Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Tropical Storm Ramil (international name: Fengshen) left at least six people dead and a fisherman missing as it cut through parts of the Visayas and Luzon over the weekend.

The storm caused torrential rains in several parts of Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, central and southern Luzon, and Bicol, forcing more than 22,000 people to evacuate, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said on Sunday.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Ramil was last spotted 85 kilometers (km) west northwest of Iba, Zambales, carrying maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gustiness of up to 80 km/h.

‘On the forecast track, Ramil will continue moving west-northwestward or northwestward over the West Philippine Sea. It is forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility [on Monday] morning,’ Pagasa said in its typhoon bulletin issued at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 was raised over La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Bataan provinces; while TCWS No. 1 was hoisted in other areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila.

First casualty

In Capiz province, content creator Mae Urdelas, 23, drowned when she slipped and was carried away by a strong current while crossing the creek at Barangay Malocloc Sur in Ivisan town around 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Her body was recovered by rescuers some three hours later, about a kilometer from where she fell, according to Malocloc Sur village chief Allan delos Santos.

In her last post on Facebook hours before she died, Urdelas wrote, ‘Tama na nga ulan (enough of the rains).’

In Quezon province’s Pitogo town, five members of a family, including a 5-month-old boy, died when a palm, or ‘buri,’ tree fell on their hut at the height of the storm.

Police identified the victims only through their first names-Alberto, 66; his daughter Jean Andrea, 35; Jean’s husband, Alvin, 35; and the couple’s children, Nazareth, 11, and the infant Noeh. They were sleeping in their nipa hut in Barangay Cawayanin around 5:30 a.m. when the tree hit their house, pinning and crushing them. Pitogo was under TCWS No. 1 at the time of the incident.

In Eastern Samar province, a fisherman from Barangay Nena of San Julian town, identified as Venetio Pombo, 30, was reported missing when he failed to return home after he went fishing on Saturday, authorities reported.

On Sunday, two minors from Masbate province were rescued off Barangay Dalupinit in San Antonio, Northern Samar, after their fishing boat drifted due to rough seas and strong winds.

The rescued boys, aged 11 and 14, went fishing on Saturday as the storm raged.

No damage

Pagasa earlier reported that Ramil made landfall over Gubat, Sorsogon, at 4:10 p.m. on Saturday.

However, no major damage was reported in Gubat, according to Raden Dimaano, head of the disaster risk reduction and management office of Sorsogon.

He told the Inquirer that the storm brought only light to moderate rains and mild winds, which eased after about 30 minutes.

On the other hand, areas not directly in the storm’s path, like Capiz and Iloilo, reported more damage.

Some northern towns in Iloilo were flooded, while several roads in Capiz were rendered impassable, including a major highway connecting Roxas City and Panitan town. The storm also caused landslides in the Eastern Visayas region and flooded communities on Samar Island.

Almost 5,000 passengers and 1,516 rolling cargoes were stranded in different ports in Bicol, although sea travel had resumed in Matnog, Sorsogon, on Sunday, said the Office of Civil Defense.

Police in Luzon and parts of the Visayas have been placed on alert and ordered to assist in emergency response, said Philippine National Police acting chief Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. in a statement on Sunday.

Under driving rain and cloudy skies, the Philippines’ Artjoy Torregosa and Kenyan Kelvin Kiplagat dug deep to rule the men’s and women’s centerpiece 10-kilometer races of the inaugural Asics Meta: Time: Trials (MTT) Philippines, doing it in emotion-filled styles on Sunday.

Willing herself to prove a point, Torregosa, a native of Butuan, stormed past fancied contenders-including national team standout Joida Gagnao-to claim the women’s overall crown with a time of 36 minutes and 23 seconds before breaking down at the finish.

‘I really didn’t expect this,’ Torregosa said in Filipino, the tears streaming down her cheeks barely recognizable because of the continuous downpour. ‘There were members of the Philippine national team in the race, and I’m not part of that team.

‘My only strategy was to keep up with them,’ she added. ‘But in the last lap, when I asked myself if I still had something left, that’s when I gave it everything I had.’

Torregosa also offered her triumph to her recently departed grandfather, whose wake she missed as she was preparing for the race.

‘I really wanted to win this one for him.’

Kiplagat, a first-time PH competitor, defied both unfamiliarity and a crack field to clock 30:32, holding off local aces Richard Salaño (30:41) and Sonny Wagdos (31:22), who had recently won in Thailand.

‘It felt kind of funny and exciting at the same time,’ said Kiplagat, who hails from the high-altitude town of Eldama Ravine. ‘This is my first time racing in the Philippines, and the weather was challenging, my body was hurting. But I gave it everything.’

Both champions walked away with P100,000 each, and the reputation that they will never be unfancied in races to come. INQ

In April 2023, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) launched its Campaign Against Malnutrition and Child Stunting (Camacs) because we believe that our children today, especially those growing up in poverty, need investments in their nutrition, health, education and wellness so that they can reach their full potential as healthy, skilled adults who are able to improve their quality of life.

We are thankful that when MAP took on the role of convenor, more than 70 organizations responded, committing their resources and their willingness to help implement the programs that can help reduce and eventually eradicate malnutrition and child stunting.

But due to the magnitude of the undertaking and the fact that it is MAP’s first time to take on a social cause of that scale, we barely inched up, except on that aspect that we are good at-that is, creating national awareness of the existence of this problem.

But we have a vital and indispensable role in this fight-and staying committed is not just morally right, but also smart business.

And we are glad that MAP, through the MAP Research and Development Foundation, has committed to supporting this project.

Also, about a month ago, the same team was given the go signal to proceed with ‘Camacs Phase 2.’

Indeed, why should the business community take this on with dedication and full commitment? Because malnutrition is not just a health issue-it is an economic one.

It quietly erodes our workforce productivity, drags down our gross domestic product (GDP), and diminishes the potential of our next generation.

Addressing it is not charity; it is one of the highest-return investments we can make.

Globally, the numbers remain staggering.

Unicef reports that 148 million children under five are stunted, 45 million are wasted, and 37 million are overweight.

This so-called ‘triple burden’ of malnutrition costs the world trillions annually in lost productivity and health-care expenditures.

The Philippines reflects this challenge.

Stunting-a condition caused by chronic under-nutrition-affects 23.6 percent of our youngest citizens.

And once it sets in, it is largely irreversible. It impairs cognitive development, weakens immunity and limits educational attainment. It is not just a health statistic. It is a lifelong economic penalty.

We are falling behind our Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) neighbors. Thailand’s stunting prevalence is 11 percent, Vietnam’s is 19 percent, while ours remains stubbornly high at 26 percent.

What does this mean in economic terms?

According to the Cost of Inaction Tool by Nutrition International (2023), the Philippines may be losing about $8.5 billion annually (P496 billion)-roughly 2 to 3 percent of GDP-due to under-nutrition, including stunting, low birthweight and anemia. (BusinessWorld Online).

That is billions of pesos lost-through reduced productivity, higher health-care costs and lower educational outcomes. For stunted children, studies show lifetime earnings can be up to 22 percent lower.

That is human capital leakage we simply cannot afford.

The good news is that solutions are known, cost-effective and yield very high returns.

In the Philippines, there has been a significant improvement from 34 percent (one in every three children) in 2015 to 23 percent (one in every 4 children) in 2023.

And that is the reason why MAP remains steadfastly committed to Camacs with the hope that no child will be wasted.

The Copenhagen Consensus estimates that every dollar invested in nutrition can generate up to 16 dollars in economic benefits.

The business sector, especially with MAP’s demographics that count the top industry leaders as members, can do a lot more.

There are simple ways that could easily be adopted in our organizations. For instance, we can:

1. Include nutrition not just as a Corporate Social Responsibility project but in our supply chain, product designs and workforce policies.

2. Support breast-feeding and maternal health programs within our operations, inside our workplaces, in our communities.

3. Make our products into healthy diets that are more affordable.

4. Help shape policy reforms, such as tax incentives, food standards, subsidies, among others.

5. Be partners in public-private platforms, such as nongovernmental organizations, government, communities-and align programs with national plans, like Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition.

MAP is relentless in this advocacy, treating this as a continuing program, ensuring this by placing the Camacs as one of the important initiatives of the MAP Research and Development Foundation.

Using the same template we have designed in Phase 1 in 2023:

We can continue our role as a Convenor and be the clearing house of synergy and collaboration for the different players.

Keep the momentum of the conversation using MAP’s visibility as an advantage to generate awareness and continuing engagement through regular releases, forums, policy advocacies and persistently push for public reforms and actions.

For this reason, we will step up some more. For Phase 2, we will line up continuing efforts to push Camacs.

Beyond CSR, nutrition investments make strategic sense. A healthier workforce is more productive, innovative and competitive. Malnutrition is not only about hunger-it is about lost potential. INQ

University of Santo Tomas and National University delivered scintillating performances in the final round to clinch the collegiate men’s and women’s titles, respectively, in the UAAP Season 88 Chess Championships on Sunday at the Adamson University Gym.

Breaking the trend of early title clinches in previous seasons, this year’s collegiate chess action produced a thrilling finish, keeping players and coaches on edge until the very last round.

The Sampaloc-based NU squad, in particular, trailed for most of the season before pulling off a stunning victory in the penultimate round and sealing the championship with a clutch final-round win.

‘We played catch-up all season long. We had to go through the needle on our way to becoming champions this season. From Round 1 to Round 12, La Salle was leading. Then, luckily for us, we beat them in Round 13. Up to the last round, it was still everybody’s game,’ shared NU coach Jojo Aquino.

‘Yung pressure talaga di nawawala yung (kada championship run)There’s always pressure every time you contend for a championship. That’s why I told my players not to be complacent and they responded very well,’ he added.

The Lady Bulldogs claimed their third overall title and first since their back-to-back championship runs in Seasons 84 and 85. Woman FIDE Master Allaney Doroy led the charge with a gold-medal performance on the top board, earning her second MVP award in the women’s division.

‘Super proud and happy because I got the MVP award and the team was able to win the championship in my last playing year,’ said Doroy, who also won a pair of MVP honors while anchoring NU Nazareth School in the girls’ division during Seasons 81 and 82.

Fellow Lady Bulldog Jersey Marticio earned Rookie of the Year honors with a silver medal on Board 2, while Kyla Dalagan secured a silver on Board 4.

In the men’s division, UST dominated the University of the Philippines, 3.5-0.5, to capture a fifth consecutive title and 12th overall. Chester Reyes led the Male Woodpushers, going undefeated in the final three rounds to claim a gold medal on Board 2 and the MVP award.

‘Winning the championship and MVP is a big achievement. We were able to peform up to our standards even in the absence of our senior players. I hope we’re able to continue our winning ways,’ said Reyes.

UST’s Lee Roi Palma (Board 3), Mark Reyes (Board 5), and Allan Hilario (Board 6) each added a gold medal, while FIDE Master Christian Mark Daluz took silver on the top board.

Far Eastern University finished as runner-up behind UST, anchored by FIDE Master Marcojo’s gold medal on Board 1. Lemuel Adena (Board 5) earned silver, while Jerish John Velarde (Board 2) and National Master Franklin Andes (Board 6) each secured bronze.

Completing the men’s podium was De La Salle University, which rebounded from three opening losses to claim second runner-up honors. Rigil Pahamtang (Board 4), John Lance Valencia (Board 6), and Cyril Telesforo (Board 3) finished with gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively, with Pahamtang also earning Rookie of the Year.

In the women’s division, De La Salle also took runner-up honors after edging the dethroned back-to-back champions FEU in the final round. Woman National Master Rinoa Sadey (Board 3) and Checy Telesforo (Board 5) both won gold medals, while Lovely Geraldino (Board 6) and Woman National Master Francois Magpily (Board 1) took silver and bronze, respectively.

FEU placed third in the women’s division with gold medal performances from Samantha Umayan (Board 2), Franchesca Largo (Board 4), and Joyce Rueda (Board 6), and silver medals from Woman FIDE Master April Joy Claros (Board 3) and Woman National Master Vic Glysen Derotas (Board 5).

Despite finishing fourth overall in the women’s division, UST’s Jamaica Lagrio (Board 2), Rohanisah Buto (Board 4), Princes Oncita (Board 5), and Nathalie Liscano (Board 6) all secured bronze medals. Ateneo de Manila University’s Alphecca Gonzales claimed bronze on Board 3, while Adamson University’s Robelle de Jesus took silver on the top board.

UP, which ended the season fifth in the men’s division, earned two silver medals through Io Aristle Calica (Board 2) and Daniel Tagufa (Board 3), while Roderenz Adra added bronze on Board 4. Ateneo finished fourth in the men’s division, highlighted by Ritchie Abeleda’s silver (Board 4) and Christopher Kis-ing’s bronze (Board 5). Adamson’s John Rocel Simon rounded out the men’s medalists with a bronze on Board 1.

Citing a spike in influenza-like illnesses, Quezon Governor Angelina Tan has reinstated the mandatory wearing of face masks.

‘Due to the increasing number of cases of illnesses such as colds, coughs, influenza-like illness, and severe respiratory infections like community-acquired pneumonia-and in accordance with Executive Order No. DHT-60-the wearing of face masks is hereby strictly mandated in all indoor settings, as well as in outdoor areas where physical distancing cannot be observed,’ Tan, a medical doctor, said in a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 19.

Tan did not specify how long the policy will remain in effect.

EO No. DHT-60, issued on Dec. 27, 2023, requires face masks in all government and private offices, public spaces, hospitals, clinics, indoor settings, and outdoor areas where physical distancing is not possible.

The governor did not provide current figures for influenza-like illness cases in the province.

When Tan suspended school classes from Oct. 16 to 17, she had already warned of rising respiratory illnesses at the government-run Quezon Medical Center (QMC) in this city.

Tan reported that QMC is operating at more than 200 percent of its authorized bed capacity.

‘In fact, there are no more available beds. Some beds are being occupied by two patients,’ she said, adding that QMC and 14 other government hospitals across the province are struggling with limited resources.

Lucena City, the provincial capital and a highly urbanized city, is not covered by Tan’s mask mandate. However, Mayor Mark Alcala has followed the governor’s order, requiring residents to wear face masks for protection.

Alcala also suspended in-person classes at all levels in public and private schools from Oct. 20 to 22 ‘due to the rising cases of influenza virus.’

‘Online classes will continue as scheduled,’ Alcala said in a Facebook post. /mcm

The news reported that classes in public schools in the National Capital Region were suspended because of a rise in influenza-like illnesses (ILI). This was later followed by an announcement that the suspension was also meant to include safety checks because of the recent earthquakes. The Department of Health (DOH) recently stated that there was no flu outbreak.

Mixed messaging resulting from a lack of coordination regarding health concerns always brings about a certain level of alarm. It doesn’t help matters to point fingers, which only adds to the confusion, or worse, to the noise by making generalizations from baseless assumptions. If there are lessons to be learned from the pandemic and the recent events, they are the importance of being prepared and gathering the right information from credible sources.

To provide clarity, let’s define influenza and influenza-like illness. Influenza is a specific viral infection, while influenza-like illness is a broader term that encompasses symptoms that resemble the disease and are caused by other viruses, such as the respiratory syncytial virus and rhinovirus, to name a few. Common manifestations may include fever, cold, sore throat, cough, headache, and body malaise. Testing is needed to identify and confirm the presence of the virus, either through the use of rapid antigen kits or multiplex molecular assays.

ILI is a notifiable disease. The DOH, in coordination with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, which is our national reference laboratory, is the responsible agency tasked with routine surveillance and virologic confirmation of ILI cases and is part of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System laboratory network. This piece of information may be of use to those who may be wondering where the numbers cited by the DOH are coming from, and to provide a form of assurance that we are capable of detecting both circulating and new influenza strains. There are limitations, such as delays or underreporting, but keep in mind that not all patients with ILI come for consult or are tested. Fortunately, there are diagnostic tests available, as mentioned above, that are readily available in several institutions but come with a considerable cost. Pooling these data together may help bridge the gap for a better picture of the incidence of influenza and other viruses that are circulating in the community.

In a study by Lucero et al., an analysis of national influenza surveillance data from 2006 to 2012 showed that influenza cases may occur throughout the year, but are more commonly seen from June to November, reflecting seasonality. The Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) Flu Task Force Report released last Oct. 17, included data from all age groups and was collated from the surveillance reports of infection control committees of four tertiary hospitals in Metro Manila. Among 6,000 individuals who were tested through rapid antigen kits or multiplex PCR assays, the influenza positivity rate rose from 39 percent in August and September to 42 percent in the first week of October. This means that for the majority who presented with ILI symptoms and were tested, a considerable number were due to influenza, which is indicative of ongoing community transmission.

Questions have arisen regarding treatment with antivirals and preventive strategies. Maybe you have heard that the supply of oseltamivir is running low, and people are doubting the importance of vaccination after they fell ill, even after receiving the vaccine.

To address the first concern, in general, oseltamivir, an antiviral, is indicated for those who are hospitalized or at severe risk for complications or progression of the disease, such as the very young, the elderly, and individuals who are immunocompromised. It is imperative that a physician’s advice is sought for proper assessment.

With regard to vaccination, in line with local recommendations, it must be administered before the start of the influenza season, ideally in April to May. While no vaccine claims to be 100 percent effective, vaccination provides benefits against severe complications and hospitalization, especially if the circulating strains match those that are included in the vaccine. Strains may vary from year to year, and immunity wanes. This is the reason why annual flu vaccination is warranted.

Advisories not only from PSMID but also from the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines have been released. While the latter is a guide to clinicians, both societies uphold the importance of vaccination and adherence to infection control measures.

If you have not been vaccinated and are eligible, there is still time for you to get one. If you are feeling ill, refrain from reporting to work or school or going to crowded places. Wash your hands and cover your cough or wear a mask if needed. You can transmit the virus 24 hours before manifesting symptoms and continue to shed the virus until the seventh day of illness or longer if you are immunocompromised.

Get enough rest and stay hydrated. Seek consult if needed.

A total of 6,163 police personnel were deployed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) to respond to the onslaught of Tropical Storm Ramil (international name: Fengshen).

In a press briefing in Camp Crame on Monday, PNP public information chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said the PNP deployed 427 of its officers in Central Luzon; 413 in Western Visayas; 195 in Calabarzon; 74 in Cagayan Valley; 41 in Eastern Visayas; and six in Mimaropa in response to the tropical cyclone.

He added that the PNP’s Reserve Standby Support Force also deployed 5,007 personnel to assist with the recovery efforts across the six regions as well as Ilocos Region.

According to Tuaño, 58 uniformed and five non-uniformed PNP personnel in Western Visayas were affected by the storm.

Meanwhile, 10 search and rescue operations were conducted and 105 occupied evacuation centers were monitored by police during the onslaught of the tropical cyclone.

In a statement earlier on Monday, Acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. activated the police force’s disaster response teams in the wake of Ramil.

The tropical storm left the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday morning.

Ramil left seven people dead, according to the latest situational report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

While he agrees with business organizations’ call for the government to immediately address ‘historic, massive, and unprecedented’ corruption, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said the campaign should prioritize the welfare of all ordinary Filipino taxpayers.

‘I couldn’t agree more with the business sector, except that they should not speak only on their behalf but also for the tens of millions of individual taxpayers, including every Filipino who cannot escape the 12 percent VAT or consumer tax we all pay for goods and services we deal with daily,’ Lacson said in a statement on Monday.

He issued the statement following the signing of a joint resolution by 34 business groups and associations urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take ‘swift, decisive action’ against corruption, which they described as more than a financial loss but a ‘fatal breach of public trust.’

Signatories of the resolution include the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, the Makati Business Club, and the Management Association of the Philippines.

Lacson also stressed that public anger and vigilance against corruption must not wane, warning that those responsible could be emboldened if Filipinos lower their guard.

‘[W]e should sustain the momentum of guarding against any and all shenanigans by monitoring and reporting the same, if not to the concerned authorities, directly to the Filipino people so those responsible may be shamed, prosecuted and put behind bars,’ he said.

‘Lowering our guard, and worse, forgetting after reaching this far in terms of awareness and inciting public anger is no longer an option,’ he added.

Lacson bared in two privilege speeches the extent of corruption in flood control projects, including how some officials gambled away public funds in casinos. /mcm

The Northern Samar Provincial Hospital (NSPH) has announced that it is now operating beyond its maximum bed capacity, prompting hospital officials to temporarily suspend new patient admissions.

In a public advisory issued on Saturday, NSPH chief of hospital Dr. Joseph Estanislao said that no beds were currently available for additional patients.

He appealed to partner health facilities and the public to refer only those in need of specialized or higher-level care to the provincial hospital.

‘We also would like to request the health facilities to stabilize patients before dispatch,’ Estanislao said, adding that cooperation from other facilities and the public would help ensure that critical and emergency cases receive the immediate attention they require.

Main facility

Located in the provincial capital of Catarman, NSPH serves as Northern Samar’s main referral hospital, catering to patients from various municipalities across the province.

The hospital has a licensed capacity of 150 beds but is currently accommodating more than 360 patients, well beyond its limit.

According to Provincial Information Officer Arlyn Cui, the overcrowding stems from the influx of patients who bypass district hospitals and rural health units and go directly to NSPH, even for minor illnesses.

‘NSPH is just a referral hospital, but most of the time, patients go directly there regardless of the seriousness of their ailments. They are still being accommodated, which causes the hospital to exceed its capacity,’ Cui said in an online interview on Saturday.

Aside from NSPH, the provincial government also operates eight district hospitals across Northern Samar, each with a capacity ranging from 50 to 100 beds.

There are also rural health units accredited as primary care facilities that can handle basic treatments and birthing cases, Cui added.

Other government hospitals in Eastern Visayas, such as the Samar Provincial Hospital in Catbalogan City and the Eastern Visayas Medical Center in Tacloban City, have likewise reported operating beyond their bed capacities amid rising patient admissions in recent months

The bus driver, who was seen being beaten by a businessman along a road in Silang, Cavite, will not pursue a case against him, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The incident occurred last Saturday when the businessman’s wife sideswiped the bus with their pick-up truck, prompting the bus driver to park the vehicle and curse at the couple.

‘Na-settle naman kinabukasan yung kaso at nag-execute ng affidavit of no interest to file criminal charges yung driver ng bus,’ PNP public information chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said in a press briefing in Camp Crame.

(The case was settled the next day and the bus driver executed an affidavit of no interest to file criminal charges.)

‘May kasunduan sila na yung kanyang medical treatment at yung kanyang moral damages amounting to P40,000. Kasama rin yung pagpapa-repair nung nasira doon sa bus na aabot ng P18,000,’ he added.

(They had an agreement that they will take care of his medical treatment and moral damages amounting to P40,000. They also agreed to P18,000 to repair the damage on the bus.)

Tuaño did not identify either the bus driver or the businessman, only saying they were 52 and 33, respectively.

For its part, on Sunday, the Department of Transportation suspended the pick-up driver’s license for 90 days and summoned them to explain why they should not be subjected to a reckless driving case.