Monday, September 6, 2021

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4 dogs beheaded; P15,000 reward up for info on person responsible

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 08:11 PM PDT

POLICE personnel of the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) have launched a manhunt against the person responsible for beheading four puppies in Barangay San Miguel and a P15,000 reward was put up for those who could help identify the perpetrator.

The dogs were found beheaded in a lot in Barangay San Miguel on September 4. It was immediately reported to barangay officials, and it was found out that the beheading happened on September 3.

Initial investigation revealed that the owner of the dogs ordered the puppies to be thrown as they were infested with lice, but the owner denied doing the beheading.

San Miguel Barangay Captain Dionn Phillip Heramil has offered P5,000 and a certain Sir Jimmy offered P10,000 as reward for those who could identify the person responsible for the crime.

"Kung kinsay makatodlo sa pag patay sa 4 ka itoy ug pag potol sa mga ulo niini adunay madawat nga reward worth P5,000 gikan sa atong maabtikon nga kapitan Dionn Phillip Heramil ug P10,000 gikan kay Sir Jimmy, nag total sa kantidad nga P15,000," said Barangay San Miguel Igacos in a Facebook post.

"Ayaw kamo kabalaka kay magpa bilin confidential ang inyong identity.

Kung aduna kamu impormasyon palihog e contact atong Kapitan Dionn Phillip Heramil – 09071515906," it added.

Bantay Hayop Davao, meanwhile, condemned the incident and vowed to help in the investigation.

"The viral photos of 4 puppies around 2 to 3 months old that started yesterday was a shocking sight, painful, unacceptable and unforgiveable. Karumal-dumal. Isang kawalang respeto at kawalang dangal. Masahol pa sa isang halimaw ang gumawa nito at sa tingin namin ay hindi ito normal. A person capable of doing such a psychopathic act and display it for others to see is a work of a criminal that cannot be simply allowed on the loose," it said in a Facebook post. (LMY)

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'Starstruck,' Nesthy Petecio says of her virtual meeting with Mayor Sara

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 07:13 AM PDT

TOKYO 2020 Olympics boxing silver medalist Nesthy Alcayde Petecio was starstruck by Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio during her Zoom courtesy call to the mayor on September 3, 2021.

Petecio said, "Sige ko ingon nga nakulbaan jud ko kay first time namo mag meet via Zoom og na starstruck ko sa iyaha. Unsa na lang kaya kung face to face na jud."

(I kept saying I was nervous because it was our first time to meet via Zoom and I was starstruck with her. How much more if we meet face to face.)

She felt encouraged that Mayor Duterte and the rest of the City Hall of Davao employees also supported her during her Olympic debut.

"Nagasubaybay daw sila, kada naa daw sila break ata to, mag lantaw jud daw sila og dula sa mga naa sa Olympics labi na daw sa akoang games," the 29-year-old 2019 Aiba Women's World Boxing champion said.

(They've been keeping track of our games. During break time, they would watch us compete in the Olympics, especially my matches.)

She also felt warm in her heart when the mayor congratulated her for making the country proud.

"Mapasalamaton ko sa garbo na gihatag nimo sa mga taga Mindanao og sa garbo na gihatag nimo sa mga kababainhan," Duterte-Carpio was quoted as saying.

(I'm thankful for the honor you brought to the people of Mindanao and the pride your brought to Filipino women.)

Petecio described the lady mayor as "cool kaayo (so cool)." She was made to understand that government-organized activities and other forms of mass gatherings such as welcome honors are strictly prohibited in Davao City due to an existing executive order as a way to mitigate the rising Covid-19 transmission in the city.

For Petecio, the virtual meeting with the mayor was already an honor and she's thankful for such a rare opportunity.

"Hatagan daw ko nila og congratulatory gift po. Magpasalamat pud ko Kay Sir Vasit Venturillo kay siya jud nakipag-coordinate jud ug kay District Davao CG Commodore Allan O. Corpuz sa ilahang gihatag nga higayon nga maistorya nako si Mayor. Labaw na sa Ginoo po sa mga blessing nga gihatag nya sa akoa," she told this writer.

(The mayor said they'll be giving me a congratulatory gift. I thank Coast Guard Ensign Vasit Venturillo and District Davao Coast Guard Commodore Allan O. Corpuz for the time that I can talk with Mayor. I am most thankful to God for his blessings.)

Petecio shared how Duterte-Carpio at first thought that she's a man.

She continued, "Giingnan pud ko ni Mayor nga kabalo ba ka nga nagtuo jud mi sa mga taga City Hall nga lalaki ka. Naay niana sa akoa isa ka kauban nga gwapo sya Mayor no, ana pud ko nga yes gwapo sya. Unya naay niingon nga dili baya na sya lalaki mayor.' Katawa lang ko Ma'am nga naminaw og naulaw po. Ana sya nga, 'Pero mapa-long hair or short hair ka good looking jud ka.' Gikilig pud ko Ma'am kay na appreciate ni Mayor akong beauty."

(Mayor told me, "Don't you know that we at City Hall thought you were a man. Somebody told me, he's handsome mayor, and I replied, yes, he is handsome. Then another told me she's not male, mayor." I laughed and was shy. She also told me, "Whether you have long or short hair, you are ggood-looking" I was thrilled that Mayor appreciated my beauty).

Petecio returned to Manila Sunday evening, September 5, after a short vacation where she was welcomed at the Philippine Coast Guard District Davao Office in Sasa and given a hero's welcome in her hometown Sta. Cruz where she was also awarded a P500,000 cash incentive on August 30.

The Provincial Government of Davao del Sur also gifted her with a P250,000 congratulatory token while Governor Marc Cagas' family handed her another P100,000.

She said all that she received from Sta. Cruz and Davao del Sur LGUs will be given to her family in Tuban and it's up to them how they will put the money to good use.

For her Olympic feat, Petecio has received some of at least P24.5 million promised cash incentives from the government and business tycoons alongside other rewards like a brand new Chery car, residential properties in Tagaytay, Laguna, and Davao City, free fuels, and free flights.

Petecio is buying a 1.6-hectare lot in Sta. Cruz for farming and is still planning for other business ventures.

She will continue with her engagements in Manila and also report for duty at the PCG this month before she resumes training in Baguio City with the rest of the national team in October. She, along with Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, fellow silver winner Carlo Paalam, and bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial, will pay the Senate a courtesy visit today, September 6.

When asked of her short vacation, she replied: "Okay lang man po pero bitin lang gyud pero nakapahulay sad ko tong naospital si Mama. Magtapad mi sige rami katulog."

(It was okay but it was not enough but I got to rest when Mama was hospitalized. We slept together.)

She will come back on September 30 for the turnover of her fully furnished house from the National Housing Authority in Tugbok District, Davao City, which was also a gift from President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

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Samante: Best

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 07:11 AM PDT

IN MOTIVATING, we always hear the phrase "Give your best." True enough, we always give things our best shot. We maximize our potential in the attempt to provide our best in our endeavors.

Athletes are renowned for this attitude. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, even our student-athletes are demanded this by their coaches. No one gets exempted from giving one's best. I also teach my two children about giving their best in their school works and all other stuff they dabble in. In delivering our best, we have a lot of models from whom we can learn.

Incidentally, no one "gives their worst" as well. If everyone is inclined to give their best efforts, we can assume that no one also "gives their worst." Giving one's worst is tantamount to mediocrity in all we do.

The last several weeks have been laden with various stories of triumphs and defeats from our Filipino athletes. Our Olympic medal conquests. Manny Pacquiao's stunning loss and our Paralympian's performance in the Paralympics. They all did their best to train, to compete and to win. Eventually, not everyone can be declared a winner. If they trained hard, the same is valid for their competitors. Thus "giving one's best" is always relative from one's point of view.

"What is the best for you may not always be the best for me." Don't get me wrong; I am not promoting mediocrity.

The point is, let us cut these athletes and ourselves some slack. We cannot keep on criticizing them for losing and not keeping up to standards set by society. We even have to stop beating ourselves senseless to meet the rigors of work and everything we engage in. We all have our "off-nights", much like these athletes.

Talking about everyone giving their best reminds me of the poem "Adversary", also adopted by the Mindanao Peace Games from which "Kalaro, Kaibigan, Kasama" evolved.

"You are my adversary, but you are not my enemy.

For your resistance gives me strength, your will gives me courage,

Your spirit ennobles me.

And though I am to defeat you, should I succeed, I will not humiliate you.

Instead, I will honor you. For without you, I am a lesser man."

Giving one's best is relative because no one does give their worst. Instead, we genuinely recognize each other's efforts to become good at what they do. In the end, what's important are the learning and camaraderie while giving our best.

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Editorial: Responding to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 07:08 AM PDT

THE spike in Covid-19 cases in the region has been worrisome.

Based on the daily Covid-19 figures of the Department of Health (DOH) in Davao Region, the region recorded 1,031 new Covid-19 cases on September 4, 2021. This is the highest reported number of new cases in a single day since the pandemic started.

Of the new cases, 498 are from Davao City, 238 from Davao del Sur, 126 from Davao del Norte, 67 from Davao Oriental, 64 from Davao de Oro, and 28 from from Davao Occidental. It should also be noted that this is the highest number of new cases reported in a single day in Davao del Sur.

Figures also show that the active cases in the region have more than doubled. Active cases in the region went from 6,545 on August 4 to 13,636 on September 4. A similar trend can also be observed per province and city in the region in the same period. Davao City saw a jump from 2,805 active cases to 6,208. Other areas that experienced a large increase in active cases are Davao del Sur (1,299 to 3,006), Davao Occidental (294 to 1,065), and Davao Oriental (354 to 1,192). Davao del Norte saw an increase in active cases but the growth rate was slower from 1,157 on August 4 to 1,636 on September 4.

Davao de Oro was the only province that saw a decrease in active cases from 636 on August 4 to 529 on September 4.

The share of active cases in the region's total Covid-19 case has also increased to 18.8 percent from 11.9 percent. The recovery rate has dropped to 78.1 percent from 84.8 percent. This means more are getting infected than persons recovering.

Hospitals in the region are also nearing full capacity. As of September 4, 2021, 629 of the 792 ward beds for Covid-19 patients are occupied. For intensive care unit (ICU) beds, 187 of 233 are occupied. Of the 825 isolation beds, 517 are occupied. However, these are hospital beds and may not include the number of beds for temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, where most asymptomatic patients are.

Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), the primary Covid-19 referral facility in Davao City and the largest hospital in the region, has announced on its Facebook page that it is experiencing an "unusually high volume of patients needing admission for Covid-19."

Davao Oriental Governor Dayanghirang has also said their provincial hospital and isolation facilities are also full.

"Actually, ang atong (our) provincial hospital, so far puno na gyud kaayo (is already fully occupied). Ang atong (Our) isolation facilities, hapit-hapit na mapuno (is also almost full)," he said.

Health authorities in the region suspect that the sudden rise in Covid-19 cases in the region is because of the Sars-CoV-2 variants, particularly the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Dr. Rachel Joy Pasion, Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit head of the DOH-Davao, said the recent confirmed Delta variant cases in the region have no history of travel outside the region and had no contact with any returning overseas Filipinos.

"So we should consider it as a local transmission na here sa atong (in the) region," Pasion said.

DOH-Davao has also observed that there is already a clustering of variant cases in the region.

"We have really seen clustering of Delta cases among their closed contact, even if itong (our) whole-genome sequencing (WGS), e, parang delayed na 'yung ating mga result, nakikita natin na pag may mga clustering (has delays in the results, we can see clustering of cases)," Pasion said.

Likewise, SPMC chief Dr. Ricardo Audan said while this is not the first time that the hospital is seeing a surge in Covid-19 cases, it is different this time around.

"This has something to do with the Delta variant. Kasi ang characteristics ng hawahan is mabilis ang transmissibility, mabilis makaparami ng pasyente. (Because the characteristics of the transmission is faster, infecting more patients.) So it could be a Deta variant," Audan said.

In response to the increasing cases, the provincial government of Davao Oriental has placed the province under enhanced community quarantine from September 8 to 21.

The municipalities of Sta. Maria and Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental have also put in place stricter quarantine measures to control the spread of Covid-19.

The government units of Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, and Davao del Sur have yet to issue new policies surrounding the recent developments.

Vaccination also continues amid the rise of Covid-19 cases.

While local government units respond by implementing policies or providing additional support to health facilities, the public must also respond by following the minimum health standards.

Government and health authorities have said previously that our response to the pandemic is still the same -- wearing of face masks, maintaining social distancing, and regular washing or sanitizing of hands. Add to that avoiding gatherings and getting vaccinated when it is your turn.

As Covid-19 cases in the region rise, our healthcare system is again under threat of being overwhelmed. Since the Covid-19 situation is also highly dependent on our behavior, it is important we are disciplined in following the minimum health protocols and mindful of our actions. Our cooperation will help in controlling the spread of Covid-19 in our communities.

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Valderrama: Is DepEd ready?

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 07:03 AM PDT

THIS is something so debatable that people from all walks of life always have something to say -- Is the Department of Education (DepEd) ready for the opening of classes?

Last year (2020), the department faced four kinds of faces. One was happy, the other was sad, the third was angry, and the last was confused.

The first face was smiling as it understood that education must continue. It knew that children wouldn't stay still at home without doing something they deem important. It saw the benefits of learning and recognized that education is as important as time. If you miss it, you lose opportunities and possibilities and you can never get it back.

The second face had eyes, eyebrows, and lips pulled down. It didn't want a new educational system where no one meets face to face. It knew that a big change means difficult adjustment. The face saw it coming -- it would be a non-exciting, exhausting situation ahead. We want to learn together with friends or our teachers.

The third face had glaring eyes with lips pressed tightly together as if preparing to burst. It knew the danger of the Covid-19 virus. It wanted to focus on how to stay safe in this time of the pandemic. It wanted to cancel one academic year. It wanted education to wait. We have all the time in the world anyway, it said.

The fourth face showed a wrinkled forehead with eyes looking straight but with no direction. It raised so many what-ifs -- what if I do not have gadgets or internet connection, what if I can no longer afford to send my children to school, what if I cannot teach my children because I am working or am not capable of doing so. Life is full of what-ifs. What if we do not risk at all? It won't change anything.

These were the faces, so DepEd offered some things to ponder on.

It knew that holding face-to-face classes was impossible, so the Department made every home the learner's classroom. Instead of going to school, the teachers prepared self-learning modules (SLMs). These SLMs are either printed or digital, and the learners can have them all in the comforts of their homes.

For those without an internet connection, they can opt to have printed modules. For those with gadgets and can have some possibilities to have an internet connection, they can choose digitized modules where they can download the lessons and they can open it anytime, even offline.

For those with gadgets and internet connections, they can go online learning where they meet their teacher virtually.

For those with radio and TV, they can use the radio-based or TV-based instruction where they can hear the teachers lecturing on the radio or see them on TV. Here, they can feel that the teacher is just around.

All these can also be combined, that's why it is called blended learning. DepEd offered different learning modalities where children and parents can choose from.

To ensure that teachers and learners are safe, only the parents or the guardians go to school for the distribution and retrieval of modules. All schools established health protocols. Even the barangays have helped establish some mechanisms to make it easier and safer for parents.

All the local government units (LGU) in Davao Region contributed much to improve the situation. The Special Education Fund of cities and provinces was allotted to school buildings, facilities, and equipment.

Jonas Piore, the Brigada Eskwela/Adopt-A-School and Partnership Coordinator of Davao City Division and a member of the Communications Team, shared the immense contribution of Davao City LGU amounting to 237 million.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte allotted more than 220 million for the production of modules and more than 8 million for Riso and duplicating machines. All teachers are allotted one tablet each.

The non-government agencies and private organizations have contributed enormously too. For example, the Davao Filipino-Chinese Cultural Foundation, Inc. had donated speech laboratories, computer laboratories, and a broadcasting studio for Davao Region.

Now, is DepEd ready for the opening of the school year 2021-2022 on September 13?

Probably the happy face would say "I was right after all." The sad face would say "Well, at least it is still exciting." Or the angry face would say "Not bad." And the confused face would declare "Ok, I understand now."

I remember DepEd-Davao Regional Director Allan G. Farnazo saying something about teachable moments. It is a situation or experience that gives us the opportunity to learn about life. It is something that opens us to more realizations.

All that has happened last year were teachable moments for DepEd. And let's add one more -- the tipping point. It is that critical point in your life that leads to a significant change in you. In the case of our educational system, the virus gave that tipping point.

So now, to ask if DepEd is ready for the opening of classes or to conclude that it isn't is humor.

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Diversity in design, conservatism of culture

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 07:02 AM PDT

DESIGN in fashion can be diverse based on the designers' interpretation of the things around them.

For Dabawenyo designer Egay Ayag, diversity is interesting, especially when it is applied in the fashion pieces he creates. This is something he has consistently embraced through the years. In fact, his latest design for the Habi Kadayawan is a representation of this.

This special event of the annual Kadayawan Festival features the 11 tribes of Davao City. Among them, Ayag chose to focus on the Maranao tribe.

By adopting the theme "MAORI de Coloeur" or the future of colors, he emphasized the conservatism of the Maranao culture.

Ayag explained that his collection "highlights the rich and colorful culture of the tribe" as embodied by the semi-structured pieces in drapes and "patola-effect" patterns.

When asked what makes this new set of designs special, he was quick to share that the tribe is close to his heart "because some of my clients are Muslims, too; that is why it's easy for me to create such a collection."

In the meantime, he narrated that his latest line is different from the previous ones.

"Most of these pieces are more modern in terms of cut and style. The design is more diverse," he said, adding that the new fashion staples carry the traditional aesthetic, which is conservative.

Ayag admitted that the pandemic has indeed hurt the business he built together with his partner Rodwel. It even came to a point when they had to transfer to a new space to save on cost, particularly on rental fees. They had to sell some of their sewing machines as well. But thanks to their loyal and ever-supportive clients who have helped them get through.

"The business dropped low but we are thankful and grateful to some of our valued clients and the connection we have in the medical sector for we have made PPE (personal protective equipment) and reusable face masks for them. That helped us survive," he said.

The fervent prayers and unending desire to innovate have also been their greatest weapon.

"We were able to cope by praying and continuously thinking outside the box on what else we can do with the talents and skills that we have. So, we came up with our Rainbow Bag Collection for our Design 8 Philippines brand," he said.

Times have been tough. However, a creative mind and a passionate spirit can be tougher. Keep going, Egay and Rodwel! Congratulations!

***

If you have special events, interesting lifestyle stories, and fashion tips to share, you are always free to reach me at mendoza.jennygrace@gmail.com. You may also follow Purple's Nook on Facebook for more updates.

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Get your indoor light right

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 06:55 AM PDT

ARTIFICIAL lighting can easily be taken for granted but it is an essential element of home spaces -- it makes our rooms and halls livable, more enjoyable and safe.

With most people spending indoors these days, it is important to have a good understanding of how lighting can affect the way we live and how it impacts our bodies.

Science refers to our response to light through our circadian rhythm. This describes the 24-hour biological cycle of living things and it is primarily influenced by light and other stimuli.

Understanding our circadian cycle gives us a clearer view of our body functions like sleep, mood, wakefulness, digestion, temperature control and recovery.

Correct and adequate lighting improves mood and energy levels -- it affects concentration and appetite, too! On the other hand, poor lighting is linked to depression and other deficiencies.

Researchers recommend simulating natural daylight cycles with the way we arrange artificial lights at home. Brighter and stronger lights are best used during the day, while dimmer lights are recommended for evenings.

Unconventional configurations cause confusion in our circadian rhythm and affect sleep schedules and energy.

Want lighting for productivity? Take note of color temperature to suit your needs. Color temp, often depicted in Kelvin (K), doesn't refer to the physical heat but instead indicates the tone or color of the light.

Warm lights make spaces feel more welcoming and relaxing, while cooler lights make rooms more stimulating and people more alert, more focused.

Cooler lights can increase productivity levels! Blue light waves from a cool light reduce levels of the sleep-related hormone called melatonin and make people more awake. When applied to the right rooms, blue light can be ideal for those spaces where productivity is required like meeting and study rooms and kitchens!

People can truly live healthier with better lighting; having awareness of the impact of light on our body also gives us informed choices the next time we buy lighting fixtures. Have a look at the range of selections in Ace Express in The SM Store.

The newly opened hardware corner in the department store provides easy and convenient access to all hardware and home improvement essentials.

Shop from home via #143SM, The SM Store's Call to Deliver service. (PR)

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Health official: Davao Oriental recording at least 2 Covid-19 deaths per day

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 06:26 AM PDT

A HEALTH official of the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental expressed alarm over the increasing number of Covid-19 deaths in the province, saying that they are recording at least two deaths per day.

Provincial Task Force on Covid-19 Action Officer Dr. Reden Bersaldo reported during an emergency meeting on Friday, September 3, 2021, that the surge in cases has placed the province under Alert Level IV and categorized with a high epidemic risk level.

As of September 3, Covid-19 cases in the province reached 5,653, of which 1,174 were active.

Bersaldo said the province recorded a 286-percent increase in the number of cases in just a matter of three months.

He identified the City of Mati and the municipalities of Baganga, Governor Generoso and Lupon as the local government units (LGUs) that are highly affected by the surge.

Based on the Covid-19 status report, Davao Oriental had a positivity rate of 14 percent, while the recovery rate plummeted to 75.2 percent.

Case fatality ratio, on the other hand, rose to 2.8 percent, which is already almost double the national rate of 1.7 percent.

Meanwhile, Covid-19-related deaths have also increased. For August 2021 alone, Davao Oriental already recorded 55 deaths out of the total 159 deaths.

"That's a rate of two people a day dying in the whole province of Davao Oriental," Bersaldo said.

The health official added that 90.6 percent of the total number of deaths were unvaccinated and mostly with comorbidities, while 8.8 percent already had their first dose. The remaining 0.6 percent of the deaths were fully vaccinated.

Bersaldo cited the presence of new variants, the unrestricted movement of the people and the continuing disregard to the minimum health protocols as the main culprits for the surge.

He said if this goes on, isolation facilities will be congested and could no longer accommodate additional cases.

Bersaldo also cited the public's disregard for health protocols and lack of seriousness of the pandemic as reasons for the surge, adding that some attend social gatherings without using face masks and disregarding proper physical distancing.

"People just go on with their lives. But if you try to look at our hospitals and isolation facilities, it's heartbreaking to see our health workers who are all very tired and almost giving up," Bersaldo said, adding that many of the health workers have wanted to quit amidst the surge.

ECQ in Davao Oriental

In a press statement, the Provincial Task Force on Covid-19 in concurrence with all local chief executives of the province recently agreed to heighten the province's quarantine classification to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting September 8 to 21.

This is to address the alarming surge in Covid-19 cases that have already started to overwhelm health and isolation facilities here.

Governor Nelson Dayanghirang earlier said the local government is mulling for the highest quarantine restriction due to the increasing Covid-19 cases in the province for the past weeks.

With the implementation of the two-week ECQ, Bersaldo said health workers will be able to be given a breather, which will enable them to focus on treating the existing Covid-19 cases.

Unlike 2020's ECQ, which covered a hard lockdown, the current ECQ is not that restrictive.

"The only compromise is to limit non-essential activities," he said.

He referred to non-essential activities as social gatherings, gambling, parties and religious gathering, among others.

Other policies to be implemented under the ECQ include a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., a 24-hour liquor ban, monitoring of establishments and shortening the number of days for wakes.

Aside from the ECQ, Bersaldo said vaccination is one of the topmost solutions to address the Covid-19 surge.

Meanwhile, Dayanghirang directed the security sector to heighten law enforcement on the ECQ, he reminded the general public to abide by the guidelines as ECQ will be strictly implemented.

As of September 4, Covid-19 cases in the province already reached 5,732, of which 1,192 were active. Meanwhile, the number of deaths reached 166, prompting the Provincial Task Force to heighten protocols to prevent the further spread of the virus.

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Comelec-Davao sees low number in voters registration

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 05:50 AM PDT

WITH less than a month before the voter's registration for the 2022 national election ends, the Commission on Elections-Davao Region (Comelec-Davao) admitted that it is still struggling to encourage first-time voters to register.

Lawyer Gay Enumerables, Comelec-Davao assistant regional director, said during SunStar Davao's The Talking Heads on Friday, September 3, 2021, that since the voter's registration resumed in Davao City, she noted a low influx of registrants going to their office.

"When we opened to the public, we are trying to hit the target set by the commission. Ang basis naman ng target namin (Our basis to our target) for first-time registrants, those from the PSA [Philippine Statistics Authority] data. So we're trying to hit the target. But when we reopened, when we start with the resumption of the registration, medyo hina lang ang punta ng mga tao sa (not many people were coming to) Comelec offices," Enumerables said.

Comelec registration in Davao City was temporarily suspended when the city was placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), and when the Davao City Government issued Executive Order No. (EO) 30, an order regulating all government face-to-face activities.

Under Comelec guidelines, registration and offices are suspended once placed under MECQ. While the City Government, in July, has excluded the voter's registration in government activities that are prohibited as stated in the EO.

Although she said they had been receiving applications, this is not as many compared to the previous registration period in the past.

"Maybe because 'yung pandemic nga (of the current pandemic), they don't want to be in public, and ayaw nila 'yung (they don't want to be) part of the crowd. Basically, we understand that," the Comelec official said.

With only several days left, Enumerables said they are expecting that more people will be coming to their offices.

This is the reason why they extended the registration hours from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to cater to those who cannot visit their office due to work on weekdays. Their office is open on Saturdays and holidays.

From January 20, 2020 to August 31, 2021, Comelec-Davao processed a total of 320,386 applications. Out of the total applications, 157,090 were applications for registrations, 97,136 for transfer from another city, district, or municipality, 17,267 for transfer within the same city, district, or municipality, 4,486 for application for transfer with reactivation, 1,457 applications for transfer with reactivation and correction of entries, 4,291 for application for transfer with correction of entries, and 15,630 for application for reactivation only.

With the rising Covid-19 infection in the region, Enumerables said their workers who are at the frontline of the registration were not spared from the virus.

"Marami-rami na rin sa mga samaham namin ang nagka-Covid (Many of our workers have been infected with Covid-19) because of the exposure sa (to the) public," she said.

They are currently conducting satellite registration in some parts of the region with zero Covid-19 cases to reach out to the community, especially those who have not yet been registered.

Enumerables said they are also struggling in conducting satellite registration due to the rising cases in the region.

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Davao City vaccinates more persons under A5 in far-flung areas

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 05:50 AM PDT

THE Davao City Government's Covid-19 mobile vaccination drive has now reached the far-flung areas to inoculate indigent residents under Priority Group A5.

Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said in a radio interview on Friday, September 3, 2021, that the mobile vaccination for the said group already reached Baguio District and Marilog District.

Spearheaded by the team from the Office of Vice Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte, the mobile anti-Covid vaccination drive covered Barangay Suawan in Marilog District on Friday, September 3, and catered to 375 individuals.

Schlosser said the City is set to prioritize the A5 and more vaccination rollouts to the same priority group are to be expected soon.

"We continue to prioritize them, we continue to educate them and encourage them na magpabakuna jud (to be vaccinated)," Schlosser said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.

She said the mobile vaccination led by City councilors helped in reaching those persons with disabilities, senior citizens and persons with comorbidities, who have difficulty in going to City-run vaccination sites in the district centers due to distance.

Recently, the Sangguniang Panlungsod mobile vaccination has already served 4,700 Dabawenyos since its roll-out on August 30.

The City Government accelerated its vaccination drive by opening more vaccination sites and partnering with various agencies, and groups for mobile and sectoral vaccination. This allowed the City to expand its vaccination program in a bid to prevent a surge of cases in isolation facilities and hospitals in the city.

As of August 31, a total of 590,318 individuals were given the first dose while 329,203 were fully vaccinated or have received their second dose.

The City aims to inoculate 1.2 million residents by November to reach herd immunity before the end of 2021.

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Davao braces for another surge

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 05:49 AM PDT

SINCE the Covid-19 pandemic started in 2020, the Davao Region recorded its highest number of new Covid-19 cases in a single day at 1,031 on September 4, 2021.

Of these new cases, 498 were from Davao City, 64 from Davao de Oro, 136 from Davao del Norte, 238 from Davao del Sur, 28 from Davao Occidental and 67 from Davao Oriental.

With this, the region's active cases now reached an all-time high of 13,636 active cases. Based on the breakdown of active cases, all localities, except Davao de Oro, had reached the thousand-mark.

Davao City, the Covid-19 hotspot in the region, had a total of 6,208 active cases, followed by Davao del Sur with 3,006 active cases, then by Davao del Norte with 1,636, Davao Oriental with 1,192, Davao Occidental with 1,065, and Davao de Oro with 529.

With these cases, 187 of the 233 intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the region were occupied, while 517 of the 825 isolation beds were already been filled. Of the 792 ward beds, 629 were already occupied while 42 of the 117 mechanical ventilators were currently used.

In Davao City, the positivity rate hit a record-high of 30.5-percent, mostly as a result of household transmissions.

Davao City Covid-19 Task Force Spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said in a radio interview on Wednesday, September 1, that the positivity rate is higher than the acceptable level.

"Ang pinaka-acceptable level is five below. Medyo taas jud sya (The acceptable level of positivity rate is five percent below. So 30.5 percent is quite high.)," she said.

As of September 4, 2021, Davao City logged 498 new Covid-19 cases. The city's total Covid-19 cases reached 39,397 and of this number, 31,945 recovered and 1,244 died.

"Our data shows daghang mga household transmissions, meaning katong sa mga kapamilyahan diha nga nagahold na og gatherings, mamalihog intawon mi, iavoid sa nato siguro ang pagcelebrate sa atong mga birthday og pag create og family gatherings," Schlosser said.

(Our data shows there are a lot of household transmissions, meaning those families who have already been holding gatherings, please let us avoid celebrating our birthdays or creating family gatherings.)

She added, "Dili lang isa ka myembro sa pamilya ang infected, tag duha, tag tulo, tag upat, o ang entire family. Mas daghang household transmission bantug mas daghan tang household lockdown."

(It is not just one family member who is infected but two, or three, or four, and sometimes the entire family. With a lot of household transmissions that's why we have more household lockdowns.)

Covid-19 variants

Health authorities have attributed the spike in Covid-19 numbers to the presence of Covid-19 variants of concern (VOC).

As of August 24, the Department of Health in Davao Region (DOH-Davao) reported 281 Beta and 124 Alpha variant cases.

While the Beta variant is currently the dominant variant in the region, Rachel Joy Pasion, DOH-Davao Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit head, said based on the WGS from the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), results are showing more Delta cases.

Davao Region, as of August 30, had a total of 48 confirmed Delta cases since it was first reported in the region in July this year. Of this number, 20 were from Davao City, 10 from Davao Oriental, nine from Davao Occidental, five from Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur each, and one from Davao de Oro.

Health officials said the public should already assume that there is already a community transmission of the Delta and other VOCs after the recently confirmed cases did not have any travel history outside the region.

Davao del Sur information officer Sherwin Cesar told SunStar Davao in a phone interview that while they are still investigating the recently detected Delta cases in the province, they are already assuming that there is already a possible community transmission in their area considering that all of the five cases are tagged as local cases.

DOH-Davao has also observed clustering of cases of Covid-19 VOCs within households.

"We have really seen clustering of Delta cases among their closed contact, even if itong (our) whole-genome sequencing (WGS), e, parang delayed na 'yung ating mga result, nakikita natin na pag may mga clustering (has delays in the results, we can see clustering of cases)," Pasion said during a recent DOH-Davao virtual presser.

High volume of patients

Meanwhile, the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) said on September 4 that it is currently "experiencing an unusually high volume of patients needing admission for Covid-19." The government hospital is the primary Covid-19 referral hospital in the country.

SPMC Chief Dr. Ricardo Audan told SunStar Davao in a phone interview on September 3, 2021, that while this is not the first time the hospital has been overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients, he said suspects that the large volume of patients seeking medical treatment is caused by the highly infectious Delta variant.

"This has something to do with the Delta variant. Kasi ang characteristics ng hawahan is mabilis ang transmissibility, mabilis makaparami ng pasyente. (Because the characteristics of the transmission is faster, infecting more patients.) So it could be a Deta variant," Audan said.

SPMC has remained under critical level, as both ward and intensive care unit beds are fully or nearly occupied with Covid-19 patients.

As of September 2, 91 of the 92 ICU beds for Covid-19 patients were occupied, while all 472 ward beds were fully occupied.

The recently completed 44-bed modular hospital, which was constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways, also allowed the hospital to cater to more Covid-19 patients.

However, Audan said patients that could no longer be catered to would either be transferred to private hospitals or at the Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City.

"Kung (If) worse comes to worst, the City Government and the Department of Health should also strengthen nila ang (the) private hospitals to expand their Covid-19 wards," he said.

Since the One Hospital Command Center was strengthened in Davao Region, only a few Covid-19 patients outside Davao City had been admitted to SPMC.

Other hospitals in the region were also experiencing overwhelming bed capacities, especially in Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur, wherein there were already decking of patients awaiting admission.

Due to the surge in cases in the area, Davao del Sur was classified by DOH as Critical Level 3, as hospitals, temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMF) facilities are already overwhelmed.

Cesar said two hospitals in Davao del Sur have ceased operations due to undisclosed reasons, causing the shortage of bed capacities in the province.

He said some patients are forced to undergo home quarantine due to the decking of patients needing critical care treatment.

Government responses

In response to the surge in Covid-19 cases, provinces in the region are now placing their localities under a stricter community quarantine.

The Provincial Government of Davao Oriental officially declared a two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from September 8 to 21, 2021.

Provincial Task Force on Covid-19 Action Officer Dr. Reden Bersaldo reported during an emergency meeting on Friday, September 3, that the surge in cases has placed the province under Alert Level IV and categorized with a high epidemic risk level.

The Municipality of Jose Abad Santos (JAS) in Davao Occidental also implemented the "Sunday lockdown" starting August 29.

Municipal Mayor Jason Joyce issued Executive Order 21-014, Series of 2021, declaring Sunday as border lockdown within the area from 12 a.m. of August 22 until further amended.

Joyce said the municipality is experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases "due to the easing of restrictions of movements of people within the municipality."

"There is a need to control the Covid-19 cases in Jose Abad Santos because of the full occupancy of the Covid-19 beds in the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), the Covid[-19] referral hospital of Davao Occidental," the mayor said in the EO.

He said the border control lockdown will curb the surge in cases.

"In order to curb the surge in Covid-19 cases and to avert the spread of the virus in the municipality of Jose Abad Santos, the municipality deems it proper to curtail the movement of people in going in and out of the municipality by ordering and enforcing border lockdown in Mangile and Kitayo checkpoint every Sunday," Joyce said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Josephine Mariscal issued Executive Order No. 15, placing the entire municipality under MECQ from September 1 to 15.

In Davao City, Schlosser said due to the surge in household transmission cases, they are mobilizing the barangay health emergency response teams and the Philippine National Police to strengthen the household lockdowns.

Covid-19 vaccination

As Covid-19 cases continue to surge, DOH-Davao said there is a need to ramp up the vaccine rollout in the region.

As of August 30, DOH-Davao reported that the region already received a total of 2,403,770 doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Out of the total, 1,975,158 doses had been distributed.

A total of 868,567 doses had been allocated for first doses, while 626,182 doses were allocated for second doses.

Pasion said the majority of the active Covid-19 cases in Davao Region are unvaccinated.

Based on the August 29 data, out of the 11,543 active cases, 95.57 percent have not received a single dose of the Covid-19 vaccines.

About 1.47 percent are those who have incomplete doses or have only received their first dose, and 2.96 percent are those fully vaccinated or have received their two doses of the vaccine.

"Of these fully vaccinated, it is very noteworthy that none of these fully vaccinated are in critical condition," Pasion said during the DOH-Davao virtual presser.

Philippine College of Physicians-Southern Mindanao Chapter President Dr. Kathryn Uy Roa said in a separate virtual presser that certain groups of individuals can benefit if the rest of the community will be vaccinated.

These include dialysis patients, transplant patients, cancer patients, elderly, children and pregnant women.

"Ang best strategy karon kung naa tay kauban sa balay na dili pa mabakunahan, kaning mga batan-on or kanang mga bedridden nga mga edaran nga dili pa mabakunahan is to form a 'cocoon'. Ang tanang adults nga naa sa balay dapat magpabakuna para maprotektahan tong mga dili pa mabakunahan," Roa said.

(The best strategy we can do for now is that if we have household members who are still not allowed to be vaccinated, including minors or those bedridden elders, is to form a "cocoon." The adults in the house should have themselves vaccinated to protect those who have not yet been vaccinated.)

Regardless of the vaccine, DOH-Davao Director Dr. Annabelle Yumang said the public should have themselves vaccinated for additional protection against Covid-19, especially with the recent detection of the highly infectious Delta variant.

Yumang added that all vaccines issued with emergency use authorization can fight the Delta variant.

"Now more than ever, we need a national government-enabled response, local government-led response, and people-centered-response. No single strategy is enough to protect the people and our health care system. We need a layer of protection against the Delta variant," she said.

In addition, she also urged the public to abide by the minimum health protocols despite being fully vaccinated.

Health authorities also urged the public to stay away from gatherings and continue to abide by the minimum health protocols, especially those who are already fully vaccinated. RGL

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