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Covid 19 – SERVE THE PEOPLE – University of the Philippines loses 8 FRONTLINERS and 6 personalities not in health care

By Pinoy 2022

19 UP

PAGLINGKURAN ang SAMBAYANAN, yan ang malimit isigaw ng mga kabataang magaaral ng Pamantasan ng Pilipinas. Nasa Lupang Hinirang, ang ating pambansang awit, ang mga katagang ANG MAMATAY NA DAHIL SAYO. Ngayon sa isang PANDAIGDIGANG sakuna na tinatawag na COVID 19, ang mga dating ISKOLAR ng BAYAN ay nagbuwis na buhay para sa bayan.

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University of the Philippines

They died alone, with no relatives around to hold their hands as they breathed their last. Some still have to be buried, and others were cremated with no ceremony and no one to bid them goodbye.

This has become the common tale of grief, sorrow and helplessness for the thousands all over the world who have fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the story becomes even more poignant when it strikes closer to home or when the virus takes down somebody you love, somebody you know, or somebody you went to school with.
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IN MEMORIAM: Remembering those we have lost
April 6, 2020 | Posted by UP Media and Public Relations Office

They died alone, with no relatives around to hold their hands as they breathed their last. Some still have to be buried, and others were cremated with no ceremony and no one to bid them goodbye.

This has become the common tale of grief, sorrow and helplessness for the thousands all over the world who have fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the story becomes even more poignant when it strikes closer to home or when the virus takes down somebody you love, somebody you know, or somebody you went to school with.

It was doubly tragic for the family of Dr. Dennis Ramon Tudtud, one of the eight University of the Philippines alumni who fought and died in the frontlines of the war against the vicious viral adversary. Dr. Tudtud, a prominent Cebu City oncologist, succumb to the virus on March 31, four days after his wife, Dr. Helen Evangelista Tudtud, a pathologist at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, expired after fighting the virus for 11 days.

Their son Dennis Thomas, recalled in a Facebook post the pain of losing both parents in span of four days. He told of how their family was discriminated against; how policemen cordoned off their neighborhood; how insensitive persons had reported his mother’s death even when she was still fighting for her life in the hospital; and how his mother had worried about her husband when she learned her condition was critical.

The virus, Dennis Jr. said, had made him an orphan on his birthday, ‘‘but I take comfort that they are happy together in their journey to paradise.’’

The eight UP alumni who fell in the frontlines of what has become a global war against the virus are:

1. Romeo Gregorio “Greg” N. Macasaet III (Died March 22, 2020)
2. Marcelo Y. Jaochico (March 24)
3. Raul D. Jara (March 24)
4. Francisco Avelino“Kiko” S. Lukban (March 25)
5. Salvacion“Sally” Rodriguez Gatchalian (March 26)
6. Raul D. Eslao (March 31)
7. Leandro L. Resurreccion III (March 31)
8. Dennis Ramon M. Tudtud (March 31)

Six other UP alumni have died from the virus. They are:

1. Nida Cortes Paqueo (March 11)
2. Aileen San Pablo Baviera (March 21)
3. Alan T. Ortiz (March 2)
4. Prudencio “Dennis” Regis (March 24)
5. Ambassador Bienvenido A. Tan Jr. (March 27)
6. Renato Velasco (April 4)

ROMEO GREGORIO MACASAET

Of the UP COVID-19 warriors, Dr. Greg Macasaet was the first to fall. An anesthesiologist at the Manila Doctors Hospital, he worked tirelessly to treat COVID-19 patients until he himself became ill. Soon after, his wife Evalyn, also an anesthesiologist, also tested positive for the virus. The two had been attending to COVID-19 patients in the emergency room, which was akin to soldiers engaging the enemy in a hand-to-hand combat. Macasaet, according to his godson Renato Paraiso, made the ultimate sacrifice, “not because he was forced or obliged to do so, but because of his dedication to his craft and his constant devotion to be of service to others.” He said Greg and Evalyn chose to stay in the frontlines and made a bold sacrifice while their only child Raymond had special needs.

“Our country has lost a genuine hero, and the world has lost one of the [kindest and most] selfless human beings that would ever walk its surface,” Paraiso said. The Manila Doctors Hospital cited Macasaet as a “brave man, one of the best anesthesiologists in the country.”

MARCELO JAOCHICO

When Dr. Marcelo Jaochico lost his heroic battle against the virus, he was being true to his vocation as “doctor to the barrios.” He was the provincial health officer of Pampanga and was the first awardee as Most Outstanding Doctor to the Barrios under the rural health program of the Department of Health. Thus, his daughter Cielo said in her Facebook page, Dr. Jaochico did not deserve to be regarded as than just a statistic.

Dr. Jaochico served as doctor to the barrio in Calanasan, Apayao for 16 years here he multi-tasked as obstetrician, pediatrician and family physician, treating such ailments as dengue, malaria and measles. Once, to save a baby who had turned blue after delivery, he used his mouth to suction the obstruction out of the baby’s blocked windpipe. In his latest rural health service, he volunteered to attend to victims of the Taal Volcano eruption in Batangas in January. He was also one of the first responders when Typhoon Yolanda struck in Tacloban City in 2013. “He did so much for the country,” his daughter wrote on Facebook.

RAUL D. LARA

Dr. Raul Jara, acknowledged as a pillar of cardiology in the Philippines, was also described by the Philippine Heart Association as a “father, teacher, mentor, poet, author, singer, colleague, friend.”He is remembered by patients as a soothing and calming healer who used music to heal the heart. In his younger days as an activist physician, he fought the dictator Ferdinand Marcos and risked his life by treating patients in the underground movement, running rings around the military by faking the names and records of the activists he treated. Later in life, he would remain steadfast and true to his oath, joining a group of doctors attending to an aging martial law figure who had been on the opposite end of the ideological spectrum.

In a statement, Dr. Ling Jara-Salva, one of Dr. Jara’s five children, said: “He dedicated his whole life to constant learning and teaching and molding future doctors. He would ask the tough questions and push you to learn and persevere. He believed in his students and would think of them as his children and the hope for the future generations.”

Her father, she said, was “a tower of strength and leadership and he served as the head of our family and a beacon of hope for many in the midst of this crisis. He knew the extensive battle he was facing and he kept on fighting.” She said the family would rather have her father remembered, not by how he died, but by how he lived.

FRANCISCO LUKBAN

Dr. Francisco Lukban was a noted geriatric cardiologist and a brilliant academician, according to the social media post of UP Manila’s Office of the Chancellor announcing his demise on March 25.

Always wanting to serve his fellowmen, he was much loved by his elderly patients at the Capitol Medical Center. Like many of the UP doctors of his generation, Dr. Kiko was a courageous activist, especially during the Martial Law days. “Kiko was not afraid to die… and would have loved to volunteer as a frontline physician in PGH in these trying times,” the UP Manila statement said. His wife, Riz, a pediatric neurologist and also a UP College of Medicine graduate, said Dr. Kiko, on the day he was swabbed for testing, expressed his desire to join the heroic young PGH interns who had volunteered to the frontline against COVID-19. Tragically, it was too late.

In a tribute, Riz Lukban said Dr. Kiko “had gone ahead of us because he believes he has a better chance of fighting COVID by being a ‘frontliner’ in heaven, giving supplication for us left behind.”

RAUL DELLA ESLAO

“I cannot stay at home, I’m a nurse” was a hashtag that went with his new profile picture in his final Facebook posting on March 19. Twelve days later Raul Della Eslao paid the ultimate price for his heroism. He died, a friend commented on Facebook, so others may live. A graduate of UP Integrated School, UP Diliman College of Architecture, and a registered nurse, he succumbed to the virus while fighting in the frontline in Michigan, USA where he worked.

SALVACION R. GATCHALIAN

As consultant and assistant director of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Dr. Salvacion “Sally” Gatchalian was not just in the frontline of the war against COVID-19. She was fighting in the trenches. A pediatric infectious disease expert, Doc Sally most likely acquired the virus from one of her young patients at RITM, the country’s premier testing center for COVID-19. She was president of the Philippine Pediatric Society.

The American Academy of Pediatrics cited her efforts in strengthening immunization and tobacco control and her work “to elevate pediatricians’ role in the Philippines and bring systemic changes to community norms and public policy.” Until a vicious nemesis called COVID-19 came to overcome her, much of Doc Sally’s life work was in defeating formidable adversaries like tuberculosis and dengue. Not only was she was a passionate advocate of child health; she was also a champion of children’s rights, lending a strong and vigorous voice to the campaign against the proposed legislation to lower the age of criminal liability among children.

“Her bright and cheerful presence could fill an entire room. From her patients and their families to her mentees, colleagues friends and family—they all loved her,” wrote Cathy Babao in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. A colleague and mentee described her as the “epitome of beauty and brains with a very big and generous heart.”

LEANDRO RESURRECCION III

“There were no hugs, there were no kisses, and there were no goodbyes.” That, according to the family of Dr. Leandro Resurreccion III, was how the country’s foremost and pioneering pediatric surgeon signed off in his fight against the virus.

To the very end, he was working on his vision for pediatric surgery, especially in liver transplants, according to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, where he was chief of the Pediatric Surgery Division. He was the hospital’s “first fallen soldier in the battle against COVID-19.”

In a statement, the PCMC said Dr. Resurreccion was “well known locally and abroad as forward looking in his vision for pediatric surgery especially in liver transplants which he was working to the end. Always smiling, friendly and very ‘cool’ he will be missed.”

His son, Leandro IV, recalled that his father rejected an offer to practice in Australia after being certified at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, saying the Philippines was where he was needed most. “He always embodied a kind of fiery passion for his profession, but he always spoke of what the country needed together with such passion.”

DENNIS M. TUDTUD

Among the most tragic but heroic casualties of the global war against the pandemic are the husband-and-wife team of Dr. Dennis Ramon Tudtud and Dr. Helen Evangelista Tudtud. Dennis, a prominent Cebu oncologist, died on March 31, four days after Helen a pathologist at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, died, both victims the virus they so valiantly fought.

“My sister and I may never understand why God had to take them both. There are so many questions with no answers,” their son Dennis Thomas said. He asked for prayers for those who continue to fight for their lives against COVID-19.

“We have a flood of tears. I also ask for your prayers of strength and of acceptance. Daddy and Mommy, please watch over us from heaven,” he said. Dennis Thomas. “My parents touched many lives and were always at the forefront of helping other people.”

NIDA CORTES PACQUEO

She was “PH35” on the list of those who tested positive for the coronavirus in the Philippines. Yet, neither Nida Cortes Pacqueo nor her husband Vicente had been in any place where most victims were likely to catch the virus. A few days after her 67th birthday, PH35 became the first known Filipino to succumb to the virus. It was especially painful for their US-based daughter Liza, who, according to her blog, was talking to her mother on the phone when nurses in full protective gear took her mother away to the isolation room in the hospital. That video call on March 8 was the last time she saw her mother. Three days later, on March 11, “she died in the silence of isolation.”

“She died alone without her loving family and friends around her. She was cremated alone, without ceremony or tribute. My father is alone as well,” Liza announced on Facebook.

Her father, Dr. Vicente Pacqueo, a former World Bank economist and UP economics professor, also had the virus and was in isolation when his wife of 47 years died. As of Liza’s latest post, the 72-year old patriarch of the family was stable and probably well on his way to recovery.

AILEEN SAN PABLO BAVIERA

The country’s top China expert, Dr. Aileen San Pablo Baviera, was coming home on March 12 from an engagement in France, but she never made it home. From the airport, she was taken straight to the San Lazaro Hospital where she succumbed to COVID-19 nine days later. As political science professor and former dean of the UP Asian Center, Dr. Baviera was one of the country’s foremost experts in international relations and Asian studies. While she was a staunch advocate of Philippine-China relations, she insisted that, “if one has to take a side, one must take the side of the Filipino people.”

As a keen China watcher, she was an expert on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, especially as it applied to Chinese incursions into the West Philippine Sea. She described herself as ”an academic, an armchair activist, a government analyst, an author, an editor, a policy adviser, a public speaker on international relations, an advocate of people’s diplomacy, a keen observer of global affairs—sometimes nationalist, sometimes internationalist.”

Once, on a cruise on the East China Sea, Dr. Baviera pondered on the overlapping territorial interests of the countries claiming all or part of the China Sea—China, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian states. She wrote: “It seems that governments have let their primordial territorial instincts rule them. There is folly in this. They seek control of the waters, as if oceans could be tamed, claimed and fenced off like the land. In truth, no one knows exactly what they are claiming….I envy the free creatures of the sea, for we creatures of the land have become captive of our own illusions of conquest and control.”

ALAN ORTIZ

Leaving in early March for an international security event in Paris on the invitation of the French government, Dr. Alan Ortiz never made it back. He died on March 23 in a Paris hospital of complications from COVID-19. He is believed to be the first Filipino to die of the ailment abroad. Ortiz was the president of the non-profit Philippine Council for Foreign Relations and he was a leader in finance, banking and industries such as water and power utilities.

A friend, AmCham Philippines consultant John Forbes, described Ortiz as a “larger-than-life hero of our times” and a “game changer in both his public and private sector careers.” Former Finance Secretary Roberto de Ocampo, who had worked with him in the Finance Department and in the Development Bank of the Philippines, also paid tribute to Ortiz as a hard-working man of integrity. “I relied on him because of his ability to make things happen, and happen well. It came as no surprise to me that he continued to succeed in various capacities in the private sector and rise in the esteem of his peers with his incisive and respected views on the nation’s economy and its future in an ever global setting,” De Ocampo said.

GEN. PRUDENCIO REGIS

A ranking official of the Philippine National Police until his retirement, Gen. Prudencio “Dennis” Regis became active in golf, becoming president of the Eastridge Seniors Golfers Association. He attended UP Prep in high school (Class 1969) and entered the Philippine Military Academy (Class 75). He died on March 24 at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

AMBASSADOR BIENVENIDO A. TAN JR.

At 96, Ambassador Bienvenido Tan Jr. is probably the oldest Filipino to lose his battle against COVID-19. Ambassador was just one of the many positions he held in his lifetime; he was a public servant, civic leader and businessman and philanthropist. Mike Luz of the Asian Institute of Management described him as “model of governance and civility.” He acquired his law degree at the University of the Philippines when the college was still in Padre Faura, Manila.

Benny, as friends called him, came to prominence in the mid 80s when he became public coordinator of the Agrava Fact Finding Commission which investigated the 1983 assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. As part of the high-powered legal team, he gathered witnesses and evidence for the commission in celebrated investigation. With the ascension to power of President Corazon Aquino, the late senator’s widow, Tan was appointed to the Bureau of Internal Revenue to clean up the agency and raise taxes for the fledgling government. His job at the BIR done, Tan was appointed ambassador to Germany. Returning to the Philippines, he devoted his time to NGO work, serving in various capacities in the Philippine Business for Social Progress. In 2018, he was honored by PBSP during its 47th annual meeting for his service from 1971 to 2017, the longest by anyone in the foundation. Ironically, in the midst of the foundation’s campaign to raise funds to end the pandemic, the virus claimed the life of its staunchest advocate.

Well in his 80s, Ambassador Tan was a fitness buff, swimming daily at the Manila Polo Club, Luz said in his tribute. A devout Catholic, he would attend the daily noontime mass at AIM until the COVID-19 locked him out poll and eventually struck him down. As with other victims of the virus, a wake and a celebration of his life and legacy will be held when the viral scourge has been defeated and the quarantine is finally lifted.

RENATO S. VELASCO

Dr. Renato S. Velasco, another former Cabinet member, is the latest member of the UP community to succumb to the virus. He died on April 4; he was 66. An associate professor in political science in UP where he graduated cum laude in history and later acquired his master’s degree in Asian Studies and doctorate in political science; he was a product of the public school system. He lent his intellectual expertise to the government in 2006 in various capacities under then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, serving as chief of the Presidential Management Staff and director general of the Philippine Information Agency. Rene, as he was called by friends, returned to the academe after his stint in the government.

His Alpha Sigma fraternity brother, former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas deputy governor Diwa Guinigundo, called Velasco ”a comrade in the struggle against martial rule.” He will be missed in various circles in which he moved, in advancing the advocacies he championed. Officials of the PIA paid tribute to their former chief as a humble, generous and dedicated public servant who “steered PIA with his unique brand of firm yet compassionate and intelligent leadership.”

Velasco is the third member of the UP political science department to succumbed to the virus. After Dr. Aileen Baviera, who died on March 21, Ms. Zenaida F. Salas, administrative officer of the department, expired on April 2. Ate Zeny to students and faculty of the department, she is remembered most fondly by students whose journey from freshman to graduation she facilitated. She was 68.

The list was based on publicly available information as of April 4, 2020 and may not be comprehensive.

5000 to 8000 pesos COVID 19 CASH assistance from national government starts

By Pinoy 2022

 

4Ps caloocan 2

PHOTO: In Caloocan City, residents line up (with some physical distancing) to withdraw cash from the ATM courtesy of the DSWD

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Cash aid distribution starts in NCR, 6 regions

Rainier Allan Ronda, Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star)
April 4, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — The distribution of the P200-billion cash assistance to those hardest hit by measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic began yesterday, with poor families in seven regions – including Metro Manila – as initial beneficiaries.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it began the distribution of the fund in Regions 1, 2, 3, Calabarzon (Region 4-A), National Capital Region (NCR), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The remaining regions will receive their subsidies today and tomorrow.

In the NCR or Metro Manila, the first to receive up to P8,000 as monthly aid were poor households in Manila and Parañaque.

Nograles, spokesman for the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, said the DSWD informed him of the start of the distribution. “And we expect other jurisdictions to be distributing these to their residents in the next few days,” he said.

Cash released to 4Ps household-beneficiaries range from P3,650 to P6,650 per month for two months, depending on the prescribed emergency subsidy per region determined from a particular region’s minimum wage levels.

The emergency cash subsidy will serve as a top-up amount to regular cash grants and rice allowance.

Beneficiaries with Europay, Mastercard and Visa (EMV) cash cards may withdraw from any Land Bank of the Philippines automated teller machines or any ATM subject to minimal charges.

Nograles said the government’s move was in accordance with the call from World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on governments to address the needs of the most vulnerable sector of society affected by the COVID-19 scourge.

“(Tedros) said that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries are asking people to stay at home and shutting down population movement which can help limit transmission of the virus, but can have unintended consequences for the poorest and most vulnerable people,” Nograles said.

“He then called on governments around the world to put in place social welfare measures to ensure vulnerable people have food and other life essentials during this crisis,” he added.

At the same time, Nograles appealed to other families to be more understanding and cooperative as the DSWD takes the lead in distributing the P200-billion Emergency Subsidy Program under Republic Act 11469.

“Just wait for the announcement of the assigned government personnel regarding the system to ensure an orderly distribution of assistance,” he said.

Help is near

News of the coming financial aid has elated 73-year-old Adelina Apinado, who waited for it patiently inside her house.

Apinado’s house in Vitalez in Parañaque is merely 50 meters away from the first house that received the social amelioration program of the national government.

In an interview yesterday, Apinado said she merely relied on what the local government of Parañaque and what her neighbors gave for her and her family to survive.

“It is a big thing for my family, especially since we are in need,” Apinado told The STAR in Filipino.

Another citizen, Cypril Generalao, lauded the government for the monetary aid.

Generalao is a single mother taking care of a four-year-old child.

She was working for a Chinese office, which has closed since the outbreak of COVID-19 weeks ago. Generalao said she used her savings to provide for her family and child.

“The aid is a big help because as a single mom with no work, what would I use to provide for my child?” she told reporters.

Under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act which mandates the distribution of cash assistance, poor families from Metro Manila will receive a monthly subsidy of P8,000 for two months. In other regions, the amount is P5,000 for each household, based on the region’s minimum daily wage rate.

President Duterte signed the law on March 24.

“All these are being done so everyone can focus on keeping each other safe from the virus; so we can focus on the health and welfare of our family,” Nograles said, referring to easing of terms in the payment of loans and rents.

Nograles also revealed that 34,253 workers have availed themselves of the Department of Labor and Employment’s COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program or CAMP, a one-time P5,000 subsidy for workers whose incomes have been affected by the enhanced community quarantine.

“We urge employers to work with DOLE so their employees can get this benefit,” the IATF spokesman said.

Quoting Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Nograles said employees can file their requests themselves if their employers fail to submit their payrolls to the DOLE.

Apart from the P5,000 CAMP subsidy, Nograles said DOLE had distributed 165,929 family food packs to workers.

“Aside from financial assistance to those who need it, both government and private sector have also suspended payments and waived fees for payment that fall within the quarantine period,” he said.

One-time aid

Meanwhile, Sen. Bong Go appealed to the executive department to grant a one-time ‘Bayanihan’ financial assistance to cities and municipalities to help them respond to the needs of their constituents while the country is under a national health emergency.

“We should help LGUs (local government units) care for their communities. It will be very helpful if we give them additional funds so they can address the growing needs of the people,” he said.

While the national government is dealing with the health crisis, LGUs should continue addressing the needs of their constituents.

He commended LGUs for their efforts in maintaining order in their areas and in responding to the immediate needs of the people.

“We thank LGUs, governors, vice governors, mayors, vice mayors, barangay officials working hard to help their respective constituents. Now, more than ever, we as elected officials must do everything we can to be of service to the people,” he said.

Go recommended that a one-time grant from the national government be equivalent to one month of the LGUs’ respective internal revenue allotments (IRA).

“With the huge problem we are facing with this COVID-19 crisis, LGUs might run out of funds. Not all LGUs have equal funds and they need assistance from the national government,” he said.

Go cited salient provisions of Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act as bases for his proposal.

“Let us push for the implementation of this law to make it easy for the government to reprogram, reallocate and realign funds to protect Filipinos from COVID 19,” Go added.

As member of the Joint Oversight Committee of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, Go vowed to make sure that available funds are used properly to provide immediate help to Filipinos who need government attention the most.

“We will definitely ensure that the use of funds will be free from corruption. The funds will not be used for salary of personnel or any administrative and traveling expenses not related to COVID-19,” he pointed out.  – Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Cecille Suerte Felipe

Quezon City CORRUPTION and INCOMPETENCE prompt President Duterte to transfer cash and goods distribution from LGUs to DSWD

By Pinoy 2022

A quarantine related request for food assistance rally by an urban poor community in San Roque, Barangay Pagasa in Quezon City ended in a VIOLENT DISPERSAL and President Duterte, citing corruption by  Local Government Units in handling cash dole outs and  food packs centralized said distribution to the Department of Social Work and Development. Metro Manila is now on its third week of LOCKDOWN to contain the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic. Problems have arisen due to the majority of the working population stuck in a no work no pay policy while the informal economy is frozen due to travel restrictions. Food is getting scare at the same time there is not much money going around. Few Filipinos have cash saved for a rainy day since most Pinoys live on a hand to mouth existence. President Duterte ordered local government units to provide emergency food assistance and the ugly head of corruption once again showed up. In Quezon City, complaints of favoritism abound with the mayor herself caught by cameras handing out heavy food packs to people living in houses with steel gates and garages. The poorest of the poor, on the other hand, are frustrated that no aid has arrived or, if given, then the supply is not enough to sustain their families. Barangay officials have also been accused of favoring some of their constituents while ignoring others, mainly supporters of their political rivals. Another issue is the use of the voters’ list to determine who gets to receive food packs and/or cash assistance. It is public knowledge that many who live and/or work in Metro Manila may still be registered voters in their places of birth (hometown).

du30 to dswd

NATION ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE ON CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) PANDEMIC

Philstar

April 1, 2020

(NOT FULL TEXT **** NOT FULL TEXT)

Ngayon, tinanggal ko sa politiko kasi maraming reklamo. Tinanggal ko sa politiko ‘yung distribution ng pera pati ang bigas na pagkain. Ibinigay ko kay Secretary Bautista lahat na ‘yan kasi itong DSWD may sariling distribution network na ‘yan, ‘yung Pantawid. So meron. Idagdag na lang nila doon sa matatanggap doon sa recipient ng Pantawid.

Idagdag mo na lang ang pera na ‘yan doon sa kanila kasi kanila ‘yan. Iyong pera na ‘yan, inyo ‘yan. Kaya lang hindi ko man maibibigay lahat unevenly kaya ako na ang — kami na sa gobyerno ang mag-ano mag dis — distribute pati to determine how much.

Huwag kayong — huwag kayong… Do not entertain doubts about dishonesty and corruption. Hindi panahon na ‘yan ngayon. Not this time. Ako mismo nagsasabi.

Kasi ‘yung iba nagdi-distribute kina-cutting. Instead of seven gawain ninyong five doon sa itaas sa repacking. Kaya ngayon DSWD na at ‘yung pera DSWD pati si Secretary Galvez.

Naintindihan ninyo ‘yan? Wala na kayong pakialam. Tinanggal ko na ang politiko. Puro na ito sa gobyerno. Mga military ito pero retired. Civilian na ‘yan.

Iyong mga goods, bigas, kung ano pang iba ibigay ng gobyerno, bilisan ninyo at pagkain ‘yan. At meron tayo sabi ko, mayroon tayong ginawang mga hakbang na to sustain us but only if there is order in the society. Kasi ‘pag magulo, walang order, walang distribution na mangyari kasi inaagaw, ina-ambush.

Kaya mapipilitan ako na sabihin: Huwag na huwag ninyong gawin ‘yan kasi I will not hesitate to order to shoot you.‘Yun namang mga repacking, well anyway it’s DSWD. But everybody else connected with the exercise of preparing the food and money, huwag ninyong kaltasan, huwag ninyong kunan.I will not — hindi ko kayo…

Huhulihin ko kayo and I will detain you. Makalabas lang kayo pagkatapos ng COVID kung dadating.Kung may — walang magdating na pang-kontra ng COVID, then hanggang matapos itong mundong ito diyan ka sa kulungan.

‘Yan ang gusto mo, nag-warning na ako gagawain mo pa rin. Eh ‘di gusto mo. Hiningi mo ‘yan eh. Hiningi mo ‘yan.Ang pera, dadating. Ang pagkain dadating, huwag lang kayong magulo para smooth — sa Bisaya pa, hapsay. Ayaw og hadloka ang gobyerno. Do not intimidate government. Do not challenge government. Matatalo kayo, sigurado.

Magtiis na lang siguro kayo ng delayed delivery pero dadating ‘yan at hindi ka magugutom. Hindi ka mamamatay sa gutom.

Ulitin ko: Ngayon, DSWD na kasi sanay na sila sa distribution ng pera pati bigas. Secretary Galvez will help in the distribution of the money or he can handle the distribution of the money while leaving Secretary Bautista to attend to other matters.

‘Yan ang warning ko sa inyo ha. ‘Yung distribution, huwag ninyong i-delay. Huwag ninyong — sabi ko.Meron na akong ipinakulong kung makinig kayo sa radyo. At ‘yung sa TV, baka magkamali ako. Baka lang magkamali ako. This is the caveat: Baka magkamali ako. May nakita akong traffic enforcer na lumapit siya doon sa tricycle na puno ng goodies at pinilit niyang kinuha ‘yung isang balot at lumakad siya.

I don’t know if it was a joke or if he really — it was really intended for him, inuna lang niya. Pero kung pinilit niyang kinuha ala nakaw. Nakita ko sa ABS-CBN and na-retrieve ko ‘yung — na-retrieve ko ‘yung footage, ipakulong ko siya.

Kasali rin siya doon sa ano. Kayong mga Kadamay, hindi — walang, wala nang awa-awa. Diyan na kayo. Ang nahuli, wala.I will not tolerate ‘yang sabihin mo na bitawan mga politiko, bitawan.

Do not play hero at this time because you would abet or is it that word — to encourage people to violate the law. Now is the time to set an example to everybody.

Hindi kasi ako sanay ng takut-takutin mo. Not me.So let this be a warning to all. Follow government at this time because it is really critical that we have order. And do not harm the health workers, the doctors, and everything because that is a serious crime.

 

STUPID DoH policy junked. Cabinet Secretary orders MANDATORY FACE MASK use in public for whole of LUZON quarantine area

By Pinoy 2022

As repeatedly stated in this blog. MASKS SAVE LIVES. We have no control over COVID 19 carriers (those who caught the virus and are able to transmit the infection but  are asymptomatic so they do not know they are spreading the disease). We have no control over SYMPTOMATIC patients but who do not wear face masks and cough indiscriminately. We have no control of IRRESPONSIBLE patients who COUGH and SNEEZE all over the place. We have some control over our own lives in spite of so-called medical experts who keep on shouting to the world that face masks are useless and/or unnecessary in public.

19 mask

 

Face masks, improvised face cover now required in Luzon

By CNN Philippines Staff

Apr 2, 2020

 

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 2) — Residents and workers in Luzon are now required to wear surgical masks or similar covers when they leave their homes, Inter-agency Task Force spokesperson Karlo Nograles said on Thursday.

He said everyone covered by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine are required to wear surgical masks, do-it-yourself masks, handkerchiefs, or improvised cloth that covers the nose and mouth at all times to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Nograles said this order will last until the end of Luzon quarantine, which is on April 13.

The coronavirus disease is spread through small droplets from the nose or mouth when people infected with the virus cough or sneeze.

The World Health Organization on Monday stood by its recommendation to not wear masks if you are not sick or not caring for someone who is sick.

 

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Department of Health OFFICIAL stand on the wearing of face masks in public

18. DO I NEED A MASK TO PROTECT MYSELF AGAINST COVID-19?

No. People with no respiratory signs and symptoms do not need to wear a medical mask. DOH recommends the use of medical masks only for the following:

  1. For people who are presenting with symptoms of COVID-19;
  2. Those caring for individuals who have symptoms such as cough and fever, and
  3. Health workers.

 

DOH, together with WHO, advises the rational use of medical masks to avoid unnecessary wastage of vital resources and mis-use of masks.

The most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to frequently clean or wash your hands, cover your cough with a tissue or the bend of the elbow, and maintain a distance of at least one meter from people who are coughing or sneezing. (For more information, see Section on protective and preventive measures).

Category:

COVID-FAQs

Monday, March 2, 2020

FAQs Classification

 

 

COVID 19 – TOTALLY UNNECESSARY VIOLENT DISPERSAL of Quezon City hungry people begging for food

By Pinoy 2022

qc san roque rally

Quezon City, the COVID 19 Capital of the Philippines, had urban poor people going out into a major thoroughfare (EDSA) BEGGING FOR FOOD and what did local police forces do, VIOLENTLY DISPERSE them. This is not the first time that citizens have amassed in the same place. Demolitions happened there and residents blocked the main Metro Manila artery to delay the destruction of their homes or in protest of their having no more houses to return to. The rationale for the massive police actions then was OBSTRUCTION to TRAFFIC.

Today is a different time. Traffic in EDSA is light. The whole of Metro Manila is in a LOCKDOWN situation and residents are required to stay at home. The problem there is that daily paid employees have no income while the informal business sector (peddlers, vendors, market stall owners, tricycle drivers, jeepney drivers, etc.) can not earn a living. It is precisely for this HUNGER issue that the President of the Philippines ordered local government units to distribute food through their barangays.

Quezon City has the largest land area and the biggest population in the National Capital Region.  QC has the distinction of having the most number of confirmed COVID 19 cases among all cities and municipalities in the whole Philippines at 151 out of the national total of 2084.

So what did arresting 20 people achieve? Nothing. The mass gathering merely confirmed the thoughts of many of us that there are lots of hungry people out there, notwithstanding the press releases and media conferences of local executives, more specially Quezon City which has been attacked (even by non-Quezon City residents) and branded as INEFFECTIVE, INEPT and INCOMPETENT. Led by a mayor with FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE, the coronavirus could devastate urban poor communities (and there are many in Quezon City) with concomitant spilling over to adjacent cities.

With so many repacking centers for the preparation of relief goods, why did the city executives not just arrange for the delivery of food packs and everyone would have gone home happy at least for the next few days that their food would last. Which brings us back to the question of “Would the same thing have happened in Manila, San Juan or Pasig?” The outstanding mayors Moreno, Zamora and Sotto may not have even allowed a situation to develop where there was need for constituents to mass up due to lack of food because forward thinking mayors would have made sure that there are no gaps in the food distribution process unlike in Quezon City where areas are not given food and favoritism is resorted to by barangay captains in some barangays.

Tatalon and Payatas, both huge areas with teeming poor residents could act up next.

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Some 20 protesters demanding food aid arrested in Quezon City

By CNN Philippines Staff

April 1, 2020

 

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 1) — Some 20 protesters demanding food and other assistance were arrested Wednesday in Quezon City for staging a rally without government permit, police said.

According to an initial report of the Quezon City Police District’s Station 2, the 14 men and six women were arrested at a portion of EDSA in Barangay Bagong Pag-asa at around 11:00 a.m.

They were apparently part of dozens of protesters shown on videos that circulated on social media. Some of them held placards saying they have not gotten any help from the local government amid the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19.

As of March 31, the local government of Quezon City said it has distributed more than 952,000 food packs since the imposition of the quarantine, which has restricted people’s movement.

Quezon City has 151 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease. Of this number, 27 have died while 11 have recovered.

Nationwide, COVID-19 cases have risen to 2,084, with 88 deaths and 49 recoveries.

 

 

 

 

COVID 19 – Husband and wife MDs – Dr. Dennis Tudtud, Oncologist and Dr. Helen Tudtud, Pathologist die of coronavirus

By Pinoy 2022

Cebuano doctor dies due to COVID-19 days after his wife succumbed to the coronavirus

Cherry Sun (GMA)

March 31, 2020

COVID-19 claimed the lives of Dr. Dennis Ramon Tudtud and Dra. Helen Tudtud, a couple who both served as frontline doctors in Cebu.

Dra. Helen passed away on March 28, and after three days, Dr. Dennis lost his life in battling the same disease. The doctors’ son Dennis Thomas Tudtud confirmed the sad news to celebrate the fruitful lives of his parents.

The younger Dennis wrote on March 28, “Today is a very sad day for me and my sister. I have lost not only a mother but also a travel buddy, eating buddy and a Netflix binge-watching buddy as well. I am lucky to have had the chance to have a mother who is very charming, funny and nice to everyone she meets, and I am hoping I have inherited some of those skills.”

In just a few days, the Tudtud children suffered another great loss as their dad joined their mom in heaven.

Their son continued sharing, “Our Daddy Dennis has joined Mommy Helen. My sister and I are in deep sorrow that God had to take both of them but I take comfort that they are happy together in their journey to paradise.”

The younger Dennis related how he and his sister are grieving instead of celebrating his birthday today, March 31.

He said, “Today is my birthday. It pains me that both my parents are no longer here. I cannot bring them back to life but I can celebrate their lives. Please remember my parents, Doctor Dennis Ramon Momongan Tudtud and Doctor Helen Evangelista Tudtud. Please include them in your prayers as they journey together to heaven. Please also pray for those who are still fighting this battle. My parents may have lost but the Lord won two angels.”

Dr. Dennis and Dra. Helen are among the fallen doctors who served well in the battle against the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Post by son – Dennis Thomas Tudtud

Our Daddy Dennis has joined Mommy Helen. My sister and I are in deep sorrow that God had to take both of them but I take comfort that they are happy together in their journey to paradise.

I will forever miss our Daddy Den’s selflessness. He has always put others before himself. As a father, he gave us everything we needed and wanted. He worked so hard for us. He was happy when he saw us happy. He did everything to put smiles on our faces. He adored my mother. He would give the world to Mommy Helen if it was possible. That was how much he loved our Mommy. He loved his grandchildren. He would play with them and shower them with gifts. He’d carry them to their bedrooms when they were asleep just as he carried us when we were children.

His selflessness did not stop in our home. As a doctor, he would even pay for the chemotherapy sessions of some of his patients just so their families could spend more years with them. He was generous beyond words could even describe.

Today is my birthday. It pains me that both my parents are no longer here. I cannot bring them back to life but I can celebrate their lives.

Please remember my parents, Doctor Dennis Ramon Momongan Tudtud and Doctor Helen Evangelista Tudtud. Please include them in your prayers as they journey together to heaven. Please also pray for those who are still fighting this battle. My parents may have lost but the Lord won two angels.

My sister and I may never understand why God had to take them both. There are so many questions with no answers. We have a flood of tears. I also ask for your prayers of strength and of acceptance.

Daddy and Mommy, please watch over us from heaven.

PHP 5000 to 8000 per month for two months emergency subsidy for 18 million households

By Pinoy 2022

19 5 to 8k b

Duterte approves bill granting him special powers to tackle COVID-19 crisis
By Xave Gregorio, CNN Philippines
Mar 25, 2020

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 24) — President Rodrigo Duterte approved Tuesday a bill that grants him additional powers to address the COVID-19 crisis in the country, including the power to reshuffle funds in this year’s budget to provide assistance to the poor.

Among the key points of the new law is a monthly ₱5,000 to ₱8,000 emergency subsidy for 18 million low-income households for up to two months.

It also provides for a ₱100,000 compensation for all health workers who may contract a severe COVID-19 infection while in the line of duty. Families of those who die while fighting the pandemic will be given ₱1 million.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation will also shoulder the medical expenses of health workers in case of COVID-19 exposure or any work-related injury.

These and other aid from the government will be funded partly by savings within the executive department in the 2020 budget, which Duterte is now allowed to rechannel towards the government’s response to COVID-19.

Duterte can also allocate cash, funds, investments, unused or unreleased subsidies in government corporations or any national government agency to address the COVID-19 emergency.

He can also stop programs, projects or activities under the executive department, including government corporations, and use the savings from these to fund the government’s response to the viral disease.

Other powers

Duterte may also direct the operation of privately-owned hospitals, medical facilities, and other establishments to house health workers, serve as quarantine areas, and become quarantine centers, medical and aid centers or temporary health facilities.

He may also direct the operation of passenger vessels to serve transportation needs of health workers.

The management of these businesses and establishments will be retained, and they will be compensated for any damage they may sustain as a result of Duterte taking charge of their operations.

However, Duterte may still take over their operations if they “unjustifiably refuse or signify that they are no longer capable of operating their enterprises.”

The new law also allows Duterte to buy goods, including personal protective equipment, thermometers, cleaning agents and medicine, as long as the Department of Health prioritizes the distribution of these to public health facilities tagged as COVID-19 referral hospitals, private hospitals that treat patients with the viral disease and public and private labs that test for it.

Duterte may also ensure that local government units are acting in line with the national government’s policy and may impose corresponding penalties if they disobey directives on quarantine protocols.

It also grants Duterte the power to require businesses to prioritize and accept contracts for materials and services needed to combat COVID-19. Those who refuse may face a two-month jail term and a fine ranging from ₱10,000 to ₱100,000.

Duterte can also now regulate public and private transportation, traffic, and the use of power, fuel, energy and water.

Duterte’s powers will be in full force for three months, unless extended by Congress, or withdrawn sooner via a concurrent resolution.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea earlier assured that the President “has no intent” to abuse his special powers to address the crisis once granted full authority by both chambers.

#COVID19

Masks SAVE LIVES. STUPID DoH/IATF guidelines DISCOURAGE citizens from wearing face masks in public.

By Pinoy 2022

Do you notice that STUPID Department of Health officials consistently and persistently emphasize the point that it is unnecessary for citizens who are not sick to wear face masks in public? Their recommendation is for symptomatic individuals to wear face masks so as to prevent others from getting contaminated. That is good, of course. The problem is that there are asymptomatic carriers, thus they are not obliged to wear face masks only because they are not even aware that they have the disease. Then there are symptomatic people who are in denial so they feel they do not need to wear face masks. Then there are irresponsible people who are symptomatic but could not care less on why they should be wearing face masks. In other words, we are at the mercy of all these people coughing and sneezing all over the place. Since we have no control over their actions, there is one thing we can control and that is our own actions. If we wear face masks, the chances of us being infected are much smaller compared to the people at the same time and place where we are but do not wear face masks. 

The STUPID health officials actually miss a very important point. By recommending mandatory face mask use, they will be inculcating the concept that everyone is responsible for his own protection and health. But no, our so-called experts cry out loud that face masks should be reserved for health care frontliners and patients. They sorely miss the point that the country, the communities, families and friends can actually manufacture their own face masks. True, the materials used may not be at par with the commercial face masks, but, mind you, in a time of scarcity and emergency even home made face masks will have some protective value.

Next time you watch a TV interview, program or press conference, look at the audience with them and count the number of people wearing face masks because if there are many of them, it only means the dumb health officials in front of the microphone have no credibility since the press people right there wearing masks do not actually believe what our pseudo-experts are saying.

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Wearing face masks in supermarkets, drugstores: not mandatory —IATF

Aileen Cerrudo (UNTV News)

March 24, 2020

19 masks 2

Wearing face masks in supermarkets, drug stores, and other establishments is not mandatory, according to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

The IATF on Emerging Infectious Diseases clarified that wearing face masks before entering supermarkets is not part of their implemented guidelines.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said they received reports where customers were not allowed to enter a supermarket for not wearing face masks.

Nograles said their guidelines state to strictly follow social distancing.

“Ang rules lang namin ay magkaroon lamang ng social distancing sa mga supermarkets. So ganoon na lang po ang sundin natin (Our rule is to practice social distancing in supermarkets. So that is what we should follow),” he said.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Secretary said it is for the management of the supermarket to decide how many customers they will allow entry and still comply with the social distancing guidelines.

“Made-determine naman ng mga supermarkets kung ilan ang pwede nilang papasukin to make sure na may social distancing sa loob (The supermarkets can determine how many they will allow to enter to make sure there is social distancing inside),” said Nograles. —AAC (with reports from Rosalie Coz)

COVID 19 – 2 peso face mask may have saved the life of a surgeon

By Pinoy 2022

19 mds 4

File Photo: RIP. Frontliners in the battle against COVID 19. The two Heart Center physicians are part of this article. Doctors Pulido and Macasaet will be featured in future stories.

On the Sunday morning of March 8, 2020, a Metro Manila private hospital held an event, a photo shoot for a major anniversary. The previous day, the Department of Health had announced the 6th COVID 19 confirmed case in the Philippines, she was the wife of COVID 19 patient number 5. Both would subsequently die of the coronavirus.

In the festive atmosphere of the preparations for group pictures by department and/or sub-specialty – Management Committee, Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Pediatrics, OB-GYN, Surgery, Orthopedics, etc., catered food was served as doctors had to wait for their turn to be called.

Among the participants was Dr. Heart Center, an internal medicine and cardiology specialist who was a consultant in both Philippine Heart Center and the private hospital. Dr. Heart Center was a social animal, mingling with the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and work related stories. Among the main topics was, naturally, the sweeping killer devastating China, Iran, Italy and South Korea. The Philippines recorded on February 2, 2020 the first COVID 19 death outside of China.

Dr. Heart Center talked to a Dr. A who stood out in the crowd of more than a hundred (aside from physicians there were the hospital management, photo people, catering crew, office secretaries, janitors, security personnel, etc.) because Dr. A was the ONLY one wearing a FACE MASK (which he removed only when he was eating and when the actual photos were shot).

Considering there were senior consultants there in their late seventies and eighties, social distancing was implemented by avoiding shaking hands, hugging and cheek to cheek contact (besobeso). In spite of the precautions, the normal distance between people talking to each other prevailed. Of course, during the actual photo shoot, people sat or stood very close to each other as a standard for good pictures. Aside from formal poses, there were also wacky shots where people got even closer to each other.

In the photos taken, Dr. Heart Center posed next to Dr. B, also an Internal Medicine and Cardiology consultant, on one side. On the the opposite side of Dr. Heart Center was Dra. C, a neurologist.

On March 11, while at the Philippine Heart Center, Dr. HC collapsed and was later intubated and hooked to a respirator. Two weeks after a hard and laborious struggle for his life, Dr. HC DIED, the second physician from the Heart Center to die of COVID 19. The first was a 34 year old Cardiology fellow.

Back to the March 8 photo shoot participants. Dr. A, the paranoid surgeon, completed the 14 day self quarantine protocol without experiencing flu like signs and symptoms. Since he was just over an arm’s length distance with Dr. HC during their conversation, he is convinced that his two peso face mask saved him from the coronavirus infection. He did not request for a COVID 19 test because of the scarcity of the kits and he is asymptomatic.

Dr. B, the overweight Cardiologist with a multitude of health issues, DIED in the private hospital after more than a week on the respirator. He tested positive for COVID 19.

Dra. C experienced severe body pains and went on self quarantine. Her COVID 19 results have not yet been released. Even if she is confirmed positive for the coronavirus she is currently apprehensive but may live to tell her tale. It also helps that she is a marathoner, thus much healthier than most of us.

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Read this. Insights. Projections. Suggestions. Health Tips.

Blog post predicted number of RP COVID 19 cases – 300 by week ended March 21; still to happen is 1000 total cases by week ending March 28

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Frequent hand washing, alcohol, masks, physical distancing and staying at home will save lives.

The Department of Health confirmed 84 new cases for a total of 636 COVID 19 cases with 38 deaths. 26 patients have recovered. DOH called on the public to be vigilant and practice personal preventive measures such as proper hand hygiene, social distancing, and cough etiquette.

DOH also called on people to refrain from visiting public places and/or attending mass gatherings.

 

 

COVID 19 – It is WRONG for government and medical personnel to DISCOURAGE the use of masks in public

By Pinoy 2022

19 mask

 

Masks save lives. Masks are used by medical personnel to protect themselves from catching bacteria and viruses. Patients need to wear masks to prevent them from spreading diseases. So why is the general public DISCOURAGED from wearing masks? If soap and water, alcohol and physical distancing are considered sound moves to guard ourselves from COVID 19, why are masks not included in the recommendations for the public. Why do so-called experts use the statement that MASKS ALONE can not save us? The question is, who is advocating the use of masks in public as the SINGLE mode of protection? No one. Not a single freaking or panicky individual is putting all his faith and trust in masks to prevent infection. In other words, MASKS can COMPLIMENT soap and water use, alcohol and physical distancing.

In an ideal society where people with symptoms wear masks in public, the academic approach of limited wearing of masks might work. Unfortunately the real world is chaotic and undisciplined so each individual should do his/her own preventive measures since irresponsible persons could be coughing and/or sneezing all over the place. In closed areas like elevators, pubic transportation, airplanes and even fully air conditioned (or areas with huge electric fans) malls, groceries, supermarkets and drug stores the virus may be circulated more than just the prescribed 5 feet of distance. It is incumbent upon every individual to protect him/herself and his/her family. Wearing a mask will add a layer of protection to soap and water use, alcohol and physical distancing.

We fully subscribe to these Department of Heath tips.

DOH called on the public to be vigilant and practice personal preventive measures such as proper hand hygiene, social distancing, and cough etiquette.

DOH also called on people to refrain from visiting public places and/or attending mass gatherings.

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Task force says no need to wear masks in stores

By: Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
March 24, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — Supermarkets, groceries and pharmacies do not need to require people to wear face masks before entering their establishments but only to strictly observe social distancing.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases had not issued any guidelines that customers must wear face masks before entering supermarkets.”

He went on: “So let’s just follow that, social distancing. The supermarkets can determine how many people they can accommodate inside to ensure that there is still social distancing.”

Nograles made the remarks amid reports that some supermarkets, groceries and pharmacies had refused entry to customers not wearing any face mask.

The IATF has repeatedly emphasized the importance of social distancing, especially when people assigned to buy food supplies and medicines are outdoors.

Face masks, such as surgical masks, N95 masks and even reusable or washable masks have been scarce even before the rise in coronavirus cases in the country.

This was after Taal Volcano’s eruption in January prompted some Filipinos to buy an excess of supplies, depriving health personnel of the much-needed masks.

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Healthy? Spare your masks for the sick, says expert

By: Germelina Lacorte Philippine Daily Inquirer

March 24, 2020

DAVAO CITY—Their high-powered firearms now proving useless against a microscopic threat, troops belonging to the antiterror squad here patrolled San Pedro Street, wearing black cloth masks that doctors don’t recommend.

A soldier told the Inquirer that the cloth mask was not really endorsed by his superiors but he merely bought it from street vendors as the threat of an unseen virus gripped residents.

“Cloth masks are not recommended under any circumstance,” said Dr. Kathryn Roa, an infectious disease specialist, as she told people what they should do to protect themselves against the virus.

“Just because they’re running out of face masks, they’re making face masks out of linen, that’s so sad,” she remarked.

Soap, water

As streets started to get deserted, the few who venture out wear cloth masks, thinking this would protect them from the virus. Even a security guard and a fruit vendor, who could not get a cloth mask, make do with a towel wrapped around their mouths and noses.

Roa said that even wearing surgical (not cloth) masks would work only when combined with frequent hand-washing and good hand hygiene.

“Face masks alone would not protect you,” she said. “Our best friend is soap and water. Alcohol is only the next best thing.”

But for those who would insist on wearing masks, and by this, she was referring to surgical masks, she said they should make sure their hands were clean before wearing them.

“Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, before putting on the mask,” Roa said. “As soon as you put it on, the outside part is already considered contaminated, do not touch it. To remove the mask, never touch the front part. Instead, use the loops and wash your hands afterward.”

She said she often saw the mask being worn covering the nose and mouth at the start of the day, go below the nose at noontime and farther down below the chin in the afternoon.

‘Wear with commitment’

“If you wear a mask, wear it with commitment,” she said.

Roa earlier raised the alarm over the shortage of personnel protective equipment (PPE), which included masks, for health care workers who would be at the forefront in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the front-liners needed all the protection they could get to be able to take care of their patients.

Healthy people wouldn’t need surgical and even N95 masks because they would only contribute to the shortage and put the lives of health care workers at risk, she said.

“Just think, if health professionals get sick, who will take care of the patients?” Roa asked.

She earlier reacted to the “no-mask, no entry” policies imposed by schools and public officials in the early part of the crisis which, she said, would only contribute to the shortage of PPEs for health care workers and would not protect both the public and the healthy people wearing them.

Stay home

Medical practitioners said healthy people should instead reserve those masks for the sick.

“In Japan, they call it a sick mask because you only wear it when you are sick,” said Roa. “But now, we are telling you, if you are sick, stay at home, don’t go out, you don’t need to wear a mask.”

Dr. Jean Lindo, an anesthesiologist, said in a separate interview she was even surprised to see a taxi driver wearing a mask at the height of the COVID-19 scare. “I asked him, ‘Why are you wearing a mask, are you sick?’ But he said, ‘No, this was only required by the company.’”

To illustrate this point, Lindo said three healthy people, each wearing a mask, could still get easily infected once a sick person who is not wearing a mask suddenly sneezes, spreading infectious droplets around. 

“The droplets will be on everyone’s hair, clothes, mobile phones and even masks,” she said. “So, it’s best for a healthy person to give the mask to the sick person to wear because wearing it would be useless.”

“This is not the time to be thinking of yourself alone,” Roa said. “To combat the virus, we have to take care of each other.”  —RICHEL UMEL