippines. Before looking at their mission statement or "What we do" it would do well to look at who forms their core group.

Now, being that this is a group advocating media reform one would think that the core members, like the man who formed the National Union of Philippine Journalists (NUJP), would all be journalists. You would be mistaken.

https://movementformediareform.com

Out of these 11 people only TWO describe themselves as journalists. TWO!!! Compare that to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) which was founded by NINE journalists.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) is an independent, nonprofit media agency that specializes in investigative reporting. It was founded in 1989 by nine Filipino journalists who realized, from their years in the beat and at the news desk, the need for newspapers and broadcast agencies to go beyond day–to–day reportage.

https://pcij.org/about/

Let's take a look at this motley crew of...journalist reform lobbyists? I don't know what to call them but they aren't journalists though they think they can tell journalists how to do their job. Imagine shouting at your mechanic from the sideline as he tries to fix your car. It's the same thing.

First up is the big dog René Astudillo. I call him the big dog because he is the first listed and he authored the MMR's mission statement as we shall see. 

This guy is the only one who claims to be a regular journalist. According to his Linkedin profile he is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association but he lists no media outlets as former employers in his CV.  He also studied mass communication at St. Louis University in Baguio City. Aside from those two blurbs there is nothing to indicate he has ever been a practicing journalist. Currently he is a Human Resources manager. 

René's biggest claim to fame is being the creator of The Adobo Chronicles. This is where the Satirist sobriquet comes into play. Founded in 2013 by Astudillo The Adobo Chronicles describes itself as follows:

THE ADOBO CHRONICLES  is your source of up-to-date, unbelievable news. Everything you read on this site is based on fact, except for the lies.

https://adobochronicles.com/about/

The site has become so popular that Astudillo had to reformat it so that people could tell what was factual from what was false because so many people were taking it all as being factual. 

NEW FORMAT: The Adobo Chronicles has recently adopted a new format to help readers distinguish between fact and fiction. Statements and paragraphs in our posts that are in italics  represent the facts.  The rest are fiction. (Note: This does not apply to our Adobo Chronicles’ Fact Check: Fact-checking the Fact Checkers.)

One of the most recent posts mocks Leni Robredo for receiving an honorary degree from Harvard.

https://adobochronicles.com/2022/09/07/even-puppets-receive-honorary-doctorate-degrees/

It’s been much ado about nothing, this honorary doctorate degree given by Ateneo de Manila University to former Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo.

Honorary degrees are now known as a celebratory gesture and hold no weight in society, though some recipients use the Ph.D title and add it to their curriculum vitae, despite being urged not to do so. 

So, don’t get excited if you or anyone you know and look up do receives an honorary Ph.D. Even puppets get them. Literally!

Where is the joke?  This is awful!  I did this joke back in 2017 when Duterte was awarded an honorary degree by the UP. AND I included Leni because she also recieved a honorary degree from the University of Saint Anthony in Carmines Sur.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2017/04/on-honorary-degrees.html 

The Adobo Chronicles is so unfunny they won't even show the joke that muppets, NOT PUPPETS, get honorary degrees.  It's lame!

Here's another anti-joke from the Adobo Chronicles. 

https://adobochronicles.com/2022/08/22/president-bongbong-marcos-orders-retention-of-august-21-as-a-national-holiday/

It’s perhaps one of the most difficult decisions President Bongbong Marcos has had to make so far: to retain August 21 as a national holiday.

August 21 is the death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino, and is the birthday of the First Lady, Lisa Araneta Marcos.

But it is also common knowledge that August 21 is the anniversary of the Plaza Miranda bombing which many believe to be the works of anti-Marcos and communist elements. It resulted in the death of 9 people and injury to 95. Aquino was mysteriously absent during that Liberal Party rally.

Marcos’ decision came in the form of an Executive Order.

All’s well that ends well.

What is funny about this? The fact that the enemy of Marcos' father is Ninoy Aquino and a holiday celebrating Aquino is the same day as his wife's birthday? That's not very funny. Definitely needs some work. How about this send off of Duterte:

https://adobochronicles.com/2022/06/16/rodrigo-dutertes-legacy-colorful-philippine-foreign-policy/

At noon on June 30, 2022, Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos, Jr., takes his oath as the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines.

As we look back to the past six years under Rodrigo Duterte, his colorful foreign policy, marked with unique diplomacy comes to mind. It is a legacy that could define, or redefine the country’s standing with the world community.

Tagged by many as a departure from the Philippines’ long-standing attachment to Uncle Sam, Duterte opened the door for harmonious and beneficial relationships with its Asian neighbors and world powers that matter. 

Today, the Philippines has earned multiple distinctions as a province of China, a Federated State of Russia and Prefecture of Japan.

Six years may be too short for a good President. Another two years in duterte’s term could have made the Philippines a Caste of India. Who knows?

Again, where is the joke? Remember the regular font is supposed to be the funny stuff. But the fact is, as can be seen in the picture, Duterte's pro-China stance did cause some to mock that the Philippines is now a Province of China. A Caste of India? Does Astudillo even know what caste means? It's so terribly unfunny. And this is the guy who wants to reform the media. 

Let's look at the rest of the crew. We don't even have to go in-depth because their listed qualifications say it all.

Hedda Tady - Educator/ Content Creator

Epee Rafanan - Culture Advocate/ Events Organizer

Jeremiah Odra - Business Operations/ Marketing Comms-PR

Peter Serrano - Actor/ Trainor/ Host/ Advocate

Emil Bichara - Trainer/ Public Speaker/ Life Coach

PJ Cabrera - Mobile Journalist/ OH Nurse/ Influencer. This is the second guy on this list who claims he is a journalist. But what is a mobile journalist? Sounds like something he made up. 

Brian Neyra - Artist/ Designer/ Geopolitical Observer Isn't anyone who reads the news a geopolitical observer?

Julie Odra - Community Development Consultant

Melchor Vergara - Entrepreneur/ Netizen Everybody who uses the internet is a Netizen! 

Orman Manansala - Banker/ Blogger

Out of all these people Hedda Tady, Brian Neyra, and Melchor Vergara have contributed to The Adobo Chronicles and Epee Rafanan is mentioned in an article. 

In San Francisco, Epee Rafanan, co-founder of a Filipino American gay social organization, Barangay, said  teaching gayspeak in Philippine schools is long overdue.

https://adobochronicles.com/2015/08/13/gayspeak-to-be-taught-in-philippine-schools/

Let's look at the mission statement of The Movement for Media Reform.

The Movement for Media Reform was born out of the changing landscape in the news media, characterized by increasing citizen participation in the spread of information on the Internet. Bias and ideological agenda on the part of some in the mainstream news media (MNM) have always been a given but have surfaced more clearly as they tried to desperately keep their standing as the only legitimate source of information.

MNM became threatened, having to compete for revenue as well as subscribers and followers. Survey after survey has shown the declining trust in the news media by audiences and consumers. It is amid this scenario that concerned individuals banded together to form an online movement aimed at reforming the news media in the hope that someday soon, they will regain the people’s trust as a fair, balanced and legitimate source of information needed for nation-building.

• Being a movement of volunteers, we rely on our members and supporters to help us achieve our mission, and to actively participate in the things that we do. In summary, we ascribe to our 3 C’s: * Check the facts * Call out bias and promote the truth * Create trust in the news To this end, some of the things we do include (but are not limited to):
• Fact-check the fact checkers.
• MNM and fact checkers do not have the monopoly of truth and accuracy. We will strive to call out news sources that knowingly or unknowingly spread disinformation.
• We will constantly remind news sources (individual journalists and news brands) of their responsibility to provide their audiences with factual information, void of editorializing, self-serving news slants, or obvious propaganda.
• We partner with reputable polling firms, like Publicus Asia, in disseminating results of media trust and other news-related surveys so that news consumers are guided in their choice of information sources.
• We engage our membership to weigh in on important issues related to news media responsibility along with our own membership polls, summaries and results of which we forward to appropriate agencies and organizations in both the government and private sectors.
• As resources become available, we will convene journalists and social media influencers to participate in skills-building workshops, training and webinars, inviting speakers and experts to discuss responsibility under Freedom of the Press and Free Speech.
• We will use all available social media venues to promote and generate support for our mission and activities both locally and international.

https://movementformediareform.com/what-we-do/

The Movement for Media Reform is not pleased by the Mainstream News Media (MNM) because not only do they have biases but they also want to be seen as the only legitimate source of information. But trust in the MNM has eroded. Therefore the MMR wants to act as a buffer between the MNM and the public. They want to fact check the fact checkers, alert news sources to their biases, and eventually convene journalists and social media influencers to build their skills and "discuss responsibility under Freedom of the Press and Free Speech." But who fact checks those who fact check the fact checkers?

Now, the only responsibility anyone ever has is to tell the truth whatever it may be. Judging from the way the MMR has been operating so far they are not very interested in truth. In fact in their Twitter feed there is hardly anything about media reform or calling out biases. There is a lot of calling out the usual suspects DDS has been targeting for the past six years.  This includes Leni Robredo, ABS-CBN, and Rappler. Take this tweet for instance.

https://twitter.com/MMR4MediaReform/status/1559898661542596610

News media should invest in hiring competent headline writers…otherwise they end up with captions akin to this : “Police shoot dead armed man” instead of “Police shot an armed man dead”. :)

In a rush to mock Rappler the MMR only shows their ignorance. First of all this is not a Rappler article. It is from the AFP who sells articles to news outlets around the world. Second of all "to shoot dead" someone is grammatically correct English. Just Google it. 

Here is another instance of MMR attempting to fact check someone and ending up with egg on their face.

https://twitter.com/MMR4MediaReform/status/1556068543963078657

What Richard Heydarian is saying here is why should anyone care about mass atrocities from 40 years ago when EJKs in the past few years didn't cause anyone to blink an eye? Rene Astudillo, the big dog of MMR, feigns outrage saying, "He wants people to be INVESTED in mass atrocities???" Does he think Richard wants people to financially invest in mass atrocities? How much more stupid can he be? René is doing this not because he is for media reform but because he does not like Richard Heydarian's politics.

The fact is René Astudillo and the MMR are not for genuine media reform. What they really want is for the media to stop talking about the evils and crimes the Marcos family have foisted and continue to foist upon this nation. Here is René Astudillo actually defending the brutal Marcos dictatorship.

https://twitter.com/MMR4MediaReform/status/1550780297414725632

Of course there is no smoking gun on MMR's Twitter feed. Nothing that says the Marcos family is innocent. But there is this:

https://twitter.com/MMR4MediaReform/status/1536892981202255873

"There are two sides to a story." This is exactly what the Marcos revisionist and denialist crowd has been saying for a number of years. The thing is we know the whole story. It has been told in books, in newspaper articles, and most importantly in court records. Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda plundered the nation and had their critics imprisoned or murdered.  That is simply a fact of history that no amount of memes or tweets will ever change. 

Here is proof that the MMR cares very little about actual journalists and the danger of being a journalist in the Philippines. Rather than condemn the assassination of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid they essentially blame him for his death. 

https://www.facebook.com/movementformediareform/posts/129857346473781

In the murder of radio anchor Percy Lapid

No one is suppressing free press we don't know the whole story of his life and who he bumped into.

Let's not avoid comments against "press freedom" because until now we are free to express and air.

We don't know who he bumped into? True enough and while this assassination may turn out to have nothing to do with his journalistic activities the fact is the Philippines remains dangerous for journalists. Percy is the 5th radio broadcaster to be assassinated this year. Yet these frauds at the MMR cannot even bring themselves to acknowledge this fact and condemn the killing of journalists. Instead they hide behind a pretend impartiality saying they do not want to "jump the gun."  Could it be because Percy was an outspoken critic of Marcos and Duterte and the MMR is all about protecting Marcos from all criticism? Indubitably. Now we are told by the killer that he received his orders from New Bilibid prison. 

Does the media need reform? Sure. The news can be reported better with less biases and more pertinent information. The Philippine media should stop showing dead bodies even if they are blurred. And dissenting voices should be allowed without fear of being red-tagged which can turn out to be deadly. In the Philippines journalists are killed with impunity rather often. But don't expect the Movement for Media Reform to discuss any of that. They are just another of the many propaganda groups seeking to shield Marcos from criticism for both his and his parent's crimes.

Insurgency: Davao Region Insurgency-Free

The entire Davao Region has now been officially declared insurgency-free.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1185966

Davao Region is now “insurgency-free” following the series of successful peace and order initiatives that dismantled the remnants of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in the area.

During a meeting at the Naval Felix Apolinario Station here Wednesday, members of the Regional Peace and Order Council–Davao (RPOC-11) signed a resolution declaring the entire region as cleared of insurgents as of Sept. 19, 2022.

Davao region is the third region in the country declared as insurgency-free, following Regions 1 and 9.

The declaration came after the five-province Region 11 was declared to have been cleared out of NPA by their respective provincial and city peace and order councils this year.

In March this year, this city was declared insurgency-free, followed by Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte in June, Davao del Sur in July, Davao Occidental in August, and Davao Oriental in September.

Maj. Gen. Nolasco Mempin, Army’s 10th Infantry Division commander and concurrent RPOC vice chairperson, thanked the different agencies and other RPOC members who contributed to achieving an insurgency-free region.

“Where we are now and what we have achieved bespeak well of our excellent convergence and collaborative efforts," he said.

“We are so happy about this declaration. The development would now thrive without fear of intimidation, harassment, and sabotage from the NPA group,” Mempin said.

Mempin, however, said part of the declaration is a more challenging task, which is the "sustainment and prevention" of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA from recruiting and regrouping.

This comes less than month after Davao Or was declared insurgency free with only two remaining NPA fighters.

But if the NPA is 100% gone and the region is totally insurgent free then why are they worried about recruiting and regrouping in the area? Because according to another report there are still remnants in the area.

While there are still “remnants” of the rebel members, the Philippine Army's 10th Infantry Division said the rebel groups were reduced to their smallest size.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/13/22/afp-all-of-davao-region-now-free-of-npa-presence

That article is titled "All of Paavo Region Now Free of NPA Presence" which is a lie because there are still remnants. Again, we are told the NPA is weakened and irrelevant but then we are told the AFP is recruiting and attempting to regroup. They cannot be weak and strong at the same time.

A ranking NPA leader was killed in Negros Occidental which has prompted the AFP to declare the group is on the brink of downfall. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1185934

The top Philippine Army official in Western Visayas said the death of Romeo Nanta, the regional head of the New People’s Army (NPA) armed unit, is a major setback to the communist-terrorist group’s operations in Negros Island.

“They are now on the brink of downfall following the surrender and death of their members and leaders in Negros,” Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Arevalo, who used to head the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Negros Occidental, added that there would be demoralization within the ranks and a domino effect on the leadership of the NPA under Nanta’s command.

“We will not stop hunting them to fulfill the Negrenses’ desire for a CPP-NPA-free community. Before it’s too late, they must lay down their firearms and surrender peacefully,” he added.

On Monday afternoon, 94th Infantry Battalion personnel recovered the body of Nanta, 65, the commanding officer of the Regional Operational Command of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, in Sitio Medel of Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City following a series of encounters in the hinterland village that started on Oct. 6.

Using the alias “Juanito Magbanua,” he was also the spokesperson of the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command, which confirmed his death in a press statement on Tuesday.

Nanta was facing criminal cases, including murder, frustrated murder, robbery, and damage to properties, as he was linked to atrocities that claimed the lives of civilians, police, and soldiers as well as damaged installations in Negros.

He was arrested in 2011 and jumped bail to return to the rebel movement.

Nanta was arrested in 2011 for various crimes and yet allowed bail? Why would they have allowed bail for a known terrorist? One does not need that designation to keep the man imprisoned. Just look at his litany of alleged crimes. 

In Negros continued clashes between the NPA and AFP have displaced residents causing the local government to declare a state of emergency.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/12/state-of-calamity-declared-in-negros-city-amid-series-of-clashes-between-govt-troops-and-npa-rebels/

The local government of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental has declared a state of calamity, following series of armed encounters that affected thousands of residents in Barangay Carabalan.

The city council declared the entire city under a state of calamity during its special session on Monday, Oct. 10, upon the recommendation of Mayor Raymund Tongson Jr. and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC).

This allows the city to utilize the Quick Response Fund and enables the release of national calamity funds to agencies involved in relief operations.

Currently, the city has P13 million in quick response funds, a portion of which will be allocated for the man-made calamity such as the encounter between the government troops and the New People’s Army which is now on the sixth day.

Based on the data from the city government, more than 13,000 individuals or more than 10 percent of the city’s population of 110,000 have been affected by the conflict since Oct. 6.

Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao said that one barangay is on lockdown due to the pursuit operations of the Army.

Gatuslao said the city has enough resources to provide for the affected residents.

However, the biggest problem they are facing right now is that there are some areas that they can’t enter just yet, upon the advice of the Army.

“It is really the logistics in getting our goods to the areas. We have no choice. We’re just waiting for evacuees to come,” Gatuslao said.

Of course they will be able to return home eventually. 

In N. Samar the clearing of 96 villages has crippled the NPA.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186036

The clearing of 96 villages from the influence of the New People’s Army (NPA) this year has paralyzed the communist terrorist group in several communities in Northern Samar Province, an official said on Thursday.

The surrender of hundreds of staunch supporters in villages is a big loss to the NPA since they are the providers of food, funds, supplies, and valuable information to the rebels, said Philippine Army 20th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Joemar Buban in a phone interview.

As of this month, of the 97 NPA-infiltrated areas in the 2nd legislative district of Northern Samar identified in 2021, only one is still up for clearing, the Hinagonoyan village in Catubig town.

“Members of their organized group have stopped giving support to NPA. Our estimate is that the NPA can collect up to PHP11,000 monthly in each of the 97 villages or about PHP11 million in one year in 2nd district alone,” Buban told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The NPA used to extort money from residents, farm owners, and local businessmen to support their armed struggle and contribute funds to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Other sources were farmlands grabbed by NPA from landowners in Northern Samar and had been under the control of their mass organization.

“Member of this group are required to remit a big share of the farm produce to the NPA. From other landowners, they used to collect 20 percent of the farm income,” Buban said.

After an armed encounter on Oct. 10 in San Miguel village in Las Navas town, soldiers recovered several letters from a dead NPA member demanding money from local businesses.

While the AFP is elated at these developments the DOJ says they will also continue to fight the insurgents. This comes after one NPA fighter was convicted of terrorism. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186041

The government will continue to go after insurgents and those who aid them in efforts to overthrow the government, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Thursday, as he announced the conviction of a key member of the New People’s Army (NPA) charged with rebellion.

“Rebellion and aiding it is a crime. Those who commit the same should suffer its consequences.” Remulla said in a statement as he commended state lawyers who successfully prosecuted the case against Dionisio Almonte before the Taguig regional trial court branch 266.

In its decision promulgated last September 16, the Taguig court sentenced Almonte alias Inol/Noli/Leo to suffer the indeterminate penalty of up to 17 years imprisonment for his part in attacks against members of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), Philippine Army (PA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Quezon province in 2005 to 2006.

Almonte and his group were accused to be behind the bombing of a Globe cell site tower located at Barangay Piis, Lucban, Quezon; the killing of SPO3 Clarito Ilao and the wounding of five other police officers during an encounter; an ambush on members of the PA resulting in the death of Pfc. Eric Consulta, Pfc. Rey Surada, and Pfc. Ruel Abino and the wounding of eight other Army officers; an attack on PA officers resulting in injuries to four Army officers; an ambush on PA officers causing the wounding of two Army officers; and an attack on PA officers causing the death of Ssgt. Ernesto Baniel and the wounding of another PA officer.

The Court said, “the prosecution was able to prove the fact of public uprising and taking arms against the government as the prosecution’s witnesses categorically testified of their experience and encounters with the rebel group -- NPA.”

If only he had surrendered he could have availed of the many benefits. This week hundreds of ex-NPA members have received benefits.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186087

A total of 165 former rebels and farmers from insurgency-free villages in central Negros will soon undergo various skills training and receive other livelihood interventions from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

As of Thursday, arrangements for the community-based training programs were being finalized after these were launched in Isabela, Negros Occidental last week.

Carlito Quintano, acting provincial director of TESDA-Negros Occidental, said in a statement the training would be funded under the agency’s Special Training for Employment Program.

“They can avail of the free training cost and assessment,” he added.

Other benefits include an Internet allowance, one-year accident insurance, health/personal protective equipment allowance, starter toolkits, and a training support fund/allowance of PHP160 per day.

Are they really grouping in farmers with NPA rebels? 

The USA remains an integral part of the Philippines' war against the insurgency. This year there are 496 security engagements between the two nations. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1185726

The Philippines and the United States will have 496 defense and security engagements in 2023 as the world's coronavirus situation continues to improve.

"For CY 2023 - 496 (274 MDB(Mutual Defense Board) and 222 SEB (Security Engagement Board)," Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro said in a message to reporters Sunday.

This is bigger than this year's 461 defense and security engagements, which can be broken down into 214 MDB and 247 SEB.

Bacarro said the 461 engagements posted for 2022 is also significantly higher than the 353 in 2021 which can be broken down into 197 MBD and 156 SEB.

The AFP chief attributed the relatively low number of US military engagements in 2021 due to the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bacarro said around 15,000 US military personnel will be involved in the various MDB and SEB drills in 2023 which includes the annual "Balikatan" exercises.

The US has also granted $100 million in military financing. 

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-grants-philippines-100-million-foreign-military-financing-2022-10-14/

The United States has made available $100 million in foreign military financing to the Philippines, its ambassador in Manila said on Friday, part of efforts to boost the Southeast Asian country's defence capabilities and military modernisation.

The new military financing underscores improved defence ties between the treaty allies under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, whose predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, shifted his country's foreign policy away from the United States to pursue warmer ties with China.

"The United States has now made available $100 million in foreign military financing in part for the Philippine military to use as it wishes," Ambassador MaryKay Carlson told a media briefing aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, which was on a scheduled port call in Manila.

To use as it wishes! Hopefully it does not get pocketed. Either way never let Filipinos say Uncle Sam has never given them anything. 

Jeepney's Makeshift Gas Tank

I like to ride in the  front seat whenever I take the jeepney but on September 14th I was told I needed to sit in the back despite the front seat being empty. The problem? The driver had a makeshift gas tank sitting on the floor. 

How is that legal? I am pretty sure it's not legal. In fact I would bet more than half of the jeepeny's in town are not up to code. Too many bellow thick black clouds of exhaust and I have seen this same makeshift gas tank set up before.

Behind the driver's set was a huge jug of yellow liquid that looked like gasoline. He told me it was water. 

Maybe it is, maybe it's not. I sure would not want to get in a situation hoping that thing doesn't explode. On October 4th I encountered the same thing!

Just look at that bad boy!!! It certainly is bad. And illegal!  But most of all dangerous. Jeepney modernization my hurt some drivers but it is desperately needed.