DOH sees community transmission of Omicron in Metro Manila

By: Xave Gregorio - Philstar.com

Passengers present their vaccination cards to personnel upon entry at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) in Tambo, Parañaque City on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. The Department of Transportation has started implementingn a "no vaccination, no ride" policy on public transportation throughout Metro Manila.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health said Saturday that there is community transmission of the highly infectious Omicron variant in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the latest surge in infections in the country that is reaching unprecedented highs.

“We are seeing community transmission of the Omicron variant here in the National Capital Region,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in Filipino over state-run People’s Television.

DOH: Philippines now at 'critical risk' for COVID-19.

Community transmission means that an infectious disease has spread extensively in a group of people, so much so that the source of the infection can no longer be traced.

“While our whole genome sequencing is lagging behind, we have already determined that there are local cases,” Vergeire said, adding that current COVID-19 trends in the country are “characteristic” of an Omicron-driven wave.

The Philippines has so far detected 43 cases of the Omicron variant, which is believed to be driving the steep increase in COVID-19 infections. Meanwhile, there are 8,497 cases of the Delta variant in the country.

While whole genome sequencing has been slow, the Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has declared that Omicron is now the dominant variant in the country, outpacing the Delta variant that previously drove a surge in cases beginning in August 2020.

From January 6 to 12, Metro Manila logged 83,649 cases — the highest ever in a week — according to preliminary data from the Department of Health.

The new wave of infections, suspected to be driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant, started out in Metro Manila and is now beginning to spread outside of the capital region, prompting the government’s pandemic task force to tighten coronavirus curbs in most of the country.

But Vergeire said that the DOH is still not seeing the peak of coronavirus cases, even after new infections hit an all-time high on Friday, when health authorities reported 37,207 new cases.

“We are still yet to see the peak which may happen at the end of the month or even later in the second week of February,” she said, adding that active cases may even double by next month.

Philippinen: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise (Teilreisewarnung)

 

Das Auswärtige Amt gibt bekannt:

Letzte Änderung: Aktuelles (Einstufung der Philippinen als Hochrisikogebiet ab 16. Januar 2022)


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Aktuelles
Die Ausbreitung von COVID-19 https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-gesundheit/gesundheit-fachinformationen/reisemedizinische-hinweise/Coronavirus/-/2309820 kann weiterhin zu Einschränkungen im internationalen Luft- und Reiseverkehr und Beeinträchtigungen des öffentlichen Lebens führen.

Mit Wirkung vom 16. Januar 2022 wird vor nicht notwendigen, touristischen Reisen in die Philippinen gewarnt.

Epidemiologische Lage

Die Philippinen sind von COVID-19 stark betroffen und sind mit Wirkung vom 16. Januar 2022 als Hochrisikogebiet https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Risikogebiete_neu.html/ eingestuft.

Aktuelle und detaillierte Zahlen bieten das philippinische Gesundheitsministerium https://doh.gov.ph und die Weltgesundheitsorganisation WHO https://covid19.who.int/region/wpro/country/ph.

Einreise

Bis auf weiteres ist Ausländern die Einreise für touristische Zwecke in die Philippinen verboten. Erteilte philippinische Einreise-Visa wurden für ungültig erklärt, neue touristische Visa werden derzeit grundsätzlich nicht ausgestellt. Ausnahmen gelten für Familienangehörige (Ehegatten, Kinder, Eltern) von philippinischen Staatsangehörigen, für Ausländer, die bereits im Besitz von Langzeitvisa sind, für Diplomaten und Angehörige internationaler Organisationen, die in den Philippinen akkreditiert sind, sowie für Flugzeug- und Schiffsbesatzungen.

Die Quarantänevorgaben richten sich nach dem Aufenthalt in den letzten 14 Tagen vor Einreise aus einem der vom Gesundheitsministerium definierten Länder der „Green“ oder „Yellow List" oder "Red List" https://iatf.doh.gov.ph/?page_id=77 und dem Impfstatus.

Deutschland gehört bislang zu den Ländern der „Yellow List“.

Green List:
• Vollgeimpft, negativer PCR-Test nicht älter als 72 Stunden vor Abflug → Quarantäne in Quarantäne-Einrichtung, Buchung muss bei Abflug vorliegen, PCR-Test am dritten Tag nach Ankunft, nach negativem Ergebnis Entlassung und Heimquarantäne bis zum zehnten Tag.
• Ungeimpft, nicht vollständig geimpft, Impfstatus nicht feststellbar, negativer PCR-Test nicht älter als 72 Stunden vor Abflug → Quarantäne in Quarantäne-Einrichtung, Buchung muss bei Abflug vorliegen, PCR-Test am siebten Tag, nach negativem Ergebnis Entlassung und Heimquarantäne bis zum 14. Tag.
Yellow List:
• Vollgeimpft, negativer PCR-Test nicht älter als 72 Stunden vor Abflug → Quarantäne in Quarantäne-Einrichtung, Buchung muss bei Abflug vorliegen, PCR-Test am fünften Tag nach Ankunft, nach negativem Ergebnis Entlassung und Heimquarantäne bis zum 14. Tag.
• Ungeimpft, nicht vollständig geimpft, Impfstatus nicht feststellbar, negativer PCR-Test nicht älter als 72 Stunden vor Abflug → Quarantäne in Quarantäne-Einrichtung, Buchung muss bei Abflug vorliegen, PCR-Test am siebten Tag nach Ankunft, nach negativem Ergebnis Entlassung und Heimquarantäne bis zum 14. Tag.
Red List:
• Einreisen aus Ländern der „Red List“ (darunter mehrere europäische Länder) sind bei Voraufenthalten in den letzten 14 Tagen vor der Reise verboten. Ausschließlicher Flughafentransit fällt nicht unter dieses Verbot.
Als vollständig geimpft gilt, wer einen Impfnachweis über eine in den Philippinen erfolgte vollständige Impfung oder einen von den Philippinen anerkannten ausländischen Impfnachweis vorlegt. Deutsche Impfnachweise in Form des gelben WHO-Impfbuches oder das Digitale COVID-Zertifikat der EU werden anerkannt. Kreuzimpfungen werden akzeptiert, eine einfache Impfung nach einem durchgemachten Infekt ist hingegen nicht ausreichend.
Die Quarantänevorgaben für Minderjährige richten sich nach den Vorgaben für begleitende Sorgeberechtigte/Eltern, unabhängig von ihrem eigenen Impfstatus oder Herkunftsland. Kinder unter drei Jahren sind vom PCR-Test vor Abreise befreit, es sei denn sie zeigen Symptome.

Vollständig geimpfte Diplomaten und Angehörige internationaler Organisationen müssen bei Einreise aus einem Land der „Green oder Yellow List“ einen negativen PCR-Test vorlegen, der vor Abflug nicht älter als 72 Stunden, bei Einreise aus einem Land der „Red List“ nicht älter als 48 Stunden ist Bei Einreise aus einem Land der „Green oder Yellow List“ sind Heimquarantäne und am fünften Tag nach Ankunft ein PCR-Test zu absolvieren. Nach negativem Ergebnis endet die Heimquarantäne und es erfolgt Selbstbeobachtung auf Symptome bis zum zehnten Tag. Bei Einreise aus einem Land der „Red List“ ist eine 14-tägige Heimquarantäne mit PCR-Test am siebten Tag nach Ankunft zu absolvieren.
Für ungeimpfte, nicht vollständig geimpfte Diplomaten oder Diplomaten, deren Impfstatus nicht feststellbar ist, sind Heimquarantäne und am siebten Tag nach Ankunft ein PCR-Test zu absolvieren. Nach negativem Ergebnis endet die Heimquarantäne und es erfolgt Selbstbeobachtung auf Symptome bis zum 14. Tag.

Nähere Informationen können bei der philippinischen Botschaft http://philippine-embassy.de/ erfragt werden.

Alle Reisenden (ausgenommen Diplomaten) müssen sich vor Einreise über das Portal „One Health Pass" https://www.onehealthpass.com.ph/e-HDC/ registrieren. Der Nachweis in Form eines QR Codes ist den Fluggesellschaften beim Einchecken vorzulegen.

Durch- und Weiterreise
Reisen zwischen den Provinzen sind eingeschränkt möglich. Es müssen Gesundheitszeugnisse, gegebenenfalls ein negativer PCR-Test oder philippinische/anerkannte ausländische Impfnachweise vorgelegt und in der Zielprovinz im Einzelfall Quarantäne abgeleistet werden.

Die Ausreise ist Ausländern, die sich im Land aufhalten, jederzeit erlaubt. Viele Fluggesellschaften verlangen für den Reiseantritt in den Philippinen einen negativen PCR-Test oder einen Impfnachweis.

Reiseverbindungen
Für die Einreise über die Flughäfen in Manila, Clark und Cebu bestehen Kontingente. Fluggesellschaften erhalten ihre Kontingente mit geringem zeitlichen Vorlauf, was zu kurzfristigen Umbuchungen oder Flugstornierungen führen kann.

Beschränkungen im Land
Die Quarantänemaßnahmen sind regional unterschiedlich. Derzeit gilt im Großraum Manila eine Quarantänestufe mit Einschränkungen in der Versorgung und der Bewegungsfreiheit sowie eine nächtliche Ausgangssperre für Minderjährige. Stadtbezirke können diese Einschränkungen eigenständig verschärfen.
Die zwischenzeitlich unterbrochenen regulären Verkehrsverbindungen zwischen den Inseln des Landes wurden wieder aufgenommen, können jedoch jederzeit kurzfristig wiedereingestellt werden.
Die touristische Infrastruktur ist eingeschränkt, zahlreiche Hotels und Resorts sind geschlossen.

Hygieneregeln
Im öffentlichen Raum (in Gebäuden, aber auch im Freien) gilt die Pflicht, einen Mund-Nasen-Schutz zu tragen, in medizinischen Einrichtungen zusätzlich einen Gesichtsschutz (face-shield). Es gibt das Gebot, sozialen Abstand zu wahren. Massenansammlungen sind verboten. Verstöße sind mit Geld- bis hin zu Gefängnisstrafen bewehrt. Im Fall einer Infektion erfolgt die Isolierung grundsätzlich in staatlicher Unterbringung.

Empfehlungen

• Seien Sie bei allen Reisen weiterhin besonders vorsichtig und beachten Sie unsere fortlaufend aktualisierte Infobox zu COVID-19/Coronavirus.
• Achten Sie bei Einreise nach Deutschland auf die geltenden Einreisevoraussetzungen zu Anmelde-, Quarantäne- und Nachweisregelungen (vollständige Impfung oder Genesenennachweis oder aktueller negativer COVID-19-Test).
• Achten Sie auf die Einhaltung der AHA-Vorschriften und befolgen Sie zusätzlich die Hinweise lokaler Behörden. Bei Verstößen gegen die Hygienevorschriften können hohe Geldstrafen oder Gefängnisstrafen verhängt werden.
• Informieren Sie sich über detaillierte Maßnahmen und ergänzende Informationen der philippinischen Regierung.
• Falls Sie im Besitz eines Langzeitvisums sind oder eine Sondereinreisegenehmigung mit Touristenvisum beantragen möchten, erkundigen Sie sich bei den philippinischen Behörden, in Deutschland z.B. bei der Philippinischen Botschaft, ob Sie zur Gruppe derjenigen gehören, für die eine Einreise möglich ist.
• Erkundigen Sie sich bei Ihrer Fluggesellschaft über die genauen Vorgaben.
• Bei COVID-19 Symptomen oder Kontakt mit Infizierten kontaktieren Sie das lokale Gesundheitsamt.
Sicherheit - Teilreisewarnung
Vor Reisen in folgende Regionen oder Gebiete wird gewarnt:
- Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX)
- Northern Mindanao (Region X)
- Davao-Region (Region XI) mit Ausnahme des Stadtgebietes von Davao City
- Soccsksargen (Region XII)
- Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
- Inseln des Sulu-Archipels
- Süd-Palawan mit Ausnahme von Puerto Princesa

PH sets new record high in Covid-19 cases at 37,000

 MANILA. A man waits for his turn at a Covid-19 vaccination center in Quezon City, Philippines on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. (AP)

FOR the second straight day, the Philippines has set a new record high in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases with over 37,000 new infections reported Friday, January 14, 2022.

The Department of Health (DOH) said 37,207 new Covid-19 cases were recorded on Friday, bringing the total cases in the country to 3,129,512.

On Thursday, January 13, the DOH reported the country's erstwhile single-day high of 34,021 new infections.

The positivity rate in the Philippines stood at 47.3 percent, based on the 81,737 tested samples on January 12.

The DOH also reported 81 additional mortalities, raising the death toll to 52,815.

The case fatality rate in the country currently stands at 1.69 percent.

The country also logged 9,027 additional recoveries that brought the total number of survivors to 2,811,188.

The recovery rate stood at 89.8 percent.

Less deaths and recoveries, the country now has 265,509 active Covid-19 cases. Majority of these cases, with over 252,000, are mild, followed by more than 8,300 asymptomatic cases.

The DOH said eight laboratories were not able to submit their output last January 12, contributing more or less 1.7 percent of all samples tested and 2.5 percent of all positive results in the last 14 days. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

Be Yourself

 

By Carlos V. Cornejo

I watched an interview of Shay Mitchell, a famous Canadian actress who is half Filipina. She was asked, “What were your struggles with your identity during your high school years?”  She replied she wanted not to be different and so she dyed her hair blond, and wore colored contact lenses because she wanted to look like her Caucasian classmates at that time. In other words, she did not like the way she looked especially with her brown complexion.  But now she is celebrating her exotic appearance that makes her uniquely pretty.   She said she learned her lesson and that you should not try to be someone else you are not, but to instead celebrate your being you.  

Many young people nowadays struggle with their identity too.  My advice is: try to be yourself the soonest. The reasons are many.  First, because pretending who you are not can be quite exhausting.  I know of a young fellow who wanted to portray himself as a funny person in front of his classmates and hides his serious side because he feels like he would be more famous that way.  He confided to me that when he comes home from school, he feels drained.  

Second, because as Jim Carey the comedian-actor has said, you become invisible if your aim in life is mainly to be accepted.  Meaning your true self will disappear if you focus on getting accepted by others.  The paradox is when we try hard to appear original and unique, we end up losing our originality.  However, if we just be ourselves our unique identity comes out.  

It’s part of human nature to yearn to be accepted.  In psychology it’s called the sense of belongingness.  It’s the reason why some guys or gals join fraternities and sororities.  They want a group that accepts them.  But you don’t have to join a club or a fraternity to get accepted.  The key to getting accepted by others is when we practice our values or virtues.  How can anyone not get attracted to someone who is kind, caring, patient, helpful and charitable to others?  As I’ve always said, virtues bring out the best in us, we become more human. And the opposite is also true, vices make us less human and actually more of an animal.  When someone devours food as if there’s no more food tomorrow, doesn’t he or she behave like a pig?  We give birth to our true identity by being good not by being bad.  Just look at the saints, they all have different personalities.  In contrast the tyrants and the oppressors of this world, who terrorize and kill people by the thousands if not millions, are very boring because they pretty much have the same character.  It’s not hard to distinguish between Lenin and Hitler.  

You are who you are as God wanted you to be.  God is satisfied creating you and you should also be.  God is the champion and expert in bringing out our individuality.  God brings out our fullest identity if we obey Him and heed His calling or His plan for us in this life.  God will renew us and introduce us to our real selves.  “Behold I make all things new.”  (Rev. 21:5)

ANOTHER ROLLER COASTER LIFE

Life is literally just like a roller coaster. We go up, we go down. We wait for a time when it all evens out and we can trust that the falls are over. It doesn't come.

Yes, nowadays, for many of us life is indeed an emotional roller coaster. All over the world. Political instability, wars, terror attacks, climate change with extreme natural disasters, questionable global economical situations, illnesses AND diseases... .

Questions about how to proceed and move on and nobody really has a correct answer. How then?

As usual, a day starts with a traffic jam and continues with terrible conditions at any workplace. The crab mentality seems to have become nothing unusual now. In any case: everyone for himself. Each one by himself/herself/itself alone is quite nice, but together...? Do we have a problem? So what! It's not everyone's cup of tea.

Life seems to be nothing, just being ready to riddle one with bullets. Life seems to be nothing, just being broken through indifference and unreliable and immoral behavior. Life seems to be nothing for those people who don't understand cries from the heart of other people around them - cries for their hearts and families, for justice and for many other things.

Life with all its ups and downs, is just a loan, but for many of our fellow creatures it just seems to be nonsense to be littered like a dump. And, if people try to survive, especially during these days, and if they just experienced (once more!) indifference, arrogance, ignorance or cheating by whomever - they will give up! 

I can assure you that every one of us can at first help in prayers and in reading the bible. "Proverbs" is the probably most down-to-earth book in the bible. Its teachings prepare you for daily life, the street and the market place, but not for the schoolroom. The book offers warm pieces of advice you get; practical guidance for making your way on earth. Proverbs covers any kinds of questions you might have right now. Anybody can relate to the generalities of Proverbs, because this book simply tells how life works most of the time.

While writing this piece, I observed that more and more people struggle through life: tired, hopeless, experiencing their rock-bottoms, believing in fallacious "people" around them. Can a roller coaster go on forever?

We all know, though, that roller coaster rides don't last forever. That's because the roller coaster loses energy to other forces as it does loop-the-loops, curves, and other hills along the way. This friction slows the roller coaster gradually, as does the air that you fly through as you ride the ride.

Our emotions can feel like a roller coaster ride when we allow our thoughts and fantasies to get the better of us. When we think negative thoughts, these affect our emotions in powerful and negative ways.

PH jumps to 9th place in global IP office ranking

 

by Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat, Manila Bulletin

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) jumped to 9th place in the World Trademark Review’s (WTR) 2021 IP (intellectual property) Office Innovation Ranking from 24th in the previous year, making the Philippines the only developing country to have an IP office in the top 10 out of 60 offices ranked worldwide.

IPOPHL made what the WTR dubbed “an impressive rise,” which also put it ahead of the IP offices of Japan and USA. The office enjoys its current spot along with Spain and Switzerland.

The IP Office Innovation Ranking is an annual project by the WTR, an independent news and information service for trademark professionals worldwide. It surveys how IP offices that offer trademark services are transforming from simple administrative agencies into more technologically advanced organizations. It also takes into account offices’ value-add offerings to help fill the gaps of IP utilization in their jurisdictions.

The report grades IP offices based on: Online Capabilities; Value-Added Propositions; and Public Outreach Efforts.

Under Online Capabilities, the Philippines ranked 11th together with Austria, BENELUX (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) and Japan. IPOPHL’s digital capabilities, particularly website functionality and accessibility, trademark e-filing rating and use of AI functionality, were cited.

In terms of Value-Added Propositions, the Philippines and ten other countries ranked second just behind Singapore. Pushing the country’s ranking were its offering of trademark dispute mediation, IP legal advice for SMEs and liaising with enforcement agencies.

Under Public Outreach Efforts, the Philippines ranked 23rd together with Australia, Canada, Sweden and Turkey. Efforts noted include IPOPHL’s conduct of public trademark events; utilization of social media; attendance to non-IP events; and collaboration with other IP offices.

“The good news delivered by the WTR report demonstrates IPOPHL’s adoption of innovations to cope with the pandemic and ensure we can continue to serve the public,” said IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba.

“Our jump in the WTR ranking is the latest to show IPOPHL’s unwavering commitment to serve the public. Yet we aim to reach higher and help local and foreign stakeholders conveniently and strategically utilize their IP assets as essential tools in business recovery and resilience,” Barba said.

At the start of the local community quarantine, IPOPHL fast-tracked putting in place the tools and protocols to allow services online, such as end-to-end registration, mediation, filing of IP violation complaints and other office actions.

IPOPHL also launched its Business Intelligence v2.0 online platform, which incorporates cutting-edge machine learning / artificial intelligence to improve its big data analytics capabilities.

Aside from its thrust towards digitalization, IPOPHL has also been assisting MSMEs, with the launch of its Juan for the World trademark incentive package and the renewal of the Juana Make a Mark and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Filing Assistance Program last year.

IPOPHL has also been recognized by the World Intellectual Property Organization for its performance as one of only 24 International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority (ISA/IPEA) in the world. In the WIPO 2021 PCT Yearly Review, IPOPHL, alongside a few ISA/IPEAs with a 100 percent score, topped the completion of international search reports and the timeliness of transmittal categories.

With increased digitalization, improved services and a wider reach of IP awareness and education campaigns online, IP filings in the first half of 2021 posted a 20 percent year-on-year growth.

Octa: NCR on ‘severe’ Covid-19 outbreak

MANILA. A police officer checks documents at a checkpoint as the government enforced another round of strict health restrictions to control the rise of Covid-19 cases at the outskirts of Quezon City in Manila, Philippines on Monday, January 10, 2022. (AP)

By: THIRD ANNE PERALTA-MALONZO, SunStar Manila

THE National Capital Region (NCR) is experiencing a “severe outbreak” of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) following the increase in average daily attack rate (Adar) to 89.42 percent, Octa fellow Dr. Guido David said on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.

David said NCR’s Adar jumped to 89.42 percent (January 4 to 10) from just 12.71 percent in December 28, 2021 to January 3.

“The Adar increased to 89.41 (percent), which is above the Covidactnow threshold for a severe outbreak (greater than 75 per day per 100K),” David said.

He said the seven-day positivity rate increased to 48 percent, while the reproduction number decreased to 5.22 from 5.65.

He said the decrease in the reproduction number indicates a “slight” downtrend.

“Hospital bed occupancy increased to 57 percent and is likely to exceed 70 percent next week,” said David.

“Overall, NCR is classified as a very high risk,” he added.

The Philippines is experiencing a spike in Covid-19 cases believed to be due to the more transmissible Omicron variant.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said the Omicron variant is the new dominant variant in the country, overthrowing the Delta strain.

The Department of Health on Monday, January 10, reported a total of 33,169 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day tally recorded so far since the pandemic began in 2020.

This has brought the country’s total active cases to 157,526.

The NCR is under Alert Level 3 until January 15.

In a press briefing, acting presidential spokesperson Cabinet secretary Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force will discuss the quarantine status in the country by Thursday, January 13.

“Ito ‘yung binabantayan natin total bed utilization pag pumalo ng 71 percent and higher to 84 percent, dito masasabi na i-alert level 4 na ang Metro Manila,” he said.

“As of the moment, hindi pa po tayo nagb-breach ng threshold na yan and that is why Metro Manila still remains under alert level 3,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)

   

PH, Metro Manila now under critical-risk COVID-19 classification

The country is now under critical-risk case classification as well as Metro Manila and two other regions for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the highest risk assessment, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday night, Jan. 10.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said during the President’s late night public address that the country has a critical-risk two-week growth rate at 3663 percent and an average daily attack rate of 10.47 per 100,000 population. Duque also bared that the country’s current seven-day average daily cases is at 20,481 from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10, an increase of 690 percent. From Dec. 28 to Jan. 3, the seven-day average daily cases was only at 2,593 but this was a jump of 726 percent from Dec. 21 to Dec. 27’s seven-day average daily cases of only 314. Duque said that Metro Manila shared most of the caseload. Meanwhile, the National Capital (NCR) has a critical-risk two-week growth rate at 7172 percent and an average daily attack rate of 51.77 per 100,000 population. Region 4-A as well as Region 3 is also at critical-risk case classification with positive two week growth rates and an average daily attack rate of more than seven per 100,000 population.

Developing the apostolic spirit

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

ONE clear sign that we are truly Christians is when we have an abiding apostolic concern. It can only mean that we are sharing in the very mission of Christ who came here to save all men. And that’s what being an apostle is. We have to realize then that we all have an apostolic vocation. Yes, everyone is called to be apostle in whatever circumstance he may be in.

Have you ever wondered why Christ appeared to just choose his apostles at random? He would just pass by a certain place, and upon seeing someone, he would just say, “Come, follow me.” And wonder of wonders, the person called would just follow him without any question. In fact, it is said that the person called would just leave everything behind (“relictis omnibus”).

I guess the only plausible answer to that question is that Christ had all the right to do so, and the person called also had the duty to respond accordingly, because in the final analysis, all of us are actually meant to be an apostle. That is to say, to be some kind of ambassador, a representative of Christ on earth.

At bottom, the answer is because we are supposed to be like Christ, another Christ, if not Christ himself (“alter Christus,” and even “ipse Christus”). All of us are patterned after Christ, and so we cannot avoid being involved in the mission of Christ which is the salvation of all mankind.

We have to process this basic truth of faith about ourselves, channeling and assimilating it into our very consciousness and instincts, because we often take this essential aspect of our identity for granted. 

Especially now, with all the absorbing and riveting things around, we tend to forget that we should always have an apostolic concern that we ought to pursue with utmost zeal. Without this apostolic concern, we would be distorting if not betraying our human and Christian identity.

We have to be apostolic because that is how we are by our very nature. With our intelligence and will and all our other faculties, powers and endowments we have, we are meant and enabled to enter into relation with others, with everybody else, in fact. 

It should be a relation marked by love, by concern, by desire to help and be helped, to lead and be led to what is our good in all its levels and aspects, until we all reach the ultimate good who is God.

We can always do apostolate in any situation, whether we are working or resting, at home or in the office, doing business or politics, etc. In fact, everything in our life should have an apostolic end. More than that, these situations would lack their real value if they fail to attend to the apostolic possibilities they contain.

Our call to holiness will always involve our duty to be apostolic. Sanctity and apostolate cannot be separated. This is simply because to be with Christ, to be another Christ as we ought to be, we have to be involved in Christ’s continuing work of redemption. Our sanctification cannot be deprived of its apostolic dimension.

We have to realize ever more deeply that to feel this urge to be an apostle and to do apostolate all the time, we have to be vitally united and identified with Christ. We cannot overemphasize the need for us to truly pray and meditate on Christ’s life and teaching so that we can acquire the very mind and heart of Christ, his every desire and spirit.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Philippines records highest COVID-19 cases in a day

The STAR / Walter Bollozos

By Xave Gregorio - Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines recorded on Saturday its highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day since the pandemic began.

The Department of Health reported that the country logged 26,458 new coronavirus infections, surpassing the previous peak during the Delta-driven surge of 26,303 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 2,936,875.

Meanwhile, the single-day death toll hit the highest in over two months, with the DOH reporting 265 new deaths, pushing the total number of fatalities to 52,135.

The DOH also reported 1,656 recoveries, bringing the total number of people who got well from the disease to 2,782,723.

Active cases are at its highest in nearly three months with 102,017 people still dealing with a coronavirus infection, according to the DOH.

As new coronavirus infections surge to its highest ever, which the government parly blamed on the local transmission of the Omicron variant, some experts are calling for the government’s pandemic task force to escalate the COVID-19 alert level over areas with increasing cases, particularly virus epicenter Metro Manila.

But presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion told One News’ “Agenda” that the government’s pandemic task force is not yet considering imposing a sweeping lockdown over Metro Manila.

Concepcion, however, admitted that “there are talks” about placing the capital region under Alert Level 4.

Hospital bed occupancy in Metro Manila is gradually increasing as cases rise, including in the Philippine General Hospital, a COVID-19 referral center, where its intensive care unit for coronavirus patients has hit full capacity.

PGH’s workforce is also stretched thin, with 25% of its healthcare workers having been infected with COVID-19. — with a report from Gaea Katreena Cabico