More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
Lauren Mercando is a Pickleball Star. Before that she was on track to play amateur basketball. The pandemic changed all that.
At just 17 years old, Lauren Mercado has become a rising star in pickleball, a sport she discovered by chance after her basketball career was cut short. Once on track to play in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball circuit, the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to rethink her future. Instead of seeing the pandemic as an obstacle, Lauren found a new passion: pickleball.
Before she picked up a pickleball paddle, Lauren had no background in tennis. However, her experience as a basketball point guard gave her a unique advantage on the court.
“I think my court vision helps with basketball ‘cause I was a point guard. So I think that helps with just being on the court and seeing the shots I have to hit…” – (Lauren)
Lauren quickly adjusted to the fast-paced nature of pickleball, where agility and court awareness are key.
“You’re doing a lot of baseline to baseline moving and going up to the kitchen is a lot of movement. So that definitely helps with basketball.” – (Lauren)
Despite having no tennis experience, Lauren faced challenges, particularly with the technical aspects of the game.
“The only thing that I’m still learning from not having a tennis background is obviously the swing and the ground strokes. But other than that, it’s been great!” – (Lauren)
But her determination and quick learning allowed her to overcome those hurdles.
Lauren’s dedication paid off as she quickly made her mark in the pickleball sport. She earned her first win in 2021 and followed it up with another victory in 2023. Her rapid progress in a new sport is a testament to her work ethic and adaptability.
Her success, however, isn’t just about winning tournaments. Lauren has turned her passion into a purpose: spreading the love for pickleball, especially in the Philippines. She has been touring various active lifestyle hubs, teaching the basics of the game and encouraging young people to get involved.
Lauren’s goal is clear: to help grow pickleball in Philippines. She hopes her story will inspire others, particularly the youth, to try the sport and discover their potential. With every swing of her paddle, Lauren proves that a setback can sometimes lead to a bigger, more fulfilling opportunity.
Her journey from basketball courts to pickleball courts shows that athletes can thrive in unexpected ways, and for Lauren, this is just the beginning.
No word on exactly why the pandemic forced her to give up basketball for pickleball. Social distancing restrictions perhaps?
The Philippines, along with the rest of the world, continues to prepare for the next pandemic.
AFTER years of negotiations, member-states of the World Health Organization (WHO) have finally come up with a landmark agreement on how to tackle future pandemics that avoids a repeat of the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis.
The pact, which will be presented for approval at the WHO's annual assembly next month, aims to be the playbook for preparing for and coping with emerging health threats ranging from H5N1 bird flu to measles, mpox and Ebola.
Covid-19 completely blindsided the world. It began as a mysterious but deadly outbreak in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. By the time the WHO announced a public health emergency on Jan. 30, 2020, Covid was already racing across the world with a speed that defied explanation.
When the emergency was finally lifted in May 2023, Covid-19 had claimed 7 million lives and infected 704,000,000 people.
The pandemic also triggered a worldwide recession that many economies are still recovering from.
More importantly, it left a deep social and psychological scar on the global psyche.
The Philippines was dismally late in responding to the crisis. The first cases of Covid-19 slipped in because the government took its time in banning travelers from China. By the time flights from China were suspended, the infected foreigners who had arrived earlier had transmitted the virus to the locals.
Early on in the pandemic, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that Covid-19 had "exposed political fault lines, within and between nations. It has eroded trust between people, governments and institutions, fueled by a torrent of mis- and disinformation."
The United States accused China of holding back information about the initial outbreak in Wuhan.
As the two superpowers turned the pandemic into another front in their information war, the WHO warned of a coronavirus "infodemic," an "over-abundance of information — some accurate and some not — that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it."
Lamentably, the superpowers chose to wage a propaganda war at a time when they should have been leading an international effort to face the biggest crisis the world has faced.
The problems persisted even when vaccines for Covid-19 were finally developed. There were accusations of vaccine inequality, with poorer countries calling out rich nations for hoarding vaccines.
Tedros believes the world has learned immensely from the mistakes of the past.
"The nations of the world made history in Geneva today," he said. "In reaching consensus on the Pandemic Agreement, not only did they put in place a generational accord to make the world safer, they have also demonstrated that multilateralism is alive and well, and that in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground, and a shared response to shared threats."
He described the agreement's current draft as "good," "balanced" and that a deal would bring "more equity."
Perhaps the biggest lesson learned is that pandemic preparedness must begin at the country level. It requires strong and resilient health systems for a more effective detection of outbreaks and deployment of vaccines.
As had been suggested earlier, it requires surveillance systems and laboratories to detect both human and zoonotic disease outbreaks. There must be full-functioning supply chains and adequate stockpiles of essential goods and equipment.
Public financing will be a critical element in boosting pandemic preparedness, estimated at $34 billion per year over the next five years. Nearly half the amount could come from donors, such as the US and the World Bank.
Funding could present a major hurdle, following the United States' withdrawal from the WHO, as decreed by President Donald Trump. During his first term in the White House, Trump had accused the WHO of being a puppet of China and letting Covid-19 spin out of control.
The US is the largest contributor to the agency, and without US support, the WHO's operations could be compromised.
While admitting that taking measures to coordinate pandemic prevention, preparedness and response could be costly, Tedros believes that "the cost of inaction is much bigger."
The world must be protected from another pandemic, whatever the cost. The stakes are simply too high.
Hindsight is always 20/20 so it's not totally correct to say the Philippines "was dismally late in responding to the crisis" by banning flights from China. Remember when Donald Trump was called racist for doing that very thing?
Monkeypox has been touted as the next pandemic but so far it's not making much headway in the Philippines.
The local government unit (LGU) of Davao City on Friday confirmed two cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) and one of the victims died due to complications.
The LGU said the Department of Health Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit relayed the information to the Davao City Health Office on Wednesday.
“The patients were admitted at SPMC [Southern Philippines Medical Center] isolation facility. Unfortunately, one of the patients has passed away due to complications,” the LGU said in an advisory.
“The City Health Office is actively monitoring all identified close contacts, and established response measures and protocols for mpox are currently being implemented,” the LGU added
No other details on the close contacts have been made available as of posting time.
Meanwhile, the DOH said that the two reported mpox cases are the Clade II variant of the mpox virus.
According to the World Health Organization, the two types of mpox virus: Clade I which causes more severe illness and deaths; and Clade II which caused a global outbreak in 2022 and is associated with less severe infections.
The DOH also noted that the death of one of the victims was not likely due to mpox.
“The patient who passed away did not succumb to Mpox itself; said patient was in a severely immunocompromised state and is likely to have died of non-Mpox complications,” the DOH said in a separate statement.
Interesting that the DOH says this person did not die from monkeypox but from complications due to monkeypox. How many people died from COVID rather than complications from COVID? Why did they never make that difference?
Another business born during the pandemic has found success and is set for national expansion.
From a humble stall at Sugbo Mercado, Jipai Taiwan Fried Chicken is now setting its sights on national expansion, following the successful launch of its first full-service restaurant in Cebu City earlier this month.
Founded in 2022 with an initial capital of just P60,000, this pandemic-born family business was the brainchild of Adrian Barba, a former overseas Filipino worker in Taiwan, who wanted to recreate the crispy, flavorful fried chicken cutlets — known as "Jipai" — that had brought him comfort abroad.
Together with his wife Margie and daughter Marj Adrienne, Adrian spent months perfecting a recipe that blended authentic Taiwanese street flavors with the Filipino palate. The family’s efforts paid off, as the brand quickly gained traction among Cebuano diners, particularly the younger bunch.
A year after in 2023, Jipai expanded its menu by incorporating Thai cuisine, inspired by a family trip to Thailand and a traditional Thai cooking class.
The addition of dishes like Pad Thai further differentiated the brand in Cebu’s competitive food scene and laid the groundwork for broader expansion.
By 2024, Jipai had established multiple branches across Cebu — including locations in Banawa, Horizons 101, and Talamban — tapping into a growing customer base attracted by its fusion of Taiwanese and Thai street food.
The company’s biggest milestone came on April 4, 2025, with the opening of a full-service restaurant at Escario Central. The new outlet showcases a wider range of offerings, from Thai spring rolls and Tom Yum fried rice to signature beverages like Thai milk tea, delivering a more complete and relaxed dining experience.
While Jipai’s distinct flavor profile initially posed a challenge among local consumers, the Barbas adapted by conducting extensive taste tests and refining their recipes to better align with local preferences — all while preserving the brand's authentic roots.
Now, with strong market validation in Cebu, the Barba family is preparing for the next phase: scaling Jipai into malls and major cities across the Philippines.
The long-term vision is to establish Jipai as a leading name in Filipino dining, bringing its unique blend of Taiwanese and Thai street food flavors to a national audience.
“We’re excited to take what we’ve built in Cebu and introduce it to more Filipinos,” said Marj Adrienne Barba, who leads Jipai’s day-to-day operations.
“Our goal is to grow steadily, stay customer-focused, and make Jipai a beloved brand beyond our home city,” she added.
With its strong family-led management, adaptable menu, and a proven ability to evolve with market tastes, Jipai Taiwan Fried Chicken is poised to carve out a distinct space in the country’s growing food and beverage sector.
It's "authentic Taiwanese street flavors" crafted for "the Filipino palate." Cultural appropriation anyone?
Many Filipinos became pet owners during the pandemic. This couple adopted a Welsh Corgi in 2021. Four years later they have all moved to Wales.
A Welsh corgi has won the hearts of people across Wales after travelling from the Philippines to Newport.
Morty, a Pembroke Welsh corgi, made the arduous journey with his owners, Aira Bautista and her husband Stefan, earlier this year.
The couple decided to bring Morty with them when Aira was accepted onto a master's course at the University of Gloucestershire.
Aira said: "Bringing Morty, our Pembroke Welsh corgi, from the Philippines to Wales was a long and challenging process, but it was all worth it to have him with us.
"As his breed originated in Wales, it felt special to bring him back to his homeland."
Morty, who became part of the couple's family during the pandemic in March 2021, was a non-negotiable part of their move to the UK, despite the objections of Aira's parents.
Aira said: "My parents were actually against it at first because they said bringing him would cost a lot and so they just volunteered to take care of him in the Philippines.
"But we insisted we wouldn’t move without Morty."
Morty was even part of the couple's wedding in July 2023, and is considered their "baby."
The journey from Manila to London was no easy feat for Morty, who had to endure 24 hours of travel, including an eight-hour layover between flights.
Aira said: "We prepared carefully, making sure he had all the necessary paperwork and requirements and was comfortable in his crate.
"Watching him board the plane was tough, but we trusted the professionals handling his transport."
Despite the long and tiring journey, Morty settled quickly into his new surroundings in the UK.
Aira added: "It was a relief to have him with us, and seeing him explore the Welsh countryside made the effort worthwhile.
"The journey was long, but it was the first step in starting a new chapter together."
Pet Trans Pro Philippines, the transport company that helped reunite the family in the UK, commented on Morty's journey on social media.
They said: "After months of preparation, Morty the corgi has finally made it to London to reunite with his fur mum and fur dad.
"Now, he’s home where he truly belongs.
"From warm hugs at the airport to cosy naps in his new home, Morty is settling in perfectly and enjoying every moment of his new life in the UK."
Chantalle Coombes, Aira's cousin and a local of nearby Risca, added: "Morty has won hearts with his remarkable journey across continents.
"We believe his story highlights the incredible bond between pets and their owners, and how even a small corgi can bring a big sense of homecoming."
Thank goodness they did not leave him behind.
