Coronavirus Lockdown: Hyun Bin, Sonya's Garden, and More!

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

Korean star Hyun Bin is finally heading to the Philippines to meet with fans in person. It's been a long time coming. 

https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/korean-wave/2025/07/01/2454675/hyun-bin-set-first-ever-visit-philippines-august

At long last, Korean star Hyun Bin is finally heading to the Philippines to meet with fans in person.

Solaire Resort Entertainment City and Solaire Resort North recently announced that Hyun Bin would take part in an exclusive meet and greet this August 8 in the former resort.

Participants to the event will be selected via raffle draw. Fans will get a raffle entry for every P2,000 net single spend receipt in either Solaire's branded bars and restaurants.

Qualified receipts can be validated at Raffle Redemption Hubs in Solaire Resort Entertainment City's Solaire Box Office near the Grand Ballroom and Solaire Resort North's second level beside the function lift.

Raffle entries submitted for the whole of July will be eligible for the draw which will be conducted on July 31 at 7 p.m.

Hyun Bin is best known for starring in "Crash Landing on You," "Memories of the Alhambra," "Secret Garden," "The Snow Queen," "Hyde Jekyll, Me" and "Friend, Our Legend."

He married his "Crash Landing On You" and "The Negotiation" co-star Son Ye-jin in 2022, and they welcomed their first child together in the same year. 

Since tying the knot, Hyun Bin has only done three movies: "The Point Men," a "Confidential Assignment" sequel, and "Harbin." He is, however, making a series comeback in the 2025 Disney+ show "Made In Korea."

Hyun Bin was supposed to make his first Philippines visit five years ago but such plans were cancelled because of the COVID pandemic.

Instead Hyun Bin and Ye-jin appeared on a virtual fan meet for a local telco which they were endorsing at the time.

He was going to visit in 2020 but the pandemic prevented that from happening. 

My Chemical Romance is touring in Manila in 2026. 

https://www.philstar.com/music/2025/07/07/2456173/my-chemical-romance-stage-summer-2026-concert-manila

International rock band My Chemical Romance will return to the Philippines next year to perform their greatest hits.

The band behind the hit "Welcome to the Black Parade" will rock it out at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan on April 25, 2026.

The band announced its upcoming Southeast Asian Tour on Instagram today. 

Apart from the Philippines, My Chemical Romance will also visit South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. 

Tickets prices will be announced soon.

My Chemical Romance surprised the music world upon the release of a brand new song in 2022, their first single since they disbanded in 2013. Fans were not expecting My Chemical Romance to return with new material as they broke up nine years ago.

The new song entitled "The Foundations of Decay" runs for six minutes and is reminiscent of the band's past work, from the iconic guitar riffs to lead singer Gerard Way's vocals.

The band had initially planned a reunion tour in 2020 but had to postpone because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their last release was the song "Fake Your Death" in their 2014 greatest hits compilation album "May Death Never Stop You,” which also includes their iconic songs like "Helena," "Teenagers," and "Sing."

Though they planned a reunion tour in 2020 there is no word they were planning to visit the Philippines in 2020 but that is likely. 

Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez has sought in the 20th Congress the creation of a Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control. He hopes to learn lessons from the pandemic.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/07/01/romualdez-solons-take-another-stab-at-dedicated-center-for-disease-prevention

With the Covid-19 pandemic still fresh in the minds of Filipinos, Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez has sought in the 20th Congress the creation of a Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).

Embodied in House Bill (HB) No.3, the proposal for CDC will serve as the principal agency tasked with developing and implementing communicable disease prevention and control initiatives.

The same measure was filed and deliberated on in the previous 19th Congress, but it didn't prosper into a law.

Joining former House Speaker Romualdez as author of HB No.3 were Tingog Party-list Reps. Jude Acidre and Andrew Julian Romualdez.

In proposing the creation of the CDC, the three lawmakers invoked a provision of the Constitution mandating the state to “protect and promote the right to health of every Filipino and instill health consciousness among them.

They said the Covid-19 pandemic underscored the vital importance of effective disease prevention and control mechanisms and robust public health infrastructure. 

“The pandemic revealed the deficiencies in the Philippines’ health system, particularly in the areas of disease surveillance, outbreak response, coordination, and data-driven policy-making,” they said.

The CDC’s other functions include developing strategies, standards, and policies for disease prevention and control; implementing disease surveillance and field epidemiology activities; performing data collection and analytics; establishing and strengthening public health laboratories; setting standards and policies for private laboratories; and recommending actions for public health threats to appropriate national government bodies, among others.

The authors added that to prepare the country for future health threats, “It is imperative to institutionalize reforms that will strengthen our capacity to protect public health.”

They noted that currently, the country lacks a dedicated, centralized agency solely focused on disease prevention and control. 

They said that while the Department of Health (DOH) performs this function through various bureaus and offices, these efforts are often fragmented, under-resourced and challenged by institutional constraints. 

“The establishment of a specialized institution will allow for more coherent, responsive, and science-based approaches to disease management,” ex-Speaker Romualdez stressed.

Under the bill, the Philippine CDC shall be responsible for controlling the spread of infectious diseases through the adoption of a framework that fosters a whole-of-government, whole-of-system approach and streamlining of science-based decision-making, particularly during public health emergencies. 

“Investing in disease prevention and control is both a public health and an economic necessity. Institutionalizing this agency will not only enhance the country’s preparedness for future pandemics, but will also strengthen its capacity to address ongoing health challenges such as tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus, dengue and non-communicable diseases,” the authors said. 

“Moreover, a centralized body will enable faster response times, more efficient resource utilization, and improved health outcomes for the Filipino people,” they said.

The idea of a CDC has been floating around for a while but in the Philippines it would be just another bureaucracy which would siphon money. 

Bong Go is referencing the pandemic in a bid to modernize the medical technology profession. 

https://tribune.net.ph/2025/07/07/bong-go-files-bill-to-modernize-medical-technology-profession

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has filed a bill seeking to update and regulate the medical technology profession in the Philippines to meet modern healthcare standards and strengthen support for frontline diagnostic workers.

The proposed measure, known as the “New Philippine Medical Technology Act of 2025,” aims to overhaul Republic Act No. 5527 or the “Medical Technology Act of 1969,” which Go said is outdated and no longer reflects current medical advancements.

“Republic Act No. 5527 has remained the governing law for the practice of medical technology in the Philippines for over five decades,” Go stated. “While it has served as a foundation for the profession, many of its provisions are now outdated and no longer reflect the current advancements, standards, and realities of medical practice.”

He emphasized the role of medical technologists during the COVID-19 pandemic and called for clearer standards in education, licensure, and compensation. 

“They have stood at the frontlines of disease detection, diagnostics, and public health surveillance, often at great personal risk,” Go noted. “This bill seeks to modernize the legal framework... and cultivate a corps of competent, ethical, globally competitive, and service-oriented medical technologists.”

The bill also proposes setting the minimum entry-level salary for registered medical technologists in government at Salary Grade 15 to match compensation received by nurses and other health professionals.

Go filed the bill as part of his 10 priority measures for the 20th Congress, which include proposed legislation on disaster resilience, health IDs, expanded education subsidies, and wage hikes.

He reaffirmed his broader advocacy for healthcare reforms and social support for the poor. 

“For my second term, with all sincerity, I will continue to push for pro‑poor programs and laws, especially on health. Health is wealth. We must collaborate to bring quality medical services closer to our people, particularly the poor and indigent patients. Ang kalusugan ay katumbas ng buhay ng bawat Pilipino,” he said.

It may be an outdated law but certainly the schooling is not since so many health professionals leave the Philippines for the West. 

Sonya's Garden refused to give up during the pandemic. Instead she chose to reinvent.

https://www.bworldonline.com/video/2025/07/03/683307/when-the-pandemic-gave-lemons-sonyas-garden-chose-to-reinvent/

When the pandemic gave lemons, Sonya’s Garden chose to reinvent

“Sonya’s Garden did not sit back during the pandemic and the 2020 Taal Volcano eruption; instead, they chose to reinvent, said owner Sonya Garcia.

In this video Sonya says she had her massage therapists grow vegetables and she also bottled food to sell online. She says the kitchen was very busy during the pandemic.