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Renewed faith: Tale of a Covid-19 survivor
DAVAO CITY – If there's one thing positive about surviving the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) other than being alive, it is the renewed faith in God and in our fellowmen.
This, according to Dean Ortiz, the spokesperson of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Region 11 (DPWH-11) who, until his positive test result for Covid-19 on Oct. 27, thought he was "very careful" enough not to contract the dreaded virus.
For one, Ortiz heads the DPWH-11 Covid-19 Coordinating Group, ensuring health protocols are practiced across the organization and its linkages.
He said nothing was more terrifying when a supposedly good Tuesday morning filled with positive energy was broken by a Viber message with an attached screenshot of a document with
Ortiz said he was "very careful," especially in his line of duty, and especially because he has a family to take care of.
Hours after his diagnosis, he was picked up at home by a van with a crew clad in full Covid-19 protective equipment, he said.
Leaving his house with a blank thought, Ortiz said he felt weird sitting at the back of an unlit van where he can only hear the occasional thud, the van's engine, and human voices of the faceless crew.
“No facial expressions to draw emotions from, as if emotions had a place in the uncertainty I was faced with. The sound of my own heartbeat was very reassuring and I found myself saying a prayer,” he said. Filled with fear, he entered a patient care center that he described as a well-lit facility "but
COVID-19 FIGHTER. Dean Ortiz, the spokesperson of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Region 11 (DPWH-11), who survived the coronavirus disease 2019, poses with a front-liner inside one of Davao City’s patient care centers in this undated photo. Ortiz says the experience renewed his faith in God and in his fellowmen. (Photo from Dean Ortiz’s Facebook account)
his name on it, in a screaming red, all in capital letters: "POSITIVE".
“I guess what happened to me was leadership-by-example personifi ed,” Ortiz said, adding that up until he spoke to the Philippine News Agency on Sunday, his exposure had not been traced to any person or group of individuals.
“I underwent an RT-PCR test along with some colleagues on October 27. It wasn't really required because I didn't have any symptoms, to begin with. It was more of an act of leadership mixed with a bit of smugness and confi dence, as I always thought of myself as the last person on earth to catch the virus,” he recounted. everything around was pitchblack." He said the scene was straight out of a post-apocalyptic movie—dark, cold, terrifying, surreal. “I declared that this was where God wanted me to be, where I will get the help I need, recover, and do some introspection. Whether I like it or not, I am no longer my old self. This experience has changed me already and I intend to come out of it bent in places, but defi nitely not broken,” Ortiz said.
Hope, resentment
As soon as he told everyone the news, he said he received a string of calls, social media posts, and private messages that were encouraging and sympathetic.
“Some told me to stay strong, to leave everything to God, and not lose hope. Others were not so kind, their words full of resentment, blame, just a tad short of "good riddance." I felt violated and weighed down by insults,” Ortiz shared.
In his line of work, however, Ortiz said he learned to be patient and tune out negative things.
“I’m used to being called a lot of things. Name it, I've heard it. In from one ear, out from the other side. But in my delicate state, I couldn't help taking offense at the vitriol that was being thrown at me from all sides,” he admitted. "People aren’t crazy enough to get the disease intentionally. I remember my boss saying: Who wants to get it in the fi rst place? His wisdom lingered in sun was up and he felt cheerful. He checked his surroundings and saw the wide and airy open spaces perfect for jogging, good landscaping, and a perfect spot for plane-spotting.
He also tried to make friends with his co-patients, whom he described as “positive with Covid-19 but at the same time positive that they will all get through of it somehow.”
“We shared stories of what happened to each of us and how we got there. In the end, we shared one story – discrimination. The hardest part perhaps of being infected is the fact that too many people know too much about the disease yet choose to be uneducated, even ignorant, on how they treat people who have the dreaded disease,” Ortiz added.
Coming from diff erent walks
Dabawenyo Dean Ortiz (extreme left) and his ‘co-positive’ friends who tested negative for coronavirus disease, shows the clearance proving that they are all virus-free. (Photo from Dean Ortiz’s Facebook page)
my mind through the whole ordeal, he added.
Coping up with newfound friends
Despite being feeling helpless, Ortiz tried to call people whom he said he never thought that he would ask moral support from. And to his surprise, he said he received no judgment from them.
“They reached out to me with genuine compassion and concern and off ered to help in any way they could. I had their support and it felt like a huge load was taken off my shoulders. When you're in distress and at your lowest, these small gestures make a world of diff erence,” he said.
He recalled that his fi rst day in the facility was a thrill as the of life, he said they all found friendships and saw themselves equal inside the patient care center.
“I know these guys won’t forget me for giving them a bottle of ice-cold Coke once in a while, a welcome treat given the circumstances. Good thing I have a good set of friends and relatives who never turned their back on me when I asked for help, as my family back home was under strict quarantine and were forbidden to get out,” he said.
Modern-day heroes
Ortiz said the doctors, nurses, and their support staff were attentive to their patients as they can be seen coming around the facility three to four times daily to serve their meals, check their vital signs, and clean their rooms.
“We may not see their covered faces, but their big hearts showed through and shone like sunlight. I wish I could do more than thank them profusely for their sacrifi ces, knowing that they too have families and loved one’s back home. Yet, they were there for us, egging us on to beat this disease and easing our suffering while they themselves suff er,” he added.
With that realization, he said he lost all reason to complain. "It goes without saying that, during this pandemic and when this is all over, let’s honor their selfl ess contribution to our country," he said.
Along with his “co-positives”, he said they were blessed to have hot meals sent to their rooms every night, and the food served by the city government was not hospital food but that the meals were well-planned, fl avorful, nutritious, and satisfying, making his confinement much more bearable.
Renewed faith
On November 5, Ortiz was released from isolation after testing negative for the virus. He thanked everyone who helped him get through the toughest eight days of his life. Under the new protocols, Ortiz and his new-found friends inside the patient care center were required to spend 10 days in isolation, counting from the day they underwent the swab test.
“Looking back at the experience made me renew my faith in God for giving me another chance to savor the greatest gift I could ever ask for -- my wife and two kids, my 80-year-old mom, my sister, and our working student all testing negative for the virus. Not even the news of a Spice Girls reunion or a Coldplay concert in Davao City could ever match that. God indeed is the greatest,” Ortiz said.
He also said that his experience gave him a reason to believe that being (Covid-19) positive ends when positivity begins, and when one allows hope to prevail amidst all the negativity.
“Allowing other people's baggage to weigh you down would not help the process of healing from the disease and the stigma that comes with it. Revenge is tempting but a big waste of time. Karma is now digital, so they say,” Ortiz said. (PNA)
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Gordon said those who live in the coastal areas should be automatically evacuated early, thus they should not wait for the government to bring them to dryer grounds.
Gordon also shared disaster preparedness undertaken by PRC.
“We are always prepared volunteers. Marami tayong volunteers, sumama kayo para makatulong kayo. (we have many volunteers, join us so you could help),” he said, adding it is equipped with the necessary logistics like trucks, amphibians, and payloaders.
Gordon said the organization serves first the “most vulnerable, those who have really been affected, the poorest of the poor.”
He said the PRC is busy with rescue and relief operations in Marikina City, and in the towns of Rodriguez and San Mateo in Rizal province.
Gordon said its chapters in Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Southern Luzon are also on alert for the possible overflow of Laguna de Bay when dams start to release water. (PNA)
PaLaCe.. from Page 1
structed an aide to give a "pastillas" containing cash of unknown amount to each Immigration offi cer in the meeting, said Roque. "Matapos po mabigyan ng tigi-tigisang pastillas, ang sabi ng Presidente e kainin n'yo iyan dahil iyan po ay may pera," Roque told reporters. (After giving a pastillas to each of them, Duterte told them to eat it because it contained cash.) "Pero hindi naman po nagpilit ang Presidente kasi nga po na nandoon daw si Secretary of Justice Menardo Guevarra at ang sabi niya baka ako makasuhan," Duterte's spokesman added.
None of the offi cers opened the pastillas, he said.
Roque denied that the stint was just for show. "The President is sending a message: itigil ang (stop the) corruption," he said.
In 2016, Duterte won the presidency campaigning on a promise to fi ght corruption, crime and illegal drugs.
But his administration has been dogged by scandals and allegations of graft and cover-ups in state agencies ranging from prisons, the state insurer, airports and customs, to police and the drugs enforcement agency, few of which led to convictions or high-profi le resignations.
Last month, Duterte issued a memorandum directing the justice department to look into anomalies at state agencies until the end of his term in 2022. It gives the ministry the power to decide what allegations to investigate and to work with other agencies. "This country continues to be plagued with corruption," Duterte said in a televised national address. "Up to now, it is not weakening, it is getting stronger," he said, vowing to focus his remaining term on fi ghting corruption.
The Philippines fell 14 notches to 113th spot among 180 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index last year.
Duterte is not eligible for re-election, but fulfi lling his campaign pledge on corruption could help the chances of his chosen successor in the 2022 elections. (MNS)
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I promise you, O blessed Jude to be ever mindful of this great favor, and I will never cease to honor you as my special and powerful patron and to do all in my power to encourage devotion to you. Amen. THANK YOU - ABA PRAYERS PRAYER TO SAINT THERESE O Glorious St. Therese, whom Almighty God has raised up to aid and inspire the human family, I implore your Miraculous Intercession. You are so powerful in obtaining every need of body and spirit from the Heart of God. Holy Mother Church proclaims you ‘Prodigy of Miracles... the Greatest Saint of Modern Times.’ Now I fervently beseech you to answer my petition (mention here) and to carry out your promises of spending Heaven doing good on earth...of letting fall from Heaven a Shower of Roses. Little Flower, give me your childlike faith, to see the Face of God in the people and known everywhere’ and I will continue to lead others to Jesus through you. 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DOH urges public to temper expectations on Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Department of Health (DOH) has called on the public to temper expectations on a potential vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech being 90% effective against COVID-19, considering that the results are still in early stages.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made the appeal after President Rodrigo Duterte said that there is nothing to fear about COVID-19 because vaccines are ready while lamenting that these are expensive.
“Hindi naman kailangang matakot sa COVID-19. Ang kailangan natin maging laging vigilant, laging handa, laging cautious and aware, laging sumusunod sa minimum health standards (washing of hands, physical distancing, ban on mass gathering),” Vergeire said in an online briefing.
“Itong bakuna ng Pfizer ay napaka-encouraging po, but we should temper our expectations and remain grounded on the reality na ginagawa pa lang ito,” Vergeire added.
The President earlier said that the government intends to borrow $300 million for the procurement of vaccines against COVID-19.
The Duterte administration only earmarked P2.5 billion for purchase of COVID-19 vaccines under its proposed 2021 national budget.
The Health department has earlier said the amount is not enough as 12.9 billion is needed to purchase vaccines enough to immunize at least 20 million of the 110 million Filipino population.
“Hindi na talaga nakakatakot ang COVID. But sa ngayon, magbili ka mahal. But as I have promised, gastos ng gobyerno itong bakuna para sa lahat ng Pilipino. Kaya umpisahan natin sa mga mahirap," Duterte said during his Tuesday night address. (MNS)
JTF COVID Shield backs proposed ban on Christmas caroling
MANILA (Mabuhay) — Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Sunday said he supports a proposal to ban caroling this Christmas season to prevent further transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Eleazar said he understands that caroling has always been part of the Filipino tradition, but the country is now facing different situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are facing a serious threat of coronavirus disease and we in the JTF COVID Shield believe that it is in the health interest of everybody if we could just stay home and enjoy the yuletide season with our family,” he said.
Eleazar said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has yet to decide on the proposal.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who is also vice chairman of the National Task Force on Covid-19, also supports the caroling ban this year.
“Based on studies and statistics, the spread of Covid-19 is more likely to occur in mass singing like choir and caroling because singers have to remove their masks as they sing and viruses are released through aerosols,” Año said.
Año said he would recommend the ban on caroling nationwide.
In coordination with Philippine National Police chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan, Eleazar directed police commanders to coordinate with their respective local government unit (LGUs) with regard to caroling.
If the caroling ban is approved, Eleazar said parents should explain to their children why there is a need to skip the traditional caroling at least for this year.
He said children are considered as the most affected by the community quarantine rules since they could no longer do what they used to enjoy before the pandemic like going to school, playing with fellow kids and even going to the mall.
As of Saturday, the Philippines has 393,961 recorded Covid-19 cases with 350,216 recoveries and 7,485 deaths. (MNS)
IATF creates coronavirus vaccine cluster, scraps task group
MANILA (Mabuhay) — The inter-agency task force leading the country's pandemic response has created a "cluster" that will lead the immunization drive against the novel coronavirus, Malacañang said Friday.
The IATF, which met Thursday, abolished the task group that it earlier created to import and distribute the future cornavirus vaccine, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
Instead, the group created a "Vaccine Cluster" under the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19. The cluster would be led by NTF Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr, whom President Rodrigo Duterte this week tapped as the country's "coronavirus vaccine czar", Roque said in a public briefing.
The vaccine cluster will have executive committee members and advisory groups, he said.
The IATF also gave Galvez the following duties, among others, Roque said in a statement. -Coordinate across various agencies, actors, and technical working groups on behalf of the health department -Facilitate the early issuance of the Certificate of Product -Registration with the Food and Drugs Administration -Lead the timely conduct of Health Technology Assessment (HTA), as necessary -Negotiate vaccine price -Come up with consensus on prioritization of vaccine recipients -Determine deliver system and whether to tap private sector, develop protocol on accessing vaccines and registration with primary health care providers -Set up surveillance system to monitor vaccine effects
The Philippines has Southeast Asia's second highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths after Indonesia. (MNS)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo Duterte has encouraged parents to get their children vaccinated to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
In a brief message aired in PTV-4, Duterte expressed support to the Department of Health (DOH) and its partners, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund, as they hold the nationwide measles, rubella, and polio supplemental immunization activity.
He said that the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic should teach lessons about addressing such health issues.
“The most important lesson that we are learning from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is that the health risks posed by the spread of communicable diseases must be seriously addressed,” he said.
Duterte called on stakeholders to support the government’s immunization program for the benefit of the entire community.
“I, therefore, call on parents of children under five years old as well as the local government leaders and other community stakeholders to support the immunization activity. Together, let us safeguard the well-being of our children and ensure a healthier future for our nation,” he added.
Communicable diseases are illnesses caused by viruses or bacteria that people spread through contact with contaminated sources, bodily fluids, blood products, insect bites, or through air.
Vaccination is an important part of communicable disease control world-wide, according to the DOH.
Last October, the DOH said it will conduct a nationwide immunization campaign to prevent a predicted measles outbreak next year.
An estimated 2.4 children under the age of 5 are also susceptible to measles, one of the world’s most contagious diseases. (MNS)
Stopping Sinovac clinical trial must be studied fi rst: DOH
MANILA — Stopping the clinical trial of potential Sinovac coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine in the Philippines must be studied first, a health official said Wednesday.
Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made this reaction following reports that the clinical trial of Sinovac vaccine in Brazil was halted after a volunteer recipient experienced an “adverse effect”.
“Kailangan pag-aaralan pa rin. Hindi porke it was claimed in some country na may adverse effect, immediately i-stop natin (We still need to study this. Not because it was claimed in some countries this has adverse effect, we will just stop),” she said.
Vergeire said the DOH experts have to evaluate first the reported “adverse effect” of the Sinovac vaccine.
“It has to be through that manufacturer also that they will inform us and we will have discussions with them and we will have our experts evaluate this if it is really valid and [the trial] has to be stopped first,” Vergeire said.
The local vaccine experts have already cleared the Sinovac Biotech’s vaccine.
The DOH earlier said the company needs to secure approval from Single Joint Research Ethics Board and the Food and Drug Administration before it can conduct clinical trial. (PNA)
Covid-19 vaccine might be ready early next year — envoy
MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Philippines may receive an initial supply of American-made vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) by early 2021 once talks are finalized and a contract has been signed, Philippine Ambassador to Washington D.C. Jose Manuel Romualdez said. "Sa tingin ko by early next year, first quarter, magkakaroon na tayo ng (supply) by tranches 'yan (I think by early next year, 1st quarter, we'll be able to get the supply in tranches)... The demand is very high at least for the first tranches of this supply but they're very confident na masu-supply nila ang lahat ng kailangan ng mga mag-o-order na ngayon (that they'll be able to supply the needs of those who would order now)," he said in a pre-recorded interview with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. Manila is in talks with various US pharmaceutical firms developing an effective vaccine against Covid-19, but the first company to approach the country was Pfizer, said Romualdez. Pfizer's candidate vaccine is at least 90 percent effective as shown in the company's early data. With this, the envoy said the company is on track to get approval from US authorities ahead of other US manufacturers. "Right now sila ang pinaka-nangunguna dito sa Amerika na ma-approve dahil 90 percent ang efficacy ng Pfizer (Right now the Pfizer is leading to get the first approval because its candidate vaccine is 90 percent effective)... It will be sold to many of their (US) allies, specifically in
Batanes regains COVID-free status, looks to open to tourists
MANILA (Mabuhay) — The island province of Batanes has declared itself free of the coronavirus after two patients recovered from the viral disease.
After keeping the virus at bay for several months, Batanes reported its first COVID-19 case in September – a locally stranded individual who returned to the province earlier that month. Another returnee tested positive for the virus on October 1.
“Sa awa ng Diyos ay nakalabas na po sila. Okay na po, COVID-free na po kami,” Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco said in an online media briefing on Saturday.
All close contacts of the two patients tested negative for coronavirus infection, Cayco said. A total of 95 returning residents and overseas Filipinos are currently under quarantine but all are asymptomatic, the governor added.
With this development, the local government of Batanes is looking to reopen its doors to tourists soon.
Cayco said the local pandemic task force has agreed to reopen the province to tourists provided that they comply with minimum health standards, such as a 14-day quarantine.
But officials will have to assess the situation for tourists coming from areas such as Metro Manila - the epicenter of the virus - and other cities to determine which visitors will be allowed, she said. "Sabi ko, mag-assess kami by December. Titingnan namin kung ano sitwasyon sa Manila at iba pang probinsiya para po 'pag bumuti na po ay puwede na rin ang unti-unting pagbubukas nito dahil dito marami po ang affected nitong pandemya na ito lalo nasa tourism industry po," Cayco said.
The tourism industry is among the most affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns, as the government sought to limit mobility and prevent the spread of the highly-contagious virus.
Prior to this, some tourist spots such as Boracay and Baguio City have reopened their doors to tourists provided that visitors follow quarantine procedures and submit documents as proof that they are fit to travel.
Much of the country, including Batanes, is under modified general community quarantine, considered as a transition phase to the “new normal” wherein strict measures would be lifted. (MNS) the Philippines na 'di naman gaano kamahal (and it won't be too expensive), it would be around USD5 per shot siguro," he shared.
Aside from Pfizer, Moderna is also ready to supply the Philippines once its candidate vaccine is successfully tested.
President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier called out Western pharmaceutical firms who supposedly asked for "cash advance" for their candidate vaccines.
But Romualdez said the US-based firms Manila he is in contact with does not require any reservation fee, adding they only need the country to determine the number of doses it would purchase so as to secure the quantity once production starts. "Actually wala silang hinihingi na downpayment o maski na ano. Ang kailangan lang siyempre 'yong kontrata na we're prepared to purchase, parang purchase order lang na pipirmahan natin that the government is prepared to purchase (Actually they're not asking for a downpayment. They need the contract that we're prepared to purchase, it's like a purchase order)," he clarified.
Meanwhile, Romualdez said the business sector in Manila intends to help fund the vaccines if the government needs assistance. "Lumapit sa amin 'yong mga private sector na gustong tumulong sa Manila, 'yong business sector. They're prepared to fund kung kailangan ng tulong ng gobyerno, sila ang mamumuhunan dahil siyempre kailangan din nila para sa kanilang mga empleyado (The private sector approached us and they wanted to help. They're prepared to fund if the government needs help, they will invest because they too need the vaccines for their employees)," he said. (MNS)
ROMUALDEZ
DOH exec: Avigan clinical trial hit a snag over lack of qualifi ed COVID-19 patients
MANILA (Mabuhay) — The clinical trial of the Japanese anti-flu drug Avigan in the Philippines has hit a snag due to absence of qualified COVID-19 patients classified as mild cases, the Department of Health said Friday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said only four of the 100 required COVID-19 classified as mild cases for the Avigan trial as of November 5.
“Tablet kasi ito, to be given orally at ginagawa natin ito in hospital settings. Para ito sa mild cases lang, pero alam naman natin na sa ngayon, wala na masyadong na-a-admit na mild cases sa ating mga ospital,” Vergeire said in an online briefing.
“At dahil patuloy rin ang pagbaba ng ating mga kaso, hindi na tayo masyado nakakakita ng pasyente na ganitong [mild case] sa ating mga ospital. Kaya nagkakaroon ng challenge ang ating clinical trial team for Avigan,” she added.
Under government protocol, mild cases of COVID-19 will be treated under temporary treatment and monitoring facilities supervised by the national and local governments also as not to overwhelm the hospitals and other health care facilities needed to treating severe and critical COVID-19 cases.
Given the situation, Vergeire said that protocols on conducting clinical trial for Avigan is already being revised but conceded that the final output could take time.
“Nagrere-strategize ng protocol ang clinical trial team para magkaroon ng expansion, para ma-expand ang recruitment ng pasyente, para dumami at makatapos tayo ng 100 so we can have analysis for Avigan,” Vergeire said.
“Nirerebisa nila ngayon, pero dadaan ulit iyon sa ethics review and all. While we are waiting for the revision of the protocol, we are using the existing protocol,” she added.
The Avigan trial in the country is supposed to start in July, but it was repeatedly postponed until it was able to start this month. (MNS)
