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/1249528 |
The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) efforts to rein in the price of rice and other food items helped further ease inflation in April, bringing it to its lowest level before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Tuesday that headline inflation eased to 1.4 percent in April, the slowest since the 1.2 percent rate recorded in November 2019.
Food inflation also decelerated significantly, dropping to 0.7 percent from 2.3 percent in March and 6.3 percent in April 2023.
“We are encouraged that our initiatives to enhance supply and stabilize agricultural commodity prices are easing the financial burden on millions of Filipino consumers, especially low-income families,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a news release on Tuesday.
Inflation for the bottom 30 percent of income households slipped to a record low of 0.1 percent in April.
Tiu Laurel, however, noted that challenges remain.
“There are still supply and value chain issues the DA is actively addressing, particularly in the pork sector, which could further stabilize food prices moving forward,” he said.
On May 1, the DA launched its PHP20-per-kilo rice program in Cebu City, with a broader rollout planned after the elections.
The initiative, along with other DA-led options, has contributed to lower rice prices.
After declining by 7.7 percent in March, rice prices dropped another 10.9 percent year-on-year in April.
The PSA also reported slower inflation for vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, meat, fruits, fish, and other seafood, signaling a broader easing of food costs.
Certainly there are challenges remaining. Prices are still up. A lot of that is normal but most of that is detritus from the lockdowns.
A Texas doctor has found a captive audience in the Philippines. While he is not anti-vaccine, he is not advocating against the COVID-19 vaccines.
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| https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/05/07/entertainment-lifestyle/life-times/on-a-mission-for-truth-healing-and-a-post-covid-19-reckoning/2106920 |
It was a surprise visit that stirred curiosity and conversation. Dr. Joseph Varon, the Houston-based physician known for his tireless pandemic work, was introduced to Manila's lifestyle and entertainment press by no less than Angeli Valenciano, manager and wife of Gary Valenciano. Why? Because when Gary lost his voice just days before a major US concert series, it was Dr. Varon who stepped in, calmed nerves, and got him back onstage.
"Gary's amazing," the doctor said over lunch in San Juan, Greenhills. "He has more energy than anybody I know. That's why we get along so well. We're both workaholics — and we both love shabu-shabu."
But Dr. Varon wasn't in the Philippines just to reconnect with friends. His visit was part of a larger mission: to share his experiences, raise awareness, and push for reform in global healthcare.
Dr. Varon is no ordinary physician. He holds six specialties, namely internal medicine, pulmonary care, emergency medicine, intensive care, geriatrics, and sleep medicine. During the Covid-19 crisis, he became a frontline figure, working 715 straight days without a break. At the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, his hospital reportedly had one of the lowest Covid mortality rates in the world.
But somewhere along the way, he changed course. A strong early advocate for vaccination, he now speaks out against the Covid-19 vaccines, citing what he describes as "vaccine-related injuries" in a significant portion of his patients. "More than 50 percent of what I'm seeing in my office is vaccine-related injury," he told us. These include heart issues, neurological problems, autoimmune diseases, and rare infections.
This pivot in his stance is not rooted in politics, he insists, but in patient data. "At first, I told everyone to get vaccinated. But when I started seeing patients come back with serious complications, I had to re-evaluate everything I thought I knew."
Today, Dr. Varon heads the Independent Medical Alliance (IMA), an international network of more than 17,000 doctors. Originally formed as the Frontline Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), the group was known for promoting alternative treatments like Ivermectin and for questioning government protocols.
IMA now focuses on broader issues — chronic illness, medical transparency, and informed consent. Their webinars, held weekly and free to the public via imahealth.org, cover everything from vaccine risks to new healthcare policies.
Dr. Varon, who invites the Filipino public to access vital health information from the website, says the organization's journal is peer-reviewed and proudly unaffiliated with pharmaceutical sponsors. "We blind the submissions so there's no bias, no influence. Just the science."
Dr. Varon's advocacy focuses on three main pillars as follows:
Changing health culture: He wants prevention — not pills — to be the first line of defense. "We've normalized illness. Instead of pushing exercise and lifestyle changes, doctors immediately prescribe medication."
Pushing for transparency: He denounces medical studies funded by pharmaceutical companies, calling out what he sees as conflicts of interest. "If 20 of 26 authors of a vaccine study work for the vaccine company, how can we trust that paper?"
Patient empowerment: For him, true healthcare means always having an informed choice. "If there's a risk, there needs to be a choice. People deserve to know the good, the bad, and the ugly before they decide."
During his Manila visit, Dr. Varon met with health leaders, including Secretary Ted Herbosa, to discuss setting up a Philippine chapter of IMA. He emphasized that his movement is not anti-vaccine but pro-truth. "We just want people to be aware, to ask questions, and to understand that being sick isn't supposed to be normal."
With over 18 books, 985 research papers, and a growing global network, Dr. Joseph Varon isn't slowing down. Whether he's treating patients in Houston, speaking at webinars, or having shabu-shabu with Gary V., one thing's clear: he's not afraid to question the system — and he's doing it in the name of better, more honest care.
Why would DOH Secretary Herbosa meet with a man who advocates against the COVID-19 vaccine?
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno claims borrowing during the pandemic benefited 2 million Manileños.
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| https://www.inquirer.net/441118/isko-moreno-pandemic-borrowing-benefited-2-million-manilenos/ |
The borrowing of millions of pesos and the sale of some city government properties are being raised against former Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso since he announced his intention to once again lead the City of Manila.
Domagoso did not deny these actions and explained that the city was just starting to gain momentum when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, only a few months after he took office in 2020.
According to Domagoso, as the head of the city, he had to find ways and act decisively to prevent the two million residents of Manila from dying of Covid-19 and extreme hunger.
He emphasized that education for Manila’s children continued because he provided them with computer tablets with internet load, and the teachers were given laptop computers to support online classes.
He also claimed that no one in the city went hungry, as all families—whether poor or wealthy—regularly received family food packs.
Domagoso proudly stated that Manila was the first to build its own isolation facility in front of the Quirino Grandstand and was among the first local governments to purchase anti-Covid-19 vaccines. In addition, the city stockpiled oxygen tanks and medicines that helped many recover from the deadly disease.
According to the former mayor, everything was done to help the city and its residents survive the height of the pandemic, even if it meant spending billions of pesos under his administration.
You know what would have benefited the city more? Not shutting it down. Now the city is even more in debt. And this is supposed to be a reason to re-elect him?
98 Degrees is returning to the Philippines.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/showbiznews/news/122407/98-degrees-excited-to-come-back-to-ph-its-a-special-place/story |
98 Degrees member Nick Lachey: “The Philippines is where we felt like true stardom and success.”
American vocal group 98 Degrees is excited to make new memories in Manila as they hold a two-night concert at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on May 30 and 31.
In an online interview with the local entertainment media, including GMANetwork.com, the four-member male group recalled how much love they received from their fans when they first visited the Philippines.
According to Jeff Timmons, he would never forget how enthusiastic the Pinoy fans were for them.
“You know, we've been talking about this a lot lately in some interviews, with the upcoming release of our new album Full Circle here in the States, about our affinity for the Philippines and Southeast Asia in general.
“What a lot of people don't know, we didn't necessarily have a ton of success in the United States first. We ended up going to Canada and had success there. But really, the first time we really got a resounding fan base was when we first step foot in Manila for the first time. So, we absolutely love the fan base.”
He added that it was just right to come back here to perform for their fans.
“I feel like we owe it to the fans for 20 some odd years since we've been there. And we're really, really excited to go back there. We really tried to make it happen a couple of times but COVID got in the way. There are so many fond memories really. How the culture embraced us, it really just led to our success, not just in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, but to the world.”
98 Degrees was supposed to have a tour in Manila and Cebu in February 2020. However, it was postponed due to COVID pandemic.
Nick Lachey, on the other hand, remembered how passionate their fans were during their last visit.
“I remember leaving the concert venue in a van, and fans were like, literally rocking the van back and forth. I mean, the passion of the Filipino people for music and for our group is just overwhelming.
“It's been overwhelming, so we're just excited to return to the Philippines for a long time now. As what Jeff said, bummed out it couldn't happen in 2020 for obvious reason. But we're excited to make it work here in 2025,” he said.
They were supposed to play in 2020 but the pandemic prevented that show from going on. Now they are excited to be returning.
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