4,000 to 8,000 daily Covid-19 cases by end of October if MPHS compliance further declines – DOH

by Dhel Nazario, Manila Bulletin 

The Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday, Oct. 19 that daily Covid-19 cases may reach 4,000 to as high as 8,000 by the end of the month should compliance with minimum public health standards (MPHS) further declines.

People flock to Ilaya in Binondo, Manila on Jan. 2, 2022. Metro Manila will be under Alert Level 3 starting Jan. 3 until Jan. 15, 2022 due to the rise of COVID-19 cases. (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)

In a press briefing, Dr. Althea de Guzman, a medical specialist from the Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau, said that based on their projections show that a continuous decline in minimum public health standards may lead to case increases.

She said that national daily cases projected using actual data, as of September 18 showed that cases detected at the national level are expected to follow a continuous slow downward trend with projections estimating cases at 1,204 cases per day by the end of October.

“However, a further decline in our MPHS compliance may reverse our trend with an increase in cases ranging from 4055 to as high as 8670 by the end of October,” she stated. She added that AuTuMN projections also show a similar trend. However, it emphasizes that even with case increases, severe and critical illnesses are not seen to exceed those previously observed during the Delta and Omicron spike.

De Guzman also mentioned that the emergence of a new variant may lead to a sharp increase in hospitalization at the beginning of 2023 in the National Capital Region (NCR).

PH backs climate initiative

Robert Borje, vice chairman and executive director of the Climate Change Commission (CCC). TMT FILE PHOTO

By Kristina Maralit, Manila Times

October 10, 2022

THE Philippines renewed its call for a stronger global initiative on climate change during a meeting of stakeholders ahead of the Conference of Parties (COP27) climate summit in Egypt next month.

In the PreCOP27 summit held in DR Congo last week, Robert Borje, vice chairman and executive director of the Climate Change Commission (CCC), stressed the importance of reaching an agreement and urgent collective action to address climate change and its impacts.

"PreCOP27 in Kinshasa provides parties and partners a vital opportunity to discuss at length what is important for all in order to make significant headway in addressing climate change and its impacts, particularly for developing at-risk and vulnerable states like the Philippines," he said, adding that developing nations suffer the most while contributing the least to climate change.

On adaptation, Borje said the Philippines pushed for fast-tracking finance, technology and capacity development to build adaptive capacities, improve resilience and reduce vulnerabilities of developing countries, in accordance with the Global Goal on Adaptation.

On mitigation, the official stressed that emissions avoidance must be part of the mitigation action to accelerate just transition to low carbon development in developing nations.

Regarding climate finance, he pointed out that the New Collective Quantified Goal must include the key elements of transparency, responsiveness, and scale.

It emphasized that climate finance must be accurately reported while being needs-based and commensurate to the needs of potential recipients.

From the $100 billion climate finance commitment of developed countries under the Paris Agreement, the New Collective Quantified Goal must set a higher target for climate finance to help implement climate change-related strategies and measures.

Marcos tells world to act fast vs climate change

With a view to realizing climate justice for vulnerable and at-risk developing nations, the Philippines underscored that access by least developed and developing countries to financial mechanisms must be streamlined and simplified.

On loss and damage, the Philippines raised concern that least developed and developing countries can no longer absorb and afford the cost of further losses and damages due to climate change and its impacts.

Borje argued that there must be an agenda item on loss and damage, as well as dedicated space to discuss the operationalization of the Santiago Network.

Targeted to be fully operationalized by 2023, the Santiago Network is meant to catalyze technical support of organizations, bodies, networks and experts for developing countries to avert, minimize, and address climate change-related loss and damage.

UN forum seeks adequate funding for climate change

Additionally, the Philippine government underlined that dedicated discussion space must be provided for the financing for loss and damage, and the governance structure of the Warsaw International Mechanism as established to implement approaches to loss and damage — all in line with the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact, among other international frameworks and commitments.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, in partnership with the Arab Republic of Egypt as the incoming COP27 Presidency, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, convened 60 countries in Kinshasa for PreCOP27.

CP27 will be held on November 6 to 18 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

5 thoughts you need to take out from your head

by Jane Kingsu-Cheng

Say no to these negative vibes

We’ve all heard these phrases at some point of our lives, especially when we were young and gullible then. These lines have been ingrained in our heads, making us believe that we’re not worth it. This leads to self-doubt and questioning our self-worth, but should we let these negative thoughts win?

Photo by Dingzeyu Li on Unsplash

The crucial first step is to always acknowledge what’s wrong, assess our current situation, and move forward. This International Women’s Month, let’s start with the five negative thoughts that we need to take out of our heads.

1. I don’t fit here!
   We are social in nature, and we want to find a group of friends we can call family. And this task isn’t as easy as it sounds. Some would find fault and put the person down for little things such as mannerisms and physical attributes, embarrassing them in front of other peers. This trauma can lead to these bullied ones afraid of meeting new friends and not fitting in.
   This is not you, don’t let the childhood bully make you believe otherwise.

2. I can’t do it!
   We all want to try new things, but our guardians, out of their concern, protect us to a fault. “You’re just a girl, you can’t do it.” That memory has been ingrained in your head, but that shouldn’t stop you from proving them and even yourself that they’re wrong. You can do it! Don’t let your guardian believe their right all along.
   
3. I am not enough!
   The pressure is real. With so many slashes as a mom, a wife, a daughter, an employee or a businesswoman, it’s never enough. You know how much value you put in on the table. Don’t let anyone else make you think otherwise. Prove all your colleagues wrong.
   
4. I am too fat or too thin!
   Family gatherings are always scary as our older relatives would always have something to comment about the way we look. There’s never the right body frame and weight for them. You can be too fat or you can be too thin. And this affects us and makes us feel insecure. You, of all people, know how you should look. Trust your instincts and give yourself a pat on the back. Don’t let your tita win!
   
5. I can’t be happy on my own.
   In a country where most people believe happiness is found in finding your soulmate, it’s hard to believe that happiness can be found within you. But you have to fight the urge to do so. Happiness starts within you. When you know how to be happy on your own, when you know how to take care and appreciate yourself, then that’s time you’re ready to share the love you have.

Remember that these lines were not yours in the first place, don’t let it take control of your life. This International Women’s Day, Avon reminds women all over the world that you have the power to silence them and replace them with encouraging and empowering words. It’s time to love yourself. Grow and flourish!

Metro Manila could see more ‘ups and downs’ in new Covid-19 cases until end-2022 — OCTA

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz, Manila Bulletin

(OCTA RESEARCH FELLOW DR. GUIDO DAVID / TWITTER)

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said that Metro Manila may continue to see a fluctuating number of new Covid-19 cases toward the end of the year.

In an update shared on Twitter on Monday, Oct. 10, David said the seven-day average of new Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila dropped to 863 on Oct. 9, from 1,057 on Oct. 2.

This translates to a one-week growth rate of negative (-) 18 percent.

David also pointed out that Metro Manila’s average daily attack rate (ADAR) dropped to 5.99 per 100,000, which is considered “low.”

ADAR or incidence rate refers to the number of new daily cases per 100,000 population.

“We hope that cases in the NCR (National Capital Region) continue to decrease, but with new subvariants coming in, a wall of immunity that is not solid, and the increasing numbers in other parts of the country, we might expect to see more ups and downs in new Covid cases towards the end of the year,” David said.

In OCTA’s monitoring, Metro Manila’s seven-day positivity rate—or the number of individuals who yielded positive results from among those who have been tested for Covid-19–was recorded at 17.9 percent on Oct. 8, down from a peak positivity rate of 19.1 percent on Oct. 1.

Moreover, the region’s reproduction number—or the average number of secondary infections per infected individual—dropped from 1.10 on Sept. 29 to 0.99 on Oct. 6.

“Healthcare utilization for Covid-19 remained low at 36 percent, while ICU occupancy also remained low at 28 percent—both are as of Oct. 8,” David said.

200 boat operators take part in annual Regatta de Zamboanga

Published October 10, 2022, 7:03 AM

by Liza Abubakar-Jocson

ZAMBOANGA CITY — More than 200 boat operators participated in this year’s Regatta de Zamboanga, an exciting race of colorful vintas or the traditional outrigger boat from Mindanao held along waters fronting RT LIm Boulevard on Sunday, Oct. 9.

More than 100 colorful vintas line up along waters fronting RT Lim Boulevard in Zamboanga City prior to the Regatta de Zamboanga, Zamboanga City’s most exciting boat race.  (Zambo LGU photo)

More than 100 colorful vintas line up along waters fronting RT Lim Boulevard in Zamboanga City prior to the Regatta de Zamboanga, Zamboanga City’s most exciting boat race.  (Zambo LGU photo)

Crowds of Zamboanga residents and visitors came in for the Zamboanga Hermosa Festival, forming a long line at the boulevard to witness the traditional boat racing event.

Participants are mostly fishermen who come from Zamboanga city’s coastal barangays who have practiced for several months prior to the race and who have decorated their boats with attractive sails representative of the vintas.

An undefeated champion for several years, Danny Ladja and his assistant from Barangay Sinunuc won this year’s grand prize of P50,000.

Four other winners from the barangays of Sinunuc and Mariki took home cash prizes ranging from P35,000 to P10,000.

This is the first Regatta de Zamboanga held after a two-year hiatus brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

LPA east of Cagayan may develop into tropical depression; another LPA monitored outside PAR — PAGASA

Published October 10, 2022, 8:32 AM

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz, Manila Bulletin

(MANILA BULLETIN)

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Monday morning, Oct. 10, said that the low pressure area (LPA) inside the country’s area of responsibility may develop into a tropical depression within 48 hours.

The next tropical cyclone name on PAGASA’s list is Maymay.

In its 6 a.m. weather advisory, PAGASA said the LPA was last seen 450 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City.

It said that the LPA, together with the shear line, will bring moderate to heavy rains over Cagayan, while Batanes, northern portion of Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, and Ilocos Norte will have light to heavy rains.

“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are likely, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and in areas with significant antecedent rainfall,” PAGASA warned.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country, including Metro Manila, will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Moreover, weather specialist Obet Badrina said PAGASA is also monitoring another LPA outside the country’s area of responsibility.

As of Monday morning, the LPA was located 1,880 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas and has no direct effect yet on the country.

Be always guided by faith

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

IN the gospel, there is a part where Christ lamented about the lack of faith of the people. “This generation is an evil generation,” he said. “It seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” (Lk 11,29)

We need to understand that faith is the original and ultimate source of truth about everything—about God, about ourselves, about the world and the whole of creation. We need to understand that faith is a gift from God the Creator who wishes to share his knowledge of everything with us who have been created to be like him, his image and likeness, sharers of his divine life and nature.

Faith gives us the overall picture of things. While it has to be learned, and the learning process obviously requires certain stages, not to mention tremendous effort also, we need to understand that the pursuit to have the fullness of faith should be of prime importance to us. We need to do everything to acquire that faith in its fullness.

We have to be wary of our tendency to set aside faith or at least to have recourse to it only from time to time, because we may feel that with our human knowledge brought about by our sciences, technologies, philosophies and ideologies, etc., we can already be on our own and declare some independence from God and from the faith that he gives us.

Part of the problem we have in this regard is that belief that by resorting to faith, we would be undermining our human powers, our capacity to know, our reason, etc. Nothing can be father from the truth. Faith, in fact, requires the full use of our human faculties. It does not do away with them, nor treat them as unimportant. Faith would not be faith if it ignores our reason.

We just have to realize that our reason alone cannot cope with all the reality and the truths that are relevant to us. These are truths that are spiritual and supernatural in character, and therefore are beyond what our human powers can handle.

But despite the limitations of our human powers, we have the capacity to live by faith if only we are humble enough to accept the truths of our faith since they are given to us not just by a human authority but by God himself who reveals himself in Christ who in turns makes himself present and actively intervening in our lives, through the Church and the many instrumentalities in the Church.

For this, we really need to have a living contact with Christ who is the fullness of God’s revelation to us. He is the substance, the content and the spirit of our faith. So, the first thing that we have to do is to always look for him in whatever thing we are thinking, saying or doing.

We need to check our attitudes and dispositions. Do we really look for him, in the manner spelled out by Christ himself, that is, with constancy and determination? Christ said: “Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Mt 7,7)

What obviously would help is the habit of reading and meditating on the gospel, at least for a few minutes everyday. In that way, we get to know Christ better, and to familiarize ourselves with his words, deeds and reactions to the different situations he encountered. Let’s remember that since he is “the way, the truth and the life,” everything in him will always be a guide to us.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Is there a language barrier between people in the Philippines?

Bisaya

Proud Bisaya Ko

No matter where you go in the world, communication is key to forming connections with others. And while there may be language barriers that prevent some people from understanding one another, there are always ways to overcome these obstacles. In the Philippines, for example, many people speak English as a second language. This can be helpful for those who are looking to communicate with others from different parts of the world.However, it can also create some challenges. While most Filipinos can understand and speak English, there may be some instances where communication breakdowns occur. But these moments are often just a matter of patience and understanding. By taking the time to listen and be open-minded, we can bridge any language barrier and create lasting connections with others.

Still ‘more fun’ in PH despite post-pandemic effect, says tourism chief

by Jun Marcos Tadios, Manila Bulletin

With the constant recognition being given Philippine tourism as the top destination in Asia, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said on, Friday, Oct. 7, that the country was finally overcoming the post-pandemic upshot of the Covid-19 crisis.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco (Photo by DOT)

Frasco made her manifestation during the deliberation of the proposed P3.573-billion budget of the DOT and its attached agencies before the Senate Committee on Finance.

Frasco said they had presented the programs and plans of the DOT to transform the tourism industry into a significant economic pillar through institutional development.

She stated that this was envisioned as the department’s commitment to promoting the direction of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“We also presented that we are heralding the Filipino brand to the world by highlighting the best qualities of our country and the Filipino people,” said Frasco.

The DOT chief reiterated that they would continue to promote the country’s tourism capability despite the continuing adverse effect of the global pandemic on the tourism industry.

“While the promotion of the Philippines will not entirely change in the sense that we will continue to market that it is indeed more fun here, we are growing, we are evolving — as the entire world has post-pandemic — to introduce and highlight also the beauty of our culture, the substantial and immersive experience we can offer, and the strength of our identity as a nation,” Frasco uttered.

She thanked the Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Tourism, chaired by Senator Nancy Binay, and all the senators who supported their budget for the fiscal year 2023.

The DOT and its attached agencies and corporations have a total recommended budget amounting to P3.573 billion, which is 27.87 percent higher than this year’s appropriations.

The DOT’s proposed budget has been endorsed to Senate’s plenary for debate.

The Philippines has consistently been hailed as among the best tourist destinations in the world. The latest feat came from the 2022 World Travel Awards (WTA) in Vietnam which proclaimed the Philippines as Asia’s leading dive and beach destination, and Intramuros as Asia’s leading tourist attraction. 

Sarangani seeks to plant 1 M trees in 3 years

by Joseph Jubelag, Manila Bulletin

ALABEL, Sarangani – The Sarangani provincial government launched on Wednesday, Oct. 5, a reforestation program that seeks to plant and grow some one million trees across the province in the next three years.

SARANGANI Gov. Ruel Pacquiao and wife, Jobelle, lead the launching of the One Million tree-planting project in Barangay Bagacay, Alabel, Sarangani on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Provincial officials led by Gov. Ruel Pacquiao attended the kick-off ceremony of the Sarangani One Million Trees project at the watershed areas of Barangay Bacagay here.

Hundreds of local officials, national government employees, and non-government organizations planted some 1,000 seedlings of iron bamboo and fruit trees, including coffee, langka, durian, rambutan, and lanzones.

Pacquiao urged residents and community stakeholders to take part in the environmental project.

“It could be a long way to go, but with the support of the community stakeholders, we can possibly save the depleting watershed of the province,” he said.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Rolando Tuballes said the provincial government launched the environmental protection program amid a study conducted by the USAID-Safe Water Project that showed that some 20,000 hectares of the province’s forest covers have been degraded from 2015 to 2020.

He said the degradation had caused soil erosion and siltation triggered by perennial flooding.

“The massive tree-planting and tree-growing project for the next three years will intensify the reforestation of the denuded watershed areas which aimed to improve the quantity and quality of the province’s water supply,” Tuballes said.