Nursing Shortage? Hire Nursing Graduates Who Failed the Board Exam!

New DOH Secretary Teddy Herbosa has sounded the alarm over the mass exodus of Philippine nurses abroad for better pay and working conditions. He says that if this issue is not addressed the number of nurses will be depleted within 3 - 5 years.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/873429/herbosa-sees-ph-nurses-depleted-in-3-5-years-if-exodus-not-addressed/story/

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said on Tuesday that the number of nurses working in the Philippines may be exhausted in a few years if the problem of them opting for better-paying jobs abroad is not addressed.

This is why, Herbosa said, he is pushing to grant temporary licenses to board-eligible nursing graduates and have them work as nurses in government hospitals.

He reiterated that 4,500 plantilla items for nurses are currently vacant in over 70 hospitals of the Department of Health (DOH) nationwide.

(That's why I'm focusing on it right now because if we don't do anything now, I can see that in a few more years, maybe three or five years, our nurses will run out. So I have to find a way to increase our nurses again.)

His immediate solution is certainly outside of the box, allow nursing grads who failed the board exams to be given temporary licenses. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/06/20/2275114/government-hospitals-employ-nursing-grads-who-failed-board-exams

Nursing graduates who failed their board exam with scores between 70-74 percent will be employed in government hospitals, according to the Department of Health (DOH).  

“I will tap them, around 50 percent of those who took the board exam but did not pass – specifically those who achieved a 70-74 percent rating,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in an interview at the DOH central office yesterday. 

The measure, supported by Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, will allow non-board passers to work in state hospitals under supervision and with temporary licenses. 

Non-board passers will be given four years to pass the Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination. 

After passing the board exam, they have to sign a four-year return service agreement and work in government hospitals before they are allowed to work abroad.

“The plan to hire unlicensed nursing graduates is because under the Universal Health Care, the core of any health system are nurses, that is why they are being pirated by other countries... They have the capability to build more hospitals so they would then be needing the services of more nurses,” he said. 

The private sector offered scholarships for the board review classes of unlicensed nursing graduates, Herbosa said. 

Rather than put a stop to foreign nations "pirating" Philippine nurses Herbosa thinks staffing government hospitals with failures will solve the problem. Several nursing groups are opposed to this idea for various reasons. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/873486/nurses-groups-oppose-plan-to-grant-temporary-licenses/story/

Several nurses organizations on Tuesday expressed disapproval on the proposal to issue temporary licenses to unlicensed nursing graduates to allow them to work in government hospitals.

Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) president Melvin Miranda said that Health Secretary Ted Herbosa should reconsider his plan to hire nursing graduates who scored 70-74% in the board exam even though they flunked, given that they retake and pass the board exam after a certain period of time.

(One of our doubts here is that it seems like those who scored 70-74% in the board exam who will be given a temporary license have a scope of practice that is not yet considered. Since they are not considered by our law to hold professional practice, the burden will fall on our registered nurses who have the accountability.)

Miranda stressed that their priority as nurses is the safety of their patients, thus the Department of Health (DOH) should give the plantilla positions to the professional nurses instead.

(If a nurse is recognized as licensed, his/her level of confidence and his/her competence will be compared to a professional. When we give temporary licenses, there is no definite study to prove that unlicensed nursing graduates have achieved a high level of confidence in performing their tasks.)

(I think this kind of situation is quite risky and should be given more thorough study.)

This was echoed by Filipino Nurses United (FNU) secretary general Jocelyn Andamo, saying that the DOH should focus on hiring registered nurses instead as there are around 120,000 of them who are not currently working in the field of nursing.

“FNU's stand is DOH should prioritize employing registered unemployed nurses or those working in non-nursing jobs. There are around 120,000 nurses categorized by DOH who are working in unspecified field of practice.These may be those unemployed and or those in non nursing jobs,” Andamo said in a message to GMA News Online.

She stressed that issues of nurses, particularly on salary and benefits, should be addressed by the government in order to keep them working in the Philippines.

“The wages should be increased to P50,000 entry salary, give them regular, permanent positions and provide adequate benefits,” she appealed.

So, there are around 120,000 unemployed nurses in the country? Why is that? Have they elected not to work due to the low pay and horrible wiring conditions or have they been unable to find someone willing to hire them? Why wouldn't Teddy tap this prime and ready workforce?

Several Senators have also turned thier thumbs down to this proposal. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1790966/senators-reject-doh-chiefs-plan-to-hire-nursing-board-flunkers

Several senators on Tuesday rejected Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa’s plan to temporarily hire nursing board flunkers to address the dwindling number of nurses in government hospitals in the country.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said it would be better for the Department of Health (DOH) to institutionalize improvements in the salaries and benefits of state health workers instead of pursuing “Band-Aid solutions.”

“The proposal to allow non-board passers to practice nursing and grant them temporary licenses is a short-term solution,” Pimentel told reporters.

“The root causes of the shortage lie in the significant number of nurses leaving the country to seek higher-paying jobs abroad,” he noted.

It also expressed concern that such a move might compromise the quality of care provided to patients.

Pimentel said the proposal might also impact on the quality of the country’s nursing board exams.

“We have to protect the integrity of our testing system,” he said. “If they passed, that means they are ready (to become nurses). If they failed, then they are not yet ready… (The passing grade of) 75 means 75, not 74.5.”

Senators Nancy Binay and JV Ejercito shared Pimentel’s observations, with the latter pointing out that encouraging Filipino health professionals to stay in the country was one of the goals of the Universal Health Care Act.

“We cannot offer a genuine health care if there’s a shortage in healthcare workers,” Ejercito said. “If we can only give a (salary) raise that would be decent enough to sustain their family, (Filipino health workers) would choose to stay here.”

“The most practical thing to do is to prioritize the hiring of unemployed nurses,” Binay said.

It will compromise the quality of care and does not address the issue of nurses leaving the country. But when has the Senate ever addressed the OFW brain drain? 

One Solon appears to have found a working solution to this mess. A solution that makes Herbosa's plan conform to existing law. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1204115

A House leader on Thursday proposed amending the Philippine Nursing Act (Republic Act 9173) with the creation of categories for nurse practitioners and nursing assistants who can lighten the workloads of registered nurses in medical facilities.

House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation chairperson Alexie Tutor said the amendatory bill can be certified as urgent if the Department of Health (DOH) and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) deem the nursing personnel shortage to be in "urgent crisis mode."

Tutor said DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa's plan to provide temporary licenses to nursing graduates who failed the mandatory board exam, but nearly passed with ratings of 70 percent to 74 percent has no basis in either the Philippine Nursing Act or the PRC Modernization Act (Republic Act 8981).

"Republic Act 9173 and RA 8981 do not provide for any circumstance or situation wherein either the Nursing Board or the PRC is authorized or empowered to issue any temporary license to practice the nursing profession. We are aware of no precedents for the issuance of temporary professional practice licenses," she said.

Tutor, however, pointed out that RA 9173 has a provision under Section 15 allowing those examinees to retake the exam for those subjects where they got ratings lower than 60 percent.

"Special examinations can be scheduled for those. This is one way for the DOH and PRC to achieve what they would like to happen: have more passers of the nursing boards," she said.

She also proposed that instead of hiring "near passers", the DOH should hire several unemployed passers of the nursing boards through filling up the vacancies for nurses of the DOH hospitals' plantilla items.

According to this Solon Teddy's plan is illegal as it is but he could adjust it to make it conform to the law. For his part the DOH Secretary says he would shelve his plan if it was found to be illegal. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1792631/doh-may-shelve-plan-to-hire-unlicensed-nurses

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Friday said he would consider shelving his plan of allowing unlicensed nursing graduates to work in public hospitals should it fail to hurdle the “legal roadblocks.”

At a press briefing, Herbosa pointed out that he would welcome other possible solutions to the understaffing of nurses in public hospitals, among them hiring board-eligible graduates as “nursing trainees” who would be put in a “training program.”

“I don’t want to do anything illegal … If an agency tells me it’s illegal, then it’s illegal… I can’t force the issue. But they (other agencies) are with me to find solutions,” he told reporters.

Section 21 of the Philippine Nursing Act allows the grant of a special or temporary permit for a limited period only to foreign nurses invited to the country for a program or medical mission.

This has been raised by the Philippine Board of Nursing, said Herbosa, and so he has proposed to some lawmakers that the law be amended to make the issuance of licenses to board flunkers possible.

“They told me, amendment is easy… but they said that the president has to make it urgent,” Herbosa said of his conversation with the Professional Regulation Commission. “That’s the legal side of the problem… I’ll leave it to the lawyers and legislators to help solve the problem,” he added.

Another option is the hiring of nursing assistants under the DOH’s human resources for health program. Under this position, Herbosa noted, unlicensed nursing graduates would be hired under Salary Grade9, equivalent to around P21,000.“It’s being offered as a solution, and that’s going to go forward. It will be open to graduates of college but [are] awaiting to pass exams,” he said. 

The big takeaway here is that DOH Secretary Teddy Herbosa has started a conversation. He has said the quiet part out loud, that the Philippines is bleeding nurses due to the OFW program, and he has offered a solution. It may not be a good or even legal solution but that can always be remedied and adjusted. When will the government stop lauding OFWs and recognize that they represent a massive brain drain which is detrimental to the nation?!

Retards in the Government 315

It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.

 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/17/bulacan-village-chief-peppered-with-bullets-to-death

A village chief was shot to death by unidentified armed men Friday night on Eden Ville Road in Barangay Partida, Norzagaray, Bulacan

Police identified the victim as Marcelino Correa Punzal, 63, village chief of Barangay Bangkal, Norzagaray.

In the initial report he sent to Central Luzon police director Brig. Gen. Jose S. Hidalgo Jr., Norzagaray acting police chief Lt. Col. Lynelle F. Solomon  said they were informed by a concerned citizen about the shooting incident.

Norzagay police immediately proceeded to the crime scene where they saw the victim already dead inside a Mitsubishi Estrada with plate number XJV-160.

The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the head and body.

Personnel from the Bulacan Police Provincial Forensic Unit recovered from the scene several pieces of fired cartridges and a slug from a .45-caliber gun.

Another barangay captain has been assassinated. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/17/batangas-town-mayor-brothers-yield-guns-in-cidg-ncr-raid

The mayor of this town and his two siblings were arrested after unlicensed firearms were seized from them during a raid by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region in their houses here on Saturday, June 17.

The raids against Mayor Nilo Villanueva and brothers Bayani, a barangay chairman and president of the Association of Barangay Chairman (ABC), and Oliver Villanueva, 46, a former police officer, were carried out through search warrants issued by Antipolo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74 Executive Judge Mary Josephine Lazaro.

The CIDG-NCR and Special Action Force (SAF) first raided the house of Oliver in Sitio Pook, Barangay Pulong Niogan at 4:20 a.m.

Found in the house were a caliber .22 pistol, caliber .45 pistol, two magazines for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, three magazines for a caliber .45 pistol, a hand grenade, 16 rounds of ammunition for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, and 55 rounds of ammunition for a caliber .45 pistol.

Oliver is facing charges for violating Republic Act (RA) 10591, the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act, and RA 9516, law on explosives.

Mayor Villanueva's house at Villanueva Compound, Sitio Silangan, Barangay Santo Tomas, was raided 10 minutes later at 4:30 a.m. Seized from the house was a pouch containing a suspected explosive device but no firearms were found. The local chief executive is facing charges for violating RA 9516.

Bayani’s house was last to be raided at 5:25 a.m. in Sitio Silangan, Barangay Santo Tomas. Found were a Bushmaster caliber 5.56mm rifle, a magazine for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, 10 rounds of ammunition for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, and a MK2 hand fragmentation grenade.

He is facing charges for violating RA 10591 and 9516.

Lawmen also raided the house of another sibling, Ariel, at around 5:30 a.m. in Sitio Kanluran, Barangay Sampaguita, but he was not present but they recovered a Bushmaster caliber 5.56mm rifle, a magazine for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, and 10 rounds of ammunition for a caliber 5.56mm rifle.

The operation is part of “Oplan Paglalansag Omega,” a flagship project of the CIDG.

Mayor Villanueva and his siblings have been taken to CIDG headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

A mayor and three of his brothers, one who is a former cop and one who is a barangay chairman, have been busted on weapons charges. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/19/dismissed-cop-nabbed-for-unlicensed-guns-in-laguna

A dismissed police officer was arrested for unlicensed firearms in Calamba City, Laguna on Sunday, June 18.

Police Col. Randy Glenn Silvio, Laguna police director, identified the suspect as “Arnold” of Tondo, Manila.

Police Lt. Col. Milany Martirez, Calamba police chief, said the suspect yielded firearms in a checkpoint and introduced himself as a police officer.

The suspect presented documents for his firearms which later turned out to be spurious and he was also found out to be a police officer dismissed from the service in 2018.

He was arrested and a preventive search discovered a Taurus caliber .45, a Norinco caliber .45, magazines, ammunition, two cellphones, a flashlight, a green bag, a black holster, seven Philippine National Police identification cards, a driver’s license, a national ID, a Police Security Protection Group ID, an Imex ID, a Social Security System ID, two vaccination cards, assorted keys, and P5,840.

Suspect is in the custody of the Calamba police station and faces charges for usurpation of authority and violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Confiscated guns were submitted to the Crime Laboratory for ballistic examination.

A dismissed cop has been arrested for weapons violations. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203876

Some 8,313 firearms with expired licenses belong to elected officials, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Camp Crame, PNP Civil Security Group (CSG) director Brig. Gen. Benjamin Silo Jr. said the figure comprises 27 percent of 30,068 firearms registered to elected officials.

"What we did in CSG is we provide extra special effort to encourage these people, elected officials to renew their expired licenses. Our safe estimate is 50 percent of these expired firearms are from barangay officials. Aside from our internal efforts to encourage them to renew their firearms, we will be coordinating with barangay affairs of DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) for them to help us encourage barangay officials so that they can renew their licenses especially that the BSKE (Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections) is approaching," Silo said.

He added that they will also furnish the Commission on Elections (Comelec) with a list of barangay officials owning firearms with expired licenses.

Silo said elected officials should set a good example to civilians in terms of firearms ownership through the regular renewal of their gun licenses

“It’s more on encouraging them to comply with the provision of RA (Republic Act) 10591. It's more on encouraging them to comply with the provision of RA 10591. The first ones who must follow the rules and provisions of the law are government officials and elected officials. I hope we can be a model so that we can make sure that the coming BSKE will be peaceful, quiet and orderly,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, a total of 19,000 out of a total of 539,000 firearms with expired licenses belong to police and military personnel.

He said they already conveyed this matter to the offices of the concerned personnel.

Silo said that those PNP personnel will face administrative cases once they violate any provision of penal laws to require their members to comply with the requirements of the law.

Thousands of elected officials and police and military personnel have expired firearms licenses. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1964599/cebu/local-news/4-mandaue-traffic-personnel-axed-for-misconduct

AT LEAST four personnel of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) were dismissed from service last month due to "misconduct."

Edwin Jumao-as, head of Team, said on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, that the dismissed employees have already been replaced.

Jumao-as said the personnel were recommended for termination following an investigation on complaints made by several motorists.

The Team head, however, declined to identify the erring personnel and the nature of their offenses.

(There are complaints at the office, and these are being looked upon. Some of them had previously committed offenses that were repeated, leading to suspensions on both occasions and a final suspension that led to termination.)

Jumao-as said they do not tolerate erring personnel and encouraged all motorists or drivers that have complaints against his men to feel free to go to their office.

Jumao-as said the employees admitted their mistakes, while others chose to retire.

Data shared by Team revealed that there are already 13 Team personnel who have been dismissed from service since 2021.

Four traffic enforcement agents from Mandaue have been dismissed for misconduct. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/21/23/3-zamboanga-cops-sacked-after-waiter-dies-in-custody

Three officers of the Zamboanga City police were relieved from their posts following the death of a waiter under their custody, its chief said Wednesday. 

The 3 police officers are being investigated by the Philippine National Police's Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Zamboanga City police chief Col. Alexander Lorenzo told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

Lorenzo said RIAS has obtained a copy of the autopsy on the corpse of Reynaldo Paragas Jr., a waiter who died while being escorted by police following an altercation with a retired police major at the bar where he was working.

(The RIAS is now looking at the victim's bruises and injuries and basing their investigation on the autopsy results on his corpse. Up until then, the only available evidence was footage from a CCTV camera in the restaurant, which is in a remote barangay in Zamboanga City.)

The incident stemmed from a brawl between Paragas and a retired police major identified only as a certain "Cuartocruz."

Lorenzo said Cuartocruz, a stroke victim, was persistently asking Paragas to serve him beer, even if he was advised against doing so by his fellow retired officer and his son.

Paragas refused Cuartocruz's requests, resulting in a heated argument that later allegedly escalated into a fistfight.

Officers had told Paragas' kin that the victim had died after jumping out of a police car following the brawl.

But Paragas' relative "Cecilia," quoting a doctor, told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo on Tuesday that the victim might have been hit by a "hard object" based on his head injuries.

"Cecilia" further alleged that when Cuartocruz learned Paragas was dead, he immediately went to where the waiter's remains were found and said "buti nga sa iyo" (serves you right).

(We don't know where to get justice.)

Lorenzo said that as of Wednesday, the 3 police officers were already under the PNP's administrative custody while the investigation on Paragas' death was ongoing.  

3 cops have been relieved after a waiter died in their custody.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1791555/nbi-sacks-security-management-chief-for-letting-detainee-go-out

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has relieved the chief of the Security Management Section after a high-profile detainee, Jose Adrian “Jad” Dera, was reportedly allowed to go out of the bureau’s detention facility on Tuesday evening.

“The NBI assures the public that our organization will not condone acts of betrayal of public trust. The Chief of the Security Management Section was already relieved from his post pending the investigation of the case,” the bureau said in a statement on Wednesday.

It added: “Rest assured that the tasked investigators will thoroughly look into the bottom of the incident, including the possible  involvement of other personalities, and will immediately file the appropriate criminal and administrative cases.”

The statement did not name the security management chief nor was the name indicated on the NBI website.

Dera was later caught as he was returning to the NBI compound in Manila.

In a TV5 interview, Dera’s lawyer, Raymund Palad, said his client was allowed to go out to get medical attention. Dera, he added,  left the detention center on a marked vehicle with six NBI security escorts.

Dera is also among the co-accused in the illegal drug trade case that former Sen. Leila de Lima is facing at Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court.

Aside from this, Dera is also accused of acting as a bagman of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., who is suspected of being the mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.

The NBI's Security Chief has been let go for allowing a detainee to leave the NBI facility. 

Coronavirus Lockdown: Pandemic Preparedness Center, Mandatory Mask-Wearing, and More!

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

The OCTA says the nationwide COVID-19 positivity rate has dropped. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1789781/ph-covid-19-positivity-rate-dips-to-10-3-octa

The country’s COVID-19 positivity rate decreased to 10.3 percent as of June 17, according to OCTA Research fellow Guido David.

In a Twitter post on Saturday evening, David said that the positivity rate nationwide decreased slightly from 10.7 percent on June 16 to 10.3 percent the day after. 

This data agrees with the DOH which says the daily average of cases is down by 35%.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203852

The country’s daily average of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases decreased by 35 percent from June 12 to 18, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Monday.

In its latest case bulletin, the agency recorded 612 daily infections, a drop of 335 cases from the 947 recorded between June 5 to 11.

A total of 4,281 new cases were recorded in the recent week.

The tally of severe and critical infections decreased to 477 from the previous week’s 527.

No deaths were verified during the past week.

The DOH says one of these cases is a subvariant of the variant omicron. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/19/23/omicron-subvariant-fe1-detected-in-philippines

The Philippines has detected its first case of omicron subvariant FE.1, according to the Department of Health.

According to DOH's latest COVID-19 biosurveillance report, FE.1 is a sublineage of XBB, which was added to the list of variants under monitoring by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on June 1.

So far, the FE.1, also known as XBB.1.18.1.1, has been detected in 35 countries or jurisdictions across 6 continents.

"However, currently available evidence for the variant does not suggest any differences in disease severity and/or clinical manifestations compared to the original Omicron variant," the DOH report said.

"Limited information is available for the variant and researchers are currently characterizing FE.1 in terms of transmissibility, immune evasion, and ability to cause more severe disease," it added.

The DOH biosurveillance report also revealed 2,215 other offshoots of omicron were also detected in the country.

Some 1,939 were classified as XBB. 

Health authorities also detected 206 cases of BA.2.3.20, 34 as XBC, 4 as BA.5, 6 as BA.2.75, and 26 as other omicron sublineages.

One health expert says this sub variant may cause severe infections among the highly vulnerable. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/873440/omicron-fe-1-may-cause-severe-infection-among-highly-vulnerable-solante/story/

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante said Tuesday that the Omicron subvariant FE.1, which was recently detected in the Philippines, may cause severe forms of COVID-19 infections among those most vulnerable to the virus.

Solante, however, made it clear that there is no direct evidence yet to prove that the FE.1—a sublineage of the Omicron XBB subvariant—-can be more transmissible, more immune evasive, or cause severe infections as compared to other variants.

“It may not be totally different as those XBB, so most likely it can still cause severe infections but only for those who are highly vulnerable like the elderly population. Most of the symptoms are mild because ang kadalasang tinitirahan ng mga variants under Omicron [are usually seen] in the upper respiratory tract,” he said in a public briefing.

Solante thus reminded the vulnerable population to keep wearing face masks and update their vaccination with booster shots to keep themselves protected against FE.1

Of course he notes there is "no direct evidence" to prove that claim. Even so, he warns, wear your face mask and update your vaccination status. In fact, Solante says the bivalent vaccines offer substantial protection against this variant. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203875

Bivalent coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines could provide substantial protection against the FE.1 Omicron subvariant, an infectious disease expert said Tuesday.

“The effectiveness of bivalent vaccines against the XBB [subvariants] is substantial, not totally zero, though not that high either,” Dr. Rontgene Solante said in a televised public briefing.

While there is no data yet on the testing of bivalent vaccines’ effectiveness against the subvariant, Solante, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, noted that the jabs would be beneficial for the vulnerable population, such as health care workers, individuals with co-morbidities, and senior citizens.

Not only does he say the protection is substantial but "not that high either" which is a contradiction there is no data by which he could make any judgement about this drugs effectiveness against this variant. 

Another expert has echoed Solante's call to wear face masks but he would like to make it mandatory. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1790621/doctor-recommends-return-to-mandatory-wearing-of-face-masks

A doctor advises public face mask use but may remove limits if virus cases drop in two to four weeks to prevent straining healthcare resources outside the National Capital Region.

The call follows the Philippines’ COVID-19 Omicron subvariant FE.1 discovery.

“When we have surges due to new subvariants, we can revert to mandatory face masks like some local government units,” suggested Doctor Anthony “Tony” Leachon.

He also said health authorities can “relax when the viral transmission is low in two to four weeks to reduce the escalation of cases in areas outside of the National Capital Region, which lacks healthcare workers and medical facilities.”

Leachon explained the “current available evidence does not show any differences with FE.1 and the original Omicron strain in terms of severity and manifestations.”

But the health expert also warned the public should not be complacent “until the pandemic is truly over.”

It seems like he thinks the pandemic will be "truly over" when there is no more COVID but everyone knows it's not going away. 

The OCTA says Hyperion subvariants dominate COVID cases in the Philippines. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1790097/many-covid-cases-in-ph-are-hyperion-subvariant-types-octa

The ‘Hyperion’ or ‘XBB’ cases account for 83% of all subvariants in the Philippines, according to Octa Research fellow Guido David on Monday.

He made the observation after the DOH released a bio-surveillance report that detailed COVID-19 data sequencing from May 29 to June 12.

“Biosurveillance report by DOH and [Philippine Genome Center] for May 29 to June 12 2023, showed XBB subvariants accounted for 83% of cases sequenced in the Philippines,” said David in a Twitter post.

Among the XBB cases, the type XBB 1.9.1 or the “Hyperion” subvariant was the most prevalent, with 33 percent of cases.

DOH had previously said “XBB.1.9.1” does not show any difference in severity or clinical manifestations from other cases caused by the Omicron variant.

But it's not more severe than the Omicron variant or the original so who cares? 

New DOH secretary has launched an ambitious 8-point agenda for public health. One of these points is building "a Pandemic Preparedness Center and better training and facilities for infectious diseases." 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/19/23/new-health-chief-herbosa-bares-8-point-agenda-of-doh

Newly-appointed Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa is looking at 8 action plans that would guide his leadership over the Department of Health.

During the turnover of the department’s helm from then officer-in-charge Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire and his first flag ceremony as department secretary, Herbosa enumerated his 8-point agenda, which encompasses all aspects and sectors pertinent to public health.

Aside from the implementation of Universal Health Care, he seeks the provision of safe, quality and nurturing health services aided by technological advancements. The DOH is also set to build its capacity when responding to crisis situations and preventing the spread of diseases.

"We will protect against any pandemic through a Pandemic Preparedness Center and better training and facilities for infectious diseases, among others," he said.

Mental health and the welfare and rights of health-care workers are also among the new secretary’s agenda.

"We will work on higher health worker pay, better recognition and a clear upward career mobility pathway of local government and health staff towards the DOH," Herbosa said.

A former spokesperson of the National Task Force during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Herbosa said the country had done well in combatting the pandemic. 

He said the NTF worked closely with the Interagency Task Force, headed by the DOH, to prevent the loss of lives and capacitate the then-ailing healthcare system.

"We’re now here. Nasa post-pandemic tayo. We succeeded. Actually, many people are telling us, we were one of the countries with the better management kasi konti ang namatay. Sixty-six thousand deaths. Ang ibang country, million," he said.

(We were one of the countries with the better management because fewer people died, 66,000 deaths. Other countries had millions.)

Under his leadership, Herbosa said he would shun "layers of bureaucracy" and assured employees that his door was always open to anyone willing to share vital information.

Herbosa says the Philippines managed the pandemic well because only 66,000 people died. But how many were from COVID and not exacerbated by COVID? There is also more to management than the number of deaths. The entire nation was locked down and the economy destroyed. There are many factors Herbosa is ignoring here. Not least is that the Philippines is also a small country. 

Comedienne Pokwang Admits She Harbored an Illegal Alien.

The Pokwang saga continues to play out in the press much to the dismay of anyone who dare reads the details of this ridiculous narrative. Last time Pokwang posted pictures of herself and her children at her lawyers office as she filed a case against her ex, Lee O'Brian. This time Pokwang has done something far more ridiculous. She has implicated herself as having harbored an illegal alien. 

https://entertainment.inquirer.net/504223/pokwang-files-deportation-visa-cancellation-vs-ex-lee-obrian-para-sa-karapatan-ko-at-ng-anak-ko

Months after tapping a high-profile law firm, Pokwang is determined to take her domestic woes with ex-partner Lee O’Brian to court as she filed a deportation complaint and cancellation of visa against the latter.

Photos of Pokwang and public interest lawyer Ralph Calinisan at what seemed to be a Bureau of Immigration office made rounds on social media, where she spoke about defending her rights as a mother and woman.

The actress-comedienne’s camp also claimed that O’Brian was using a tourist visa even though he’s been staying in the country for the past eight years.

(We have to teach those who violate the law a lesson, especially when it comes to people who abuse women and mothers. He did so much to me mentally. I couldn’t even sleep because of the pain. He didn’t fulfill his obligation as a father. It’s really painful for my daughter.)

Pokwang also shared a photo of her court documents that will be filed against her estranged partner on her Instagram account on Tuesday, June 13.

“For my rights and for my daughter’s, for my fellow women and my country."

While Pokwang’s fans flocked to the comments of her post to show their support, she didn’t hesitate to affirm her recent move against O’Brian, as seen in a response to one @dmnqbron who accused her of involving the country in her romantic woes.

“Sa mga dedma sa batas yun ang ibig [kong] sabihin dito mga walang pake na dayuhan!” she wrote. (My post is meant for those who ignore the law, especially to foreigners.)

Pokwang has filed a deportation case against her ex because he has been staying in the country illegally for the past number of years. As an American he can renew his tourist visa for up to three years but he has been here for eight without, it seems, having done a visa run. He has also been working which is not allowed for tourists.

https://www.onenews.ph/articles/pokwang-seeks-ex-partner-lee-o-brian-s-deportation

Entertainment journalist MJ Marfori of TV5 reported that based on the petition of Pokwang’s camp, O’Brian was using a tourist visa “while working in the country for the past eight years.” It was further revealed on “Celebrity Top 10” on One News that O’Brian would only renew his tourist visa to continue seeking employment locally.

To further her case, Pokwang supposedly enumerated the showbiz projects O’Brian participated in. On Celebrity Top 10, Marfori said “some of these” were already certified by O’Brian’s employers.

In an earlier interview by Marfori, Pokwang described the filing as a thorn that was finally removed. She added if O’Brian was being a father to Malia, she could have “tolerated” him doing well in the country.

If Lee O'Brian had been a father to Malia then she could have tolerated him breaking the country's immigration laws!

That means Pokwang knowingly and willingly enabled this man to break the law for a number of years. And the only reason she is doing anything about it now is because she has "no feelings" for him anymore. 

https://entertainment.inquirer.net/504617/pokwang-asserts-she-doesnt-have-feelings-for-ex-lee-obrian-anymore-iba-yung-may-feelings-sa-galit-no

Pokwang didn’t hesitate to disprove claims she still has lingering feelings for her estranged partner Lee O’Brian, saying she feels nothing but anger toward him.

The actress-comedienne made the clarification after Jegs Chinel, also known as Tita Jegs, asked if she still loves her ex-partner, as seen in the official YouTube channel of Ogie Diaz’s Showbiz Update last Tuesday, June 13. The ambush interview happened shortly after Pokwang issued a deportation complaint and visa cancellation against O’Brian.

(No. Having feelings is different from being angry. I told you, I don’t care if you have 10 girlfriends every day. Just do your obligation as a father. Did you do it? That’s the question.)

Pokwang also pointed out that she chose to file a complaint for O’Brian’s deportation because he “violated” the law, at the same time noting his alleged lack of responsibility as the father to their daughter Malia.

"We have to do it, it’s about time. It’s not because I’m mad at him. He violated the law. Because us Filipinos have to go through tough rules when we go to other countries. We go through a lot of hardships. But it’s unfair that someone like him doesn’t go through the same thing. There would be no problem if only he is a responsible father. But he isn’t acting like one. Aside from not fulfilling his responsibilities as a dad, he can’t even follow our laws."

(I am in my own country. Why should I be the one to adjust—which is wrong. I’m doing this for my daughter, our daughter, my peace of mind and for women. I hope the public will one day understand why I’m determined to do this.)

Pokwang, along with public interest lawyer Ralph Calinisan, filed a deportation complaint and visa cancellation against her former partner at the Bureau of Immigration office last June 13.

In an interview with entertainment reporters, Pokwang claimed that O’Brian is using a tourist visa even though he’s been in the country for the past eight years.

Pokwang is not at all interested in the fact that he broke immigration law. That is just a way she can get back at him, plain and simple. 

The facts are quite evident here. For several years Pokwang has been knowingly and willingly harboring an illegal alien. Will she ever be held to account for her wanton violation of Philippine immigration laws?  And what about those who hired him despite only having a tourist visa? I wouldn't count on it.