#VERGEIRE

[carlocarrasco]

COVID-19 Crisis: 2nd booster shots will become available to general population

Recently the Department of Health (DOH) announced via a press conference that people who belong to the general population will eventually be allowed to receive the 2nd booster shots for COVID-19, according to a GMA Network news report. Take note that months ago, billions of Pesos worth of COVID-19 vaccines got wasted which the DOH itself actually defended. To put things in perspective, posted…

[upismediacenter]

UPIS JBT fights hard in 91-44 defeat against UE JBT

The UPIS Junior Fighting Maroons suffered a tough loss against the UE Junior Warriors in the UAAP Season 87 Under-16 Junior High School Basketball Tournament at a score of 91-44 last September 14 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The first quarter started at a slow pace, with both teams trying to find their own rhythm. The Junior Maroons had a lot of missed shots while the Junior Warriors consistently hit theirs with precision. Jhustin Hallare scored 4 points for UPIS and Bruce Tubongbanua added five, but the quarter ended with UE firmly ahead with a 14-point lead, scoring 23 points.

UPIS showed more enthusiasm in the second quarter, scoring 18 points compared to UE’s 16. This closed the gap to 12 points, bringing the scores to 39-27 at halftime. UE’s numerous fouls, including blocking and pushing which resulted in a penalty situation, gave the Junior Maroons several chances at the free-throw line. The Junior Warriors were also given a warning for delaying the game. Hallare led the UPIS team with nine points in the quarter, including a three-pointer, Tubongbanua added seven, while Vince Gepitan and John Addatu each contributed a point.

The leading scorers for the first half of the game were Jhustin Hallare (14 points) and Bruce Tubongbanua (11 points). The top scorers for UE were Gab Delos Reyes (8 points), Goodluck Okebata (8 points), and Enrico Bungar (6 points).

The gap widened greatly in the third quarter. UPIS missed several three-point shots and faced strong offensive and defensive pressure, which resulted in UE stealing the ball multiple times, and shooting a total of 26 points. Okebata led UE’s offensive charge, scoring a total of nine points. Despite the Maroons’ tough quarter, Gepitan managed to sink a three-pointer and gained seven points for UPIS. The quarter ended with UE leading comfortably with the points at 65-34.

The MVP of the game was Delos Reyes with a score of 17. For UPIS, top scorer Hallare scored a total of 21 points.

UPIS Head Coach King Vergeire pointed out the team’s lack of discipline as one of the biggest challenges they encountered.  

“We have to do a better job executing our game plan. Like what I’ve said earlier, one of the things I want to see our team improve on is to be more disciplined executing our game plan,” he emphasized.

He also expressed disappointment with the outcome of the match as he felt the team could’ve done better and showed more fight. 

“I felt like we had a lot more to give. I don’t think that this team has shown its full capability yet,” he noted.

UPIS JBT Team Captain Bruce Tubongbanua acknowledged the strength and size disadvantage they faced against UE. “Magaling and malaki sila so we try to outrun them. . . . Mas maliit kami so dapat mas mabilis kami,” he added.

He also noted that the team had only two weeks of practice as the tournament was sudden and they weren't sure whether or not to participate, making them a newer team compared to the more established UE team. However, he remained positive, stating that that is not an excuse to not fight. 

“Maganda yung second quarter namin pero yung linaro (sic) namin sa second quarter, sana ginawa namin buong game. And kumpiyansa lang sa isa't isa kasi yung iba sa amin parang nahihiya pa,” he added. 

For the key takeaways for the match, he emphasized, “Even when [we’re] down, heads up lang and just play basketball. And one team naman kami, so, let's learn from our mistakes na lang.”

Looking ahead, the Junior Fighting Maroons remain hopeful, focusing on building better team chemistry, learning from their mistakes, and improving their execution in future games.

//by Aisha Timbal

[robbiemd]

Log #389

The day the Health Secretary Vergeire visited our hospital.

She was intimidating at first, biased on the fact that she is the highest ranking doctor under government service. She’s in the ranks with Francisco Duque and Juan Flavier, as I thought. However, after a few minutes, I realized that it doesn’t take an ocean to be able to talk to her and approach her. “She has the vibe of an IDS (Infectious Diseases Specialist). Mukhang masungit pero mabait pala.” I told Ejii-chan. She listened to our concerns, visited every patient, and expressed her support to our plans to upgrade and expand the hospital.

I usually see her on TV or the internet. But today, I encountered a rarity with matching tapik-tapik pa sa likod ko as we talked about the hospital’s future. “Sobrang linis at aliwalas ng hospital n’yo. At walang amoy ospital. We’ll work altogether to make further upgrades and expansion to this hospital.” It was a proud moment for the father of the hospital.

After the visit, I told all my staff thru our Facebook GC, “Proud ako sa inyong lahat. Good job, everyone!”

I then proceeded to the munisipyo to represent our hospital in an inter-agency meeting with the DOH OIC Secretary, the Mayor and Vice Mayor, representatives of some Congressmen, and the Municipal Health Office to tackle an undying issue of El Nido: the sustained cases of Acute Gastroenteritis and Amoebiasis in the municipality.

I was driven back by our driver, sir Dan, together with the chief nurse Armel, and staff nurse Gretchen, who bought groceries from a nearby talipapa before heading back to the hospital.

The week long prep finally bore its fruits! Now I have to try to sleep because Sec Vergeire is requesting us to be at the airport by 5:30 AM for a photo op prior to their flight back to MNL. Apparently, she forgot to take pictures with us during her visit. Lol.

13 May 2023 1:26 PM El Nido, Philippines

[renesf]

President Bongbong Marcos Not Ready For Health Undersecretary Vergeire

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – President Bongbong Marcos has been criticized for his failure to appoint a Health Secretary for almost a year. Critics have said that this should been a priority with the Philippines just coming out of the negative impact of Covid-19 not only on the health of Filipinos but of the economy in general. Marcos, however, appointed Health…

[mykagiannereyes]

Malnutrition in Plaridel Bulacan falls under 120 cases

In the Philippines, malnutrition is a widespread issue. 95 children die every day as a result of poverty. The country is one of the top 10 countries in the world for having the most undernourished children, according to the World Bank, ranking sixth among East Asian and Pacific countries with the highest frequency of stunting.

Approximately thirty percent of Filipino children under the age of five struggle with stunted growth.The Department of Health (DOH) has taken notice of persistent malnutrition in the Philippines. The details by the department's chief health officer, Maria S. Vergeire said on a facebook live stream that,"12.3% of infants between 0 and 23 months are underweight, and 7.2% are wasted.   

According to figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority, almost 11 million children between the ages of 0 and 4 made up 10.2% of the population as of the 2020 census.

Poverty is one of the common problems of our country which brings children to hunger. When the pandemic struck, malnutrition became severe, and every impoverished Filipino family's way of life and health was damaged.

The Municipality of Plaridel Bulacan is also fighting against malnutrition. According to Ms. Anna Victoria Bambo, a  Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, OIC. Plaridel had 374 malnutrition, however, by March 2023, the number of cases had dropped to just 120. She added the solutions needed to address malnutrition in the community.

“Malaki ang naging epekto ng pandemya lalo na noong year 2021, we had 374 pero ngayon 120 na lang so malaki na din yung reduction kasi may mga program kami like feeding program, school feeding. “

“Unang una kasama ko yung mga kasamahan ko and then yung mga volunteer namin, yung mga LLM, mother leader tulong tulong kami and then the MMC (Municipal Commission Committee). Ang una naming ginawa ay nagkaroon kami ng profiling of malnourished children so lahat ng mga malnourished meron kaming form at lahat ay rinerefer namin sa RHU para malapatan sila ng kailangan nila, kung may health problem ba sila. Kami din ay nagbibigay ng mga supplemental feeding and yung mga RUSF, (mga pagkain ng mga malnourished). “

”Meron na kaming ongoing medical check up kay Doctor Abelia, may school feeding, may special supervised neighborhood play ng DSWD and bukod pa din doon yung feeding ng mga sponsor ng mga NGO at sponsor ng barangay kaya nagkaka tuwang-tuwang kami. “

Barangay Poblacion in Plaridel, Bulacan, has 2 remaining cases of malnutrition based on the official, Mr Spike Capulong, Councilor of Poblacion, Finance Committee. As explained by him, malnutrition is also one of the basic problems of the barangay. 

“Yung mga motherleader natin nag fi-feeding sila, para mabawasan mga malnourished natin rito. Actually, konti nalang malnourished natin dito sa Poblacion eh, dati meron sigurong bente o trenta, ngayon ay dalawang bata nalang. “

[ricisidro]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jun Isidro (@rcisidro)

Procurement of #bivalent #COVID19vaccines is a non-option for us because of existing laws in the country. The state of calamity was lifted, and because of that, our vaccination law is already not valid: #DOH OIC Secretary Rosario Vergeire

via @gmanews

[thepensociety]

FACE MASK VS. COVID 19 AGAIN

BY: XYZA JEAN TRABADO

Because of the pandemic, we learned to wear a facemask, it's been three years since we used it every day. This has become the face shield of people against the virus that we cannot see. As they say, the pandemic is the worst disease that has shaken the whole world. But because of this, many people have discovered different types of face masks, some of which are only in limited stock. We've all gone through the point where we're nervous about running out and losing our stock of face masks. Even if others use it wrongly, even if others just find a way to make their own face mask, we can all do it. There are still many people who cannot survive with face masks since it was implemented that everyone must wear a face mask when going out and shopping in public stores. Especially because of the heat, almost all of us find it difficult to breathe especially when it's crowded and there are many people, we find it difficult to get air from the outside and we find it harder to exhale because it's covered. Even though there have been various penalties for not using a face mask, there are still many who do not follow this law. So when the cases decreased in the Philippines and so that people could breathe easier, the wearing of face masks was made voluntary and most of us did not use them again, because even they were having a hard time when they were working or what they were doing was affected. And because of this, social distancing was no longer followed because they all thought or we thought we were back to normal, but more people tested positive for covid and it spread faster among people. According to the department had argued against lifting the mask mandate in late 2022, saying it was too soon to do so even if cases were down. After President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. made wearing masks in public optional, it advised their use in schools to protect children from the virus. But so that the face mask does not get infected, I prefer to wear it rather than not wearing it especially outside. We can't be complacent about the people we meet every day, we don't know if their every cough or every action they carry has a virus or they got it from someone they met before you met.

"We are not considering the return of mask mandates," Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing. Vergeire nonetheless encouraged Filipinos to wear masks in crowded areas and places with poor ventilation. Many were also happy when they said that the facemask is no longer required, as long as there is social distancing and knowing what to do when outside. But many people still said to bring it back so that the cases will not spread and things will not get worse in the coming years. The health official also advised masks for senior citizens and people with comorbidities. This is also right so that even if people don't have face masks anymore, there are still people who can use face masks themselves or people who are easily infected and difficult to heal. This is also right so that no matter how they come back or have a new virus, they still have a fight and they are better protected. This week the city government of Manila earlier said it may review its policy on the use of face masks indoors and outdoors after it observed a surge in COVID-19 infections. Even if we say that we all can use a face mask, there are still many people who will wear it but don't wear it correctly, or wear it but not a surgical mask or masks that have less protection than a surgical mask. Maybe that's why it's allowed that even if everyone doesn't wear a face mask anymore because many people have complained. Complained but others still wear it. There are many people who say that they are used to using a face mask, especially me, I am also one of those who are used to going out or being awkward when someone looks at me or I can't talk to someone. Can't even breathe sometimes but I'm used to it. Used to buying at the store, used to having to wear a face mask when there are a lot of people, used to keeping a distance that for sure other people do too. It's also been three years since the pandemic trained us in things that are new to us such as social distancing, drinking alcohol for a minute. It's new but now it's what people are more used to, it's what they prefer to do. Due to the increased number of covid cases this week. The Philippines recorded 2,386 additional COVID-19 cases from April 10 to 16. The figure was 23% higher than the number of

infections logged from April 3 to 9. According to the DOH, it is feared that whatever may happen if the failure to wear face masks continues that even though it is voluntary, there are still people who do not follow the health protocols.

Nine out of 10 Filipinos approve the voluntary use of masks, but most of them continue to wear face covering outdoors, according to a survey released by Social Weather Stations last month. That's what I'm saying that even though everyone has been told or informed that the facemask is no longer required or voluntary, many people still wear facemasks because of the trauma they've been given or the fear that covid might spread or infect them with a virus they don't have. Know that it can also spread if not taken care of. Many people were scared then, many people panicked, one of them being the ones who bought a box of face masks because the stock of face masks was running out. Even though it caused fear in people, it also helped to enforce safety first or being careful when leaving the house or socializing. Positivity rate up the COVID- 19 positivity rate in the country increased to 7.6% from 6.9%. The World Health Organization recommends the proportion of COVID-19 tests coming back positive should remain below 5% to ensure the spread of the virus is under control. This is what everyone is afraid of, the resurgence of covid that we don't realize because the rest of us appear as if there is no disease waiting or no disease roaming the Philippines. When the government started agreeing, the parties started, new businesses opened. Having many concerts without social distancing happening. Maybe that's why covid increased with concerts and people who are always outside who don't wear face masks anymore. Even though it was announced, there are still many people who don't know or just ignore it because they think the Philippines is safe and there is no virus spreading. Because people don't watch much TV anymore. Most everyone is focused on cellphones or laptops because of what has been done due to the pandemic. Vergeire noted that the positivity rate should not be used as the sole indicator to evaluate the country's COVID-19 situation as it can be affected by the number of people who get tested for the virus. You should really be careful and consider the increases of covid because it is not a joke and it is difficult when there is a lockdown because medical professionals will have more difficulty. "What's most important is that our hospitals are not seeing an increase in the number of severe and critical admissions," she said. The Philippines has confirmed over four million

COVID-19 infections, including more than 66,000 deaths, since the pandemic began in early 2020 according to DOH.

[arun-pratap-singh]

PH kontrolado na COVID pandemya

Itinuring ni Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire na “manageable” o kontrolado na ang COVID-19 sa bansa dahil na rin sa mababang bilang ng mga dinadala sa ospital at namamatay sa coronavirus. Bunga aniya ito ng kombinasyon ng natural immunity at mga pagbabakuna laban sa COVID-19. “Alam natin nung nag-uumpisa ang Omicron variant dito sa ating bansa maraming…

[marketingstrategy1]

Maternal, Children Deaths Spike In Philippines During COVID-19 Pandemic

MANILA, Jan. 17 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 17th Jan, 2023 ) –:The Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday that maternal and children deaths spiked during the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that many mothers failed to access maternal health services due to pandemic restrictions. “Many mothers opted to give birth…

[gamegill]

Maternal, Children Deaths Spike In Philippines During COVID-19 Pandemic

MANILA, Jan. 17 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 17th Jan, 2023 ) –:The Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday that maternal and children deaths spiked during the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that many mothers failed to access maternal health services due to pandemic restrictions. “Many mothers opted to give birth…

[rodneyartida]

OCTA bats for stricter travel protocols for returning OFWs following discovery of hard-to-detect COVID variant

The OCTA Research Group recommended a stricter mandatory quarantine for returning overseas Filipinos and travelers after the discovery of a new COVID-19 variant undetected by PCR tests.

"May bagong variant na hindi na-dedetect ng PCR test...Kung ganun ibig sabihin ayusin natin ang international travel protocols natin," OCTA Research fellow Guido David.

"Dapat pag may papasok na returning Filipinos o tourists dapat mandatory na ang quarantine period,” he added.

The new variant was discovered by French authorities in mid-March and appears undetectable by PCR tests, the gold standard for COVID-19 tests.

The French Health Ministry on Monday said the variant is not more dangerous or transmissible compared to other variants.

The World Health Organization (WHO) categorized the new variant as a "variant under investigation" (VUI).

Meanwhile, the Philippine government is also urged to expand its contact tracing and testing capabilities.

The independent group said the accelerating vaccine rollout will bring down the COVID-19 cases especially in NCR Plus areas.

As of Tuesday, April 13, the Philippines has administered 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

[carlocarrasco]

COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City government commended by DOH for achieving high vaccination rate

COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City government commended by DOH for achieving high vaccination rate

By achieving a high rate of COVID-19 vaccination of its residents, the City Government of Las Piñas received a commendation from the Department of Health (DOH), according to a Manila Bulletin news report. To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Standard report. Some parts in boldface… Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario…

[newsbunddle]

Philippines warns against complacency as virus spread slows

Philippines warns against complacency as virus spread slows

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By: Bloomberg | September 28, 2020 11:44:24 am

Deaths accounted for 1.7% of cases as of September 21 versus 1.6% on August 17, according to health department data. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)

The Philippines cannot be complacent amid the slowdown in the spread of the coronavirusas clusters of infections still remain while…

[robbiemd]

Log #390

I had a lot of sleep in my office today. We were supposed to be with Dr. Vergeire at the airport around 5:30am today but I ended up asking Armel, our Chief Nurse:

“Anyare, Sir Armel?” I asked.

“Ewan ko ba, Doc. Di rin ako nagising sa alarm. Si Kuya Dan (the driver) di rin ako ginising. Haha.” He replied.

Instead, we opted to visit an old friend, Dr. De Guzman in his clinic to talk about hospital stuff. I told him that I want him back in our hospital. He was excitedly amenable.

We spent the rest of the day in our respective offices, only to meet during meal times. Sir Armel, our Chief Nurse has been very fond of cooking for us after receiving donations of a stove and random cookware from Doc Phillip, the PhD. I sometimes invite them in the conference room immediately beside my office. But sometimes, we just love to stay at the nurses’ station pantry.

L-R: Dr. Eric (Chief of Clinics), Sir Armel (Chief Nurse) me, Nurse Marie, Nurse MC, Kuya Dan (the Driver).

14 May 2023 2:00 AM El Nido, Philippines

[ask-emilz-de-philz]

Manila: “If any of you had eyes, then you’d see it happening around you. If any of you have brains, make sure to use it in following protocols, and MOST ESPECIALLY in the upcoming elections.”

(( Our capital city is making gigil na XD but really guys: ))

+++++++++++++++++++

"PH LOGS 9,296 NEW COVID-19 INFECTIONS, PUSHING ACTIVE CASES TO 124,680"

The Philippines on Tuesday, March 30, logged 9,296 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country's total to 741,181.

Of the total cases, 16.8% or 124,680 are active or currently sick – the highest reported number of active cases since the coronavirus pandemic started. The Department of Health (DOH) also reported 5 new deaths due to COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 13,191.

The DOH on Monday projected that the enforcement of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the "NCR Plus" bubble would prevent the Philippines' active COVID-19 cases from hitting 430,000 by the end of April.

Vergeire said their data monitoring showed that there is a "continuing and swift rise of cases" in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite, collectively dubbed "NCR Plus."

"NCR Plus" is under ECQ from Monday until Easter Sunday, April 4, limiting movement of people in the area only for essential needs. The national government is looking at extending the lockdown to April 18.

link: https://www.rappler.com/nation/coronavirus-cases-philippines-march-30-2021

(( REALITY CHECK: It's really depressing tbh to see that nothing has improved at all. Instead it's getting worse. Makes you wanna say, bahala na si Batman. HAY NAKU PO. ))