More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225832 |
The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday assured lawmakers that there are ample funds to prepare for the emerging Covid-19 variants, including the procurement of updated vaccine doses to protect vulnerable Filipinos.
DOH Undersecretary Achilles Gerard Bravo made the assurance during the oversight hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations after Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo expressed shock over a newspaper headline suggesting a lack of preparation to protect Filipinos from the new “FLIRT” variants driving a wave of infections worldwide.
During the hearing, Quimbo noted the DOH's significant yet underutilized funds after a presentation of the agency’s budget utilization report.
She said various funding sources, such as the quick response fund and the communicable disease program, remain largely untapped.
Bravo confirmed the availability of funds, and assured the committee of the DOH’s readiness to adjust its budget.
“Madam chair, you are correct. So, what we will do is that we have so many funds at the DOH, even from the CONAP (Continuing Appropriations) in 2023 and the current. If there’s a need to provide something for the emerging Covid variant, we can always make some modifications within our budget,” he said.
“What we are doing right now is we are collating all the resources of DOH how much are savings and CONAP of other programs, and then we will decide what will be prioritized because the slow-moving appropriations, we are going to modify them and transfer them to fast-moving appropriations.”
House Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin urged preparedness for the emerging “FLIRT” variant.
She highlighted the challenges of implementing border control and emphasized the importance of vaccination and access to pneumonia and flu vaccines.
“Bottomline is, preparation should go back to either vaccination if an updated version is available, but more importantly is pneumonia, flu vaccines and the medicines for whoever will need it,” Garin said.
The former Health Secretary also called for the DOH to ensure free hospitalization and medication for health care workers and immunocompromised individuals.
In response, Bravo assured that the department is utilizing its savings to meet these needs.
Even though the DOH previously admitted there are no funds to procure new vaccines they will find the money if it is needed by shifting around their current funds.
The DOH also says there is no need for restrictions to combat the new variants.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/29/2020-all-over-again-doh-says-there-s-no-need-for-restrictions-vs-f-li-rt-variants |
The Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday, May 29, that the Philippines won't have to undergo past pandemic restrictions as it intends to take full control regarding the possible effects of the emerging new variants of Covid-19, dubbed “FLiRT”.
DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo gave this assurance to members of the House of Representatives during an oversight meeting by the Committee on Appropriations with the agency.
It was ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro who sought this response from the DOH in the wake of possibly another period of health restrictions in the country.
(So that our people will be in the know, and we will neither be complacent, nor resort to threatening our countrymen. So how ready are we for the reported FLiRT Covid?)
(So is the DOH making sure that we will not experience the 2020, 2021, 2022 level of Covid?)
Domingo quickly said that the agency was indeed making sure that the country was prepared against the emerging Covid variants.
Of course that is what was said at the beginning of 2020 and we all know what happened.
The new variants are being dubbed FLiRT which is "is based on the technical names for the variants' spike protein mutations or the specific amino acid changes." But the DOH says they should not be referred to by that name.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/30/don-t-call-it-f-li-rt-baka-hindi-seryosohin-doh-spox-tells-solons |
The Department of Health (DOH) is intent on calling the newest Covid-19 variants by the names of KP.2 and KP.3 instead of the more commonly known term “FLiRT” variants, in a bid to make the public take them more seriously.
DOH Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo gave this message during an oversight meeting held by the House Committee on Appropriations with the agency on Wednesday, May 29.
(KP.2 and KP.3 variants, that's what we call FLiRT because people may not take us seriously because they think of flirting when we say FLiRT.)
“Kaya KP.2, KP.3 ang ginagamit namin (That’s why we are using KP.2, KP.3.),” he added.
On May 3, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it is closely monitoring four circulating variants, namely JN.1.7, JN.1.18, KP.2, and KP.3.
These variants appear to have descended from the JN.1 variant—a Covid-19 strain that emerged in late 2023 and caused an uptick in cases worldwide.
In a recent statement, the DOH said the unusual moniker of “FLiRT” was coined by researchers to describe the amino acid changes in the Covid-19 virus’ spike protein, specifically from phenylalanine (F) to leucine (L), and from arginine (R) to threonine (T).
The department said it avoids using “FLiRT” to refer to the new variants because it might result in a “miscommunication of health risk” due to its “informal and casual” nature.
Is anyone taking these new variants seriously anyway?
One health expert is pushing for annual COVID vaccinations.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/30/expert-pushes-for-yearly-covid-vaccinations |
Former Philippine College of Physicians president Dr. Maricar Limpin on Thursday, May 30 said the medical community is advocating for annual vaccinations against Covid-19.
In an ANC interview, Limpin emphasized that the medical community expects a flu-like vaccination for Covid-19 that would need to be administered annually.
"For now, what we expect is something like the flu that occurs every year, we need to have a flu vaccine," Limpin said in a mix of English and Filipino.
She explained that similar to the flu, which tends to mutate, the vaccine available around this time in 2024 will be tailored to the strain that was prevalent last year.
"So, just like this, we are currently facing the FliRT variant that was observed in the last part of 2023. Therefore, a vaccine can be developed, which will actually be used this year," Limpin said.
"We're hoping all of us in the medical community, especially our pediatric doctors and primary care practitioners, want vaccines that can protect the people. Especially the elderly, those with comorbidities, or those who are immunocompromised," she added.
Meanwhile, the expert said that based on the studies, "we can still get protection from the vaccine that was made last year (2023)."
Isn't this more proof that COVID vaccines do not work and COVID is merely the flu?
Angeles City has reverted back to masking up inside government offices.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1946976/angeles-city-reverts-to-no-face-mask-no-entry-rule-in-govt-offices-due-to-covid-19-threat |
The mayor in this city has ordered the strict wearing of face masks in the city hall and all local government buildings and offices as a measure against the possible spread of COVID-19.
In a memorandum on Wednesday, May 29, Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. said this was in line with the City Health Office’s recommendation after the Department of Health reported an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country and the World Health Organization’s update on three new variants of the coronavirus.
“The wearing of face masks shall be strictly enforced inside all city government offices, especially inside Angeles City Hall,” he said.
Lazatin also encouraged residents and transients in the city to always wear face masks in public places and on public transportation.
The mayor also advised the observance of the one-meter physical distancing and urged private establishments to place hand sanitizing stations and regularly disinfect their premises.
As if wearing a mask ever prevented a single COVID-19 infection.
The House is still investigating financial anomalies that occurred during the pandemic. It turns out that Duterte ordered the transfer of funds from the DOH to the PS-DBM and he did not inform the public.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1947691/duterte-ordered-transfer-of-p47-6-billion-covid-funds-to-ps-dbm-duque |
It was then-President Rodrigo Duterte who ordered the transfer of P47.6 billion in COVID-19 funds from the Department of Health (DOH) to the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) in 2020.
Former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III admitted this information during the hearing of the House of Representatives committee on appropriations Monday, upon the questioning of ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro.
Based on a Commission on Audit (COA) report, the P47.6-billion COVID-19 fund includes PS-DBM contracts with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., which was accused of selling overpriced medical supplies such as face masks, face shields, and other equipment used during the pandemic to the government.
Former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said it was former President Rodrigo Duterte who directed the transfer of P47.6 billion under the Department of Health (DOH) to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) during the height of the pandemic.
“Another question, it was authorized by former President Duterte, right?” Castro asked Duque, referring to the transfer of the funds.
“Oho (Yes), in his public pronouncements, the transfer was done because of the public health emergency, which he declared sometime in March [2020],” Duque replied.
In an interview after the House panel’s hearing, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra – who was Justice Secretary during Duterte’s administration and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in 2020 –said he could not recall Duterte making a public pronouncement about transferring funds to PS-DBM.
Guevarra, however, noted that if the announcement had been made through the media, he may not have known.
“I don’t think it’s referring to a Cabinet meeting because I don’t remember any such Cabinet meeting where the President made that. I was Justice Secretary at the time and I was attending, of course, Cabinet meetings,” said Guevarra, who was present during the discussions of the House appropriations panel Monday.
“But, frankly, I do not recall any Cabinet meeting where a public statement like that was made by the President, unless he made it publicly before the media. Not before the Cabinet. I’m not too sure though, but that’s my recollection,” he added.
The House committee on appropriations held the hearing as part of its oversight functions to check on the budget performances of the DOH and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
In August 2021, the COA found deficiencies in how the DOH managed its P67.32-billion fund to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that it contributed to the challenges that the country faced during the health crisis.
Questions were eventually raised on how the DOH handed over to PS-DBM the responsibility of procuring protective equipment, when the latter’s mandate is to purchase common-use supplies like pens, paper, and other generic equipment.
PS-DBM was also quizzed at the Senate as to why it gave a contract to Pharmally, despite the company having a small paid-up capital of P625,000.
Now we know it was Duterte who handed over the responsibility to the PS-DBM to procure protective equipment which lead to the Pharmally scandal.
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