The lockdowns have been eased across the nation but the crazy stories keep coming.
Remember: no mass gatherings and practice social distancing! Unless you are the PNP and want to throw a birthday party for your chief.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Archie Gamboa on Tuesday defended National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Debold Sinas over his birthday celebration during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 crisis), which drew backlash for supposedly flouting physical distancing and mass gathering guidelines.
“Una, walang party’ng nangyari ang sabi ni Gen. [Debold] Sinas. Probably nagkaroon ng mañanita pero doon sa mañanita ang sabi ni Gen. Sinas is that inobserve pa rin nila ‘yong mga social distancing. Now, I don't think na meron namang violation ito,” he said in his virtual press briefing.
The NCRPO threw Sinas an early birthday serenade on Friday, May 8.
Photos posted by the NCRPO Public Information Office on its Facebook page on May 8, 2020 showed police officers giving Sinas roses and cakes.
Sinas was also seen mingling at a table while others lined up at buffet meals.
Some of the photos posted on the NCRPO Public Information Office's page were later deleted.
Based on what he was told, Gamboa said physical distancing was observed during the celebration.
“He assured me that physical distancing was observed that time. So kung meron man then I will look into it but as of yet I still trust naman Gen. Sinas,” he said.
The NCRPO threw a birthday bash for their chief and posted pictures online. Everyone got upset because these pictures clearly show the PNP violating all the ECQ measures of social distancing and no mass gatherings. Sinai later apologized but claimed some of the photos were edited and taken out of context. Now he and 18 others have been charged and are facing criminal and administrative cases.
Feeling stressed about the quarantine checkpoints? Probably best to grin and bear it unlike one man.
The man, Abram Jacob Vibar, was arrested on Tuesday (May 12) for complaining on Facebook about having a difficult time getting past checkpoints to deliver LPG, which was his job.
“These checkpoints are something else,” Vibar’s post read. “Let me give you an LPG gas then blow them up. They’re obstacles to my delivery schedules, haha,” read his post.
Police said Vibar tried to cross the checkpoint at the village of Lawa past 8 a.m. but without a quarantine pass.
Vibar was charged with online grave threats and disobeying persons in authority.
It seems adding "ha, ha" to your post does not automatically make it a joke. Of course joking about blowing up stuff is not taken lightly.
After studying a lot of DOH data some University of Philippines researchers have discovered some shocking discrepancies.
According to a Facebook post by the UP Resilience Institute on Tuesday, they have spotted these errors from observing the official Department of Health (DOH) data from April 24 to April 25. In one day, 45 cases have changed genders, while at least 75 patients became either older or younger.
At least 516 meanwhile were reclassified to a different city or location while one patient was reported dead only to be among the alive patients the next day.
While these data discrepancies may seem minor, the UP COVID-19 response team said in its Policy Note entitled “Prevailing Data Issues in the Time of COVID-19 and the Need for Open Data” that accurate data is integral in mounting the appropriate response to the pandemic.
“The availability of accurate and relevant data is a basic requirement in managing any situation that requires urgent and targeted response […] Accuracy, however, goes beyond correctness in reporting aggregate numbers. Recent data drops by DOH revealed a number of alarming patient-level inconsistencies, if not gross errors,” the group explained.
“For example, on 03 May 2020, DOH reported 7 deaths (28 recoveries) in Laguna, which was 22 deaths (65 recoveries) lesser than the provincial government’s official count,” they added.
Why these errors in data? Maybe the problem is money. Perhaps the solution is to undo the liquor ban so the DOH can have the funds it needs to properly record data.
The new normal also means new terms. A new language. New words and phrases to describe the new normal.
“While we continue to heed the advice of our health professionals to observe good personal hygiene to protect ourselves from this virulent virus, I likewise encourage everyone to practice proper cyber hygiene to protect ourselves from being infected with computer viruses, worms, and other malware," Peralta said.
The webinar was launched following the recent rollout of the Philippine Judiciary 365, which has enabled all court stations nationwide to "receive pleadings electronically and select courts in key cities to conduct video conferencing hearings”.
Around 6,000 judges and other court workers joined the webinar that tackled cyber threats and trends, red flag indicators, and security and safety when working from home.
"Everyone has a role to play, cyber threats change quickly and we need to adapt to them quickly as well," Peralta added.
Shouldn't "cyber hygiene" be a routine part of any IT department? It's amusing watching the Philippines being forced into the modern world.
The extended community quarantine has led to many conundrums. Basically everyone has been screwed by the total shutdown of the economy and Meralco's new electric bills is a reminder of the folly of the past two months.
The Manila Electric Company on Friday addressed the "bill shock" experienced by its customers following online complaints from residents over the high electricity bill they received this month.
Meralco said electricity bills sent to consumers were fairly calculated, with meter reading activities remaining accurate and transparent.
It said the electricity bill received in May may be significantly steeper compared to those from the past months. The electric service provider said the March and April bills were estimated based on the average daily consumption from December 2019, January 2020, and February 2020 — when customers typically consumed less electricity as the weather was significantly cooler.
Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga pointed out that the fact that everyone is home due to the enhanced community quarantine enforced in parts of the country may have led to increased consumption. He added that the scorching heat has also led to higher use of cooling devices, such as fans and airconditioners.
He said the bill received in May is based on the result of the actual kilowatt per hour consumption’ from the current meter reading, with adjustments already reflected, coming from the estimated consumption done during the enhanced community quarantine period.
"The May bill is a result of the actual kWh Consumption from the current meter reading, with adjustments already reflected from the previous estimated consumption. This total, which is already based on the true and actual readings, is what customers actually see in the May bill. That is why you may notice a rise in the total amount due," he said in a press release.
Meralco reiterated that it allows its customers affected by the COVID-19 crisis to settle bills via four monthly payments.
Perhaps if Merlaco had not
stopped all meter readings On March 20th then the bill amounts would not have to be based on a guesstimate average of the past three months. The fact that the government shut down the economy and forced everyone to stay home means consumption of electricity increased while income decreased which means people don't have one to pay their bills. At least Meralco is going people four months to pay these bills. But will the economy be fully functioning by then?
Most of the shenanigans with the SAP funds have been with those distributing it. But not all.
Five beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) in South Cotabato province are facing perjury and estafa charges for allegedly claiming twice the PHP5,000 emergency cash assistance.
Cezario Joel Espejo, Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 12 director, said Thursday the violators were found by the agency through a locally-developed application that it commissioned to track beneficiaries of the assistance program.
He said they are currently preparing the complaint against the five personalities, who were from the municipalities of Tupi and Lake Sebu.
A team tasked to review the SAP releases submitted by local government units (LGUs) in Region 12 or Soccsksargen managed to secure the pictures and details of the double claimants, he said.
“It came out in our system that they claimed the financial assistance two times. We already identified the perpetrators and the photos showing them receiving the cash assistance in two different barangays were undeniable,” he told reporters.
Espejo said the erring claimants, whose identities were withheld pending the filing of formal charges, even used their own names and might have thought that they would not be discovered.
He said they would look into the possible connivance between the perpetrators and local officials.
“It is quite unbelievable that these persons used two names in different barangays but it was not flagged,” he said.
Perhaps why were working in collusion with local officials.
Celebrities continue to donate their time and talents to COVID-19 relief efforts. One Filipina actress donated a truckload of rice to various provinces.
“On the 4TH week of ECQ our #TEAMDARVE donated a truckload of rice to those severely affected by the pandemic in the province of LAGUNA, QC, RIZAL, CALOOCAN and ANGELES, PAMPANGA.”
That is a huge truck.
You've seen the pictures of cities during the lockdown right? Less pollution and more wildlife! In the Philippines there has been more rare bird sightings since the lockdown began.
More sightings of endangered wildlife, particularly raptors, have been recorded by the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) amid restrictions on human activity and movement in communities on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Extreme heat has also forced these animals to leave their natural habitat and find their way into human settlements, said Rogelio Demelletes Jr., the BMB senior ecosystems management specialist.
In Antipolo City, Rizal province, the bureau also received a report of a Philippine scops owl (Otus megalotis) taken down with a slingshot about two weeks ago. The tipster told wildlife enforcers that the bird was put on sale, not for cash, but “in exchange for liquor.”
Someone sold an owl for liquor. Would he have done that if there were no liquor ban? Who would have thought that the liquor ban would put an owl's life in danger?
Another ironic twist the lockdown, which has been meant to protect the public health, has put the health of children at risk.
The DOH National Immunization Program manager, Dr. Maria Wilda Silva, said that from January to March, fully immunized child coverage across the country dropped to an “all-time low” of 7 percent due to the lockdown.
She noted that the figure is about half of the average 16-percent coverage for the period prior to the outbreak, and way below the ideal 24-percent coverage to reach the 95-percent coverage rate by year-end.
“This is very low because of the disruption from both the supply and demand side,” Silva said in her online press briefing on Friday.
The health official explained that the drop in the vaccination rate was either because parents were afraid to bring in their kids to the health centers or the health centers were closed.
In areas where the health centers were nonoperational, Silva said this was because the workers assigned there were “pulled out to assist in COVID-19 efforts.”
But in other areas, she said, the enhanced community quarantine “worked to their advantage” since health care workers were able to provide “integrated community services” while the public was kept in their homes.
The services provided included tuberculosis treatment, family planning consultation, and immunization.
“But this is not true all over the country. In some areas where the threat of COVID-19 is very high, immunization was temporarily discontinued to give way to the COVID-19 effort,” she said.
Everything closed, including health centers, and people were told to stay home. This resulted in less children immunized. Is another health crisis on the horizon because of the efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19?
The lockdown has literally affected all aspects of the economy and society. Even the mango harvest has been negatively affected.
Before panic over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) gripped the country, mobile workers in the mango industry could hop from one town to another armed with fruit-inducing chemicals, pesticides, sprayers, ladders and bundles of old newspapers.
That was no longer possible for mango-growing contractors and their workers when border villages established checkpoints during the Luzon quarantine to contain the spread of the virus, said Rosendo So, president of the Samahan ng Industriya ng Agrikultura.
So, who owns a mango farm in Villasis town, said village officials refused entry to mango growers, and suggested hiring residents to do the work instead.
“But mango growers have certain skills that they developed through the years. You just can’t hire anyone to spray or bag the fruits up in the tree or even harvest them using tall ladders,” So said.
They are also efficient at sorting the harvest. “Inspecting or weighing each fruit by unskilled or newly hired laborers would take much time,” he said.
Some fruits were not harvested when the quarantine required everyone to stay indoors, said Bert Domalanta, 66, a mango contractor hired by mango farms in Pangasinan and other provinces.
Mango fruits are then harvested when they are 110-112 days old. But some farms, including those in Calasiao town, could not be harvested because workers from another town were classified as “outsiders.”
“[A farm owner] told me that her fruits were already 130 days old and many were falling to the ground. Luckily, the quarantine rules loosened a bit and she was able to harvest. But she lost around 20 percent of the fruits,” Domalanta said.
Skilled mango workers who know how to harvest the crop were not allowed to move around from far to farm as before because of the quarantine. As a result much of the crop was lost. This story also goes into the uses with having permits and travel passes from the Department of Agriculture to sell and buy and how that hampered the market. Hopefully now with the lockdown greatly eased some of the mango harvest will be recovered.
Whats crazier? Naming your dog after Tom the cat from Tom and Jerry or giving your dog an official badge so he can patrol with you while enforcing the quarantine?
At four months old, Tomtom’s first mission was to patrol their village in Purok Matinabangon (Helpful), Barangay Ubaldo Lay here when the enhanced community quarantine was imposed in the city to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
He was with a group of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) who are tasked with guarding the village during nighttime, making sure no one would violate the curfew hours and the community quarantine policies.
Tomtom is a dog with a mixed breed but his owner, Morris Niasca, said it did not concern which particular breed his companion belongs.
“Actually, I did not mind about breeding. I got him from a friend because I wanted to have a buddy,” Niasca told the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday.
Niasca named Tomtom from the popular cartoon show, Tom and Jerry.
“I always heard that title (of the program) and I find it cute,” Niasca quipped.
When the 22-member BPAT in Purok Matinabangon was reactivated in March to be deployed every night to monitor community quarantine compliance among residents, Niasca could not leave Tomtom home.
The dog would look for his owner and, fearing Tomtom would go outside and get lost, Niasca decided to tag the dog along.
After days of going with the peacekeeping action team, a barangay councilor decided to “issue” an identification card for Tomtom.
“He is treated as our fellow BPAT member. When we rest, he will also rest. When we take our evening coffee, we also give him something to eat,” Areola added.
It's all cute and Tomtom is not the first dog patrolling the barangay during the pandemic documented on this blog. He will probably not be the last.
The lockdown has left tricycle drivers around the nation without a job. Pasig Mayor Vic Sotto has a solution to get some of them back working again.
“As we all know, we are in a health crisis right now and a lot of our 'kababayans' are having a really hard time. One of the sectors that are really affected by this crisis is our tricycle drivers. In Pasig we have over 13,000 tricycle drivers. All of them have been hit by this crisis and a lot of them don't know where to get their next meal from. With the help of foodpanda, we will be able to help hundreds of tricycle drivers who have no source of income right now.” said Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.
PandaTODA was first introduced in Manila City in partnership with the City Hall of Manila last May 11. The partnership with Pasig City will recruit and train 500 Pasigueño tricycle drivers to become partner riders. They will also have the choice of continuing their engagement with foodpanda beyond the enhanced community quarantine period.
“All the tricycle drivers who will be recruited will undergo training to ensure the highest standards of safety protocol and contactless delivery system. As part of the partnership, they will be provided with uniforms and thermo bags, free of charge. We hope that we will be able to help ease their burden of providing for their families during this difficult time. We are honored to take part in the initiatives of the Pasig City government to provide secure, safe, and sustainable livelihood for its constituents,” said Daniel Marogy, the tech company's Managing Director for Philippines.
“Not only are we helping these tricycle drivers, but we are also going towards the 'New Normal'--reducing the number of close contacts and amount of travel that ordinary citizens need to take,” added Sotto.
Sounds good. Sounds like everyone wins. But will these tricycle drivers be eligible for free insurance?
Life insurer Manulife has offered an additional P1.25 billion worth of life insurance coverage to 25,000 more two-wheel riders from various app-based delivery platforms who continue to brave the streets to transport goods during the lockdown of Luzon and other key regions.
The free insurance coverage will be given to riders from foodpanda, Gogo Xpress, Shopee Xpress and Ninja Van.
“It’s a privilege to be able to extend our free insurance coverage to even more delivery drivers, who help us remain safe at home while risking themselves,” said Richard Bates, president and chief executive officer of Manulife Philippines. “By delivering essentials, they also help keep companies in business, and this insurance coverage is our way of recognizing our heroic frontliners and showing how we value the work they do.”
Looks like it's just for motorcycle riders but perhaps these tricyclists can be gathered in.
The quarantine restrictions have been greatly eased across the nation allowing people to finally move about. Those stuck in the cites can now return to the provinces. People can go shopping at the mall. No one is forced to stay inside anymore. People are excited. And that has the DILG upset.
The excitement of the public with the start of looser quarantine restrictions on Saturday alarmed the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, its spokesperson said on Sunday.
Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, NTF Against COVID-19 spokesperson retired General Restituto Padilla reminded the public to maintain caution against possible transmission of the virus.
“NTF is concerned about what happened yesterday. Our countrymen are excited. This is probably a complete lack of understanding of the disease that is happening today, ”Padilla said
“We are asking the people to calm down. Do not excite us, ”he added.
Who can blame the people for wanting to go out and about after being forced to stay inside since mid-March? Already
the Palace has warned of a return to ECQ if people do not follow proper social distancing protocols. Because these photo
;cs are not conducive to normal
human interaction we can look forward to more breaking of the rules. But
what kind of enforcement will result?
Recently an illegal hospital for Chinese patients with COVID-19 was raided in Pampanga.
Police uncovered an "underground" hospital for Chinese patients who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Pampanga.
According to a 24 Oras report by John Consulta on Tuesday, a former leisure village was converted into an illegal pharmacy and seven-bed makeshift hospital for Chinese nationals with COVID-19.
Medical wastes such as used syringes and tubes were also found in unsealed plastic containers.
The establishment does not have the necessary permit to operate from the Department of Health and Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
You know those open containers filled with syringes look exactly like what I see regularly at my local veterinary clinic.
For anyone with COVID-19 Duterte has a message for you.
“They have done tests showing positive results. They have a vaccine. But the problem is it will be ready, according to them, by 2021, January at the earliest. If that’s the case, I hope you don’t die until January,” Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino.
“Wait for the vaccine. If if the Grim Reaper calls you, tell him: Son of a bitch, go away, I am waiting for the vaccine. Because there is only one way to eliminate COVID, which is the vaccine, as it can fight off the infection,” he added.
If you have COVID-19 you'd do just as well to stick your head out the window and shout, "'I'm a human being, goddammit! My life has value!'" and "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
