Refocusing Perspectives

March 21, 2020 While in a long walk from our barangay hall to another point of destination, we passed through a trisikad driver who emerged from a corner and was bound home. We negotiated for a lift until a certain point. Just as we were about to turn right in a corner, a police car with 2 personnel stopped. Each of the personnel took turned of hurling words against him " matigas na ulo " because " bawal ang sikad mamasada " while enhanced quarantine is enforced. We remained seated as the teen sikad driver listened. He explained he was on his way home and he will just drop us as passengers at a certain point.   Meanwhile, I was there recording the conversation, looking at the patches of policemen. I was listening while at the same time reflecting how else could other market with ease when all residents will be deprived from utilities. Perhaps, going to market must be done at dawn time to be able to walk without the scorching sun. But what about if one will be pay...

As of March 23, there are 396 ncovid19+ patients and 33 persons who expired due to this disease. This report cited that RITM has 600 testing capacity per day while other regional hospitals with PCR & biosafety measures for testing ncovid have 100 or 50 testing capacities. But while there area handful of identified hospitals which passed requirements as ncovid testing laboratory, the rest of Mindanao has only one (1) and its in Davao which is totally in a lockdown. Know that all those who needed ncovid test in Mindanao have to rely on one laboratory which is 100s kilometers far from municipalities and provinces. Unless other city and regional hospitals in Mindanao are able to upgrade its facilities based on requirements, ncovid test and its results will take some time for interpretation. These days, we acknowledge that there are hundreds of PUIs In Mindanao who are direly needing ncovid test. LGUs need to help upgrade hospital capacities to make it as accredited for ncovid pati...

When the law is silent, the principle of equity applies. The following are explication of what equity is all about sourced from "20 Equity Maxims." Equity is not suffering wrong without remedy. Equity sees that as done what ought to be done. Equity will not suffer a wrong to be without a remedy. Equity delights in equality, One who seeks equity must do equity Equity aids the vigilant, not those who slumber on their rights Equity imputes an intent to fulfill an obligation Equity acts in personam or persons Equity abhors a forfeiture. Equity does not require an idle gesture. He who comes into equity must come with clean hands. Equity delights to do justice and not by halves. Equity will take jurisdiction to avoid a multiplicity of suits. Equity follows the law. Equity will not aid a volunteer. Where equities are equal, the law will prevail. Between equal equities the first in order of time shall prevail. Equity will not complete an imperfect gift. Equity wil...

Stringent Social Distancing Measures. by Violeta M. Gloria on Scribd

WHO's four predictive scenarios of nCOVID-19 cases and recommended responses in localizing public healthcare actions. To prevent scenarios 2,3, & 4 to scale up, this blogger recommend that you boost your immune system by eating healthy vegetables and fruits; by sleeping 8-hours a day; staying away from crowd; wearing masks when in public places or when on board public transport; and, to avail immediate medical attention when ailing or when symptoms of infection hit up. #ncovid19

Today, the World Health Organization declared nCOVID-19 as a pandemic disease.  But my country- the Philippines, is yet to produce test kits for health offices and hospitals as well as prepare extended facilities for massive confinements, should the worst scenario happens. As of March 11, 2020, there are 49 confirmed cases of patients diagnosed positive of nCOVID-19, 2 of whom died, and another 2 have recovered. In China and other countries where the pandemic transmitted fast, the figures are scaling up. A global tracker ( https://ncovid2019.live ) of cases cited the following figure as of early morning of March 11, 2020. Meanwhile, the UN and WHO urged states to act on the pandemic reasonably and based on its health standards. Today’s declaration of a #COVID19 pandemic is a call to action – for everyone, everywhere. It’s also a call for responsibility & solidarity – as nations united and as people united. As we fight the virus, we cannot let fear go...

I learned in-depth discussion on nCOVID-19 through MedCram (Youtube); from Twitter acquaintances offshore who were excellent in immediately sharing empirical information; and, from WHO and DoH. Above is a summarized practical tips on how to deal with this phenomenal and transmissible disease. Stay safe.

Code Red sublevel 1 was raised with confirmation of localized transmission. The following are implemented as per @DOHgovph : ✅Intensified contact tracing ✅Home quarantine of close contacts of confirmed cases ✅Enhanced surveillance ✅Activation of other labs outside @RITMPH — World Health Organization Philippines (@WHOPhilippines) March 7, 2020

That's very great. This must be the narrative output of researchers whose guide complained of annoyance because of lack of understanding on the severity of context inside the warzone i.e. total observation of lockdown and martial rule. Don't take it negatively; we were in a light conversation in a sort of spontaneous debriefing in an informal session. The guide apparently was annoyed too of those who sought comfortable resting place and that disturbing sudden midnight commotion because... "oh my God, oh my God, there's a rat. That's a rat. There's a rat." It made me react, "why? they don't have rats in their condominium? they haven't gone to market to find rats too in gutters and sewers? or, they haven't met rats in posh malls or probably in whatchacallit-- the ghettos? or in the squalor of urban poor areas?" Stories like this reminded me of young agile learners who signed up for community immersion in remote rural area. There...