socio-cultural

FB Notes: Covid19 in Philippines – March 2020

I decided, quite belatedly, to document my thoughts on Covid19 as recorded in Face Book. through my posts, likes and shares.

This is for the month of March 2020:

FB posts re Coronavirus:

On Mar. 3, 2020, I liked a post that linked to a news story headlined “Duterte Admin, Pinapasok ang 536,205 Chinese sa Pinas Simula December 2019 – Report” or Duterte Admin: 536,205 Chinese allowed to enter the Philippines starting December 2019″.  It must be noted that the outbreak in Wuhan is believed to have happened even before the Chinese government acknowledged its existence. Experts now believe that the first cases in China could have happened in November or late October.

On Mar. 3, I reacted angrily to somebody’s shared link from youtube: “Malaysia Warns Philippines Over China Debt | Mahathir Mohamad Warns Duterte about CCP Loans“. This is significant because Chinese loans to the Philippines keep on mounting, esp. during the Covid19 pandemic.

Mar. 4,   I reacted with a laughing emoticon on the shared link : “Gordon: Why is Palace ‘hurt’ when China is involved in issues?” Obviously, China and the Philippines has a very cozy relationship.

Jamal Ashley Abbas likes INQUIRER.net’s post. Mar 4, 2020, 10:25 PM  The post was: “Gordon: Impossible for Duterte not to know ‘money laundering’ by Chinese” What is surprising is that Senator Gordon was/is an ally of Duterte. So why was he throwing a monkey wrench on the Duterte-China money deals?

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Jamal Ashley Abbas added 4 new photos.Mar 6, 2020, 9:39 AM

This was my last social gathering before the Philippines declared a lockdown. It was the Philippine Journalism Research Conference in the morning and afternoon and the launching of the Journalism Studies Association of the Philippines (JSAP) in the evening.
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On March 6, I liked a shared link titled “Spock’s Vulcan salute should replace handshakes in coronavirus era.”

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On March 7, the Department of Health finally acknowledged the danger of Covid 19 and declared Code Red.

Jamal Ashley Abbas likes INQUIRER.net’s post. Mar 9, 2020, 3:11 PM  “Binay, Marcos scold DOH for only having 2K COVID-19 testing kits on hand

With the coronavirus raging in Wuhan and had already been transmitted overseas, including the Philippines, the government announced that it could hardly do any testing since it has only about 2000 test kits and needs to borrow money to buy the test kits.

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On March 9, I LIKED my nephew’s post: WHO had actually announced that it could give away free test kits to governments that need them. And really, so many countries, esp. China, which has a cozy relationship with the Philippine government, would readily donate test kits.

Saint Luke’s E. Rodriguez and Makati Medical Center has cases of of the coronavirus. These hospitals are not up to date for CONTAINMENT. Save yourselves from acquiring it.

FYI: The WHO has stockpile of medical equipment that is free in limited amounts to all countries. This government is lying that we should borrow.

The infection rate of COVI-19 is fast. Everyone needs to update because the government not report everything, it falls on us to do what we can.”

Later, I LIKED a high school classmate’s post:

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Jamal Ashley Abbas likes INQUIRER.net’s photo. Mar 10, 2020, 12:04 PM
Test kits for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) which were developed by local scientists at the University of the Philippines have been approved for use by the FDA.” https://inq.news/testkitsThe government gave the impression that test kits are so hard to come by and it will need millions and millions of pesos to buy enough test kits. And then, suddenly, doctors at the University of the Philippines-Manila’s National Institute of Health announced that they created a test kit which are much cheaper than the ones available from abroad and can produce results in two hours. Needless to say, the Dept of Health was stumped and didn’t know what to do with the UP test kits.March 10,  I liked my nephew’s usual rant on Covid19 and the government:”If  the excuse of the dummies in the government is the lack of testing kits, that is bull. In China they use the CT scan to check the lungs that will show initial infection. Now, why is it that hospitals here are not assisted by foreign specialists who know about this stop gaps? What is the DOH doing holding press cons for a faltering control over the virus. Resign. Those who cannot deal with this OUTBREAK. You will just kill everyone. Go to hngn.com.…Duterte you are not funny.”

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March 11. I LIKED a friend’s  post:
Must-read. A doctor in Italy shares his experience fighting the #CoronaVirus and compares it to war. Excerpt: Now an Italian intensive care doctor has told of fighting on the front line against Covid-19 in Bergamo, Lombardy – hitting back at those who claim it is no worse than flu. Dr Daniele Macchini of Humanitas Gavazzeni hospital likened it to war.He tells of the full horror in a bid to convince people the threat is real – and that everyone has their part to play to stop its spread.He said: “After much thought about whether and what to write about what is happening to us, I felt that silence was not responsible.“I will therefore try to convey to people far from our reality what we are living in Bergamo in these days of Covid-19 pandemic. I understand the need not to create panic, but when the message of the danger of what is happening does not reach people I shudder.“I saw with some amazement the reorganization of the entire hospital in the past week, when our enemy was still in the shadows: the wards slowly emptied, elective treatments were interrupted, intensive care was freed up to create as many beds as possible.“All this brought a surreal emptiness to the corridors of the hospital, waiting for a war that was yet to begin and that many (including me) were not sure would ever come with such ferocity.“I still remember a week ago when I was waiting for the results of a swab. When I think about it, my anxiety over one possible case seems almost ridiculous and unjustified, now that I’ve seen what’s happening. The situation now is dramatic to say the least.“The war has exploded and battles are uninterrupted, day and night. But now that need for beds has arrived in all its drama. One after another the departments that had been emptied have filled up at an impressive pace.“The boards with the names of the patients, of different colours depending on the operating unit, are now all red – and instead of surgery you see the diagnosis, which is always the damned same: bilateral interstitial pneumonia.“Now, explain to me which flu virus causes such a rapid drama? While people boast of not being afraid, ignoring directions, protesting because their routine is temporarily upset, the epidemiological disaster is taking place.”(https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/coronavirus-shocking-image-italian-patients-21663653)

 

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Jamal Ashley Abbas commented on INQUIRER.net’s live video. Mar 11, 2020, 5:58 PM:

600 – 700 tests per day max for a country with more than 100 million people!!!

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Jamal Ashley Abbas updated his status. Mar 11, 2020, 8:22 PM 

Government should ask FREE testing kits from WHO. Testing 300-500 people a day is NOT tenable.“Despite UP’s testing kits, which reportedly could do 120,000 tests, the government was doing only 300-500 tests a day. Obviously, the government is up to its dirty tricks again.March 11, I uploaded a photo with the note: “DOH should mass produce UP testing kits ASAP

 

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Jamal Ashley Abbas updated his status. Mar 11, 2020, 8:22 PM:

Government should ask FREE testing kits from WHO. Testing 300-500 people a day is NOT tenable.”

Amelito Velasco shared an image containing notes from a certain Ralph Luzadas.

There was an exchange of comments and I liked the comments of Atty. Velasco:

Grace Pancho The protocol has been updated to adopt to the local transmission. Rest assured that we are doing our “best” to control this infection. We may have different definitions of best. We may have different suggestions. But maybe, let us stop demoralizing the Health Care system in our country. It is not helping po.

Amelito Velasco Sis Dra Grace Pancho, this is not an attempt at demoralizing the Health Care System in this Country. Rather, this is a pro-active critique for the Health Care System to correct itself. Do not be misled into thinking that only the health care establishment has the right to say anything. You need to listen more to your patients. Our lives are at stake.

Amelito Velasco Dra Grace Pancho, if this protocol had not been criticized, do you think they will change it? In fact, I am amazed at the indifference shown in that questioned protocol to the point that it exceeds all known boundaries of common sense.

Grace Pancho Protocols are evidence based. They are put in place by the brightest and respected people in the medical field. Maybe what we need right now po is “Trust”.  (I clicked a laughing emoticon as I think it is ridiculous.)

Amelito Velasco Grace PanchoDo we have any choice but to trust? But if common sense and the truth dictates it, patients have a duty as well to point out what is needed to be changed. Incidentally, i challenge your propodition that protocols are put in place by the brightest and respected people in the medical field on account of a survey of ombudsman cases showing the Department of Health as the agency with the most appalling record of graft and corruption. So please stop telling me about trust especially when its not competence which I am pointing out but integrity. With so much corruption involving public health what we need is not trust but healthy skepticism. Only when the medical field realizes that their public demands respect and will be vigilant as to their rights will we see corruption in the public sector wane.

Amelito Velasco Grace Panchosimple lang yan, kung tama ang protocol bakit pinalitan. Public health issue ito kaya pamahalaan ang nakatayo dito. May pananagutan sila sa taongbayan.

Amelito Velasco Ako ay isang ordinaryong mamayan na buwan buwan ay kinakaltasan ng 35% sa sahod, ako kasama ang milyon milyon pati ikaw ang nagpapasweldo sa kanila. No we cannot just give them our trust, they have to prove they are trustworthy first. As of now kaya lang ganyan kasi sila ang nasa poder kay no choice kami kung d mamuna na lamang.

Amelito Velasco Kaya mali ang pilosopiyang binabasehan mo ng iyong trust. Nalilito Ka yata. Walang doctor-patient relationship sa public heath kasi administrasyon at governance of health issues ang ginagawa dba?

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Jamal Ashley Abbas March 13I shared somebody’s post:

Gang Badoy Capati March 13:

Last night’s Duterte presscon on our #Covid19 situation distressfully lacked any mention of health-related concerns.There was little to no mention of how the order of testing will go, how to manage PUI’s vis a vis testing kits.

There was no assurance that the admin will invest or release money for care & treatment, not much about medical equipment to make us know steps are being made in the ‘health care zone’ and not just the road-cop-army-pulis-this-is-not-martial-law-we-promise-you zone.

Barely a whiff (favorite
phrase) of assurance that the government will do all it can to make sure hospital beds will be available, and that health care workers will be duly compensated ~ for they are our front & center warriors in this battle. (So
unlike the way he mentions salary raises & birthday bonuses for uniformed personnel.)

All President Duterte has assured us of- is that if further shit hits an even bigger fan – HE WILL ASK FOR CHINA’S PRECIOUS HELP.

This is a summary of the presscon’s black holes, this is not an insult, it is the truth.//

-Gang Badoy Capati

His description of Duterte’s presscon pretty sums up Duterte’s press cons’ content for months to come — during the whole Covid period (at least until today, May 30, 2020).

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Jamal Ashley Abbas shared a post. Mar 16, 2020, 8:45 AM:

Amelito Velasco March 16

To DDS friends whom I have not YET unfriended: Below is a fairly accurate telling of what transpired during the past few months. Para maintindihan ninyo kung bakit ang daming galit. If you have an open mind, read on. Otherwise, move on.

Just some more inputs:

1. Activists, too, called for the travel ban. Note, too, that dissenters were called dilawan, as if DDS and dilawan were the only colors of the political rainbow. “Only a Sith deals with absolutes”.

2. Still others are calling for respect the admin who are just doing their jobs. I do not agree that they are doing theirs, and yes respect was lost a long time ago.

3. Napaka-plastic nung “Set aside politics. Let us unite in this time of crisis” when the DDS trolls continue to spout ad hominems to netizens who complain. One friend’s post went viral in a few hours, with 3 thousand plus comments, with most of the comments calling him bobo. If you want respect, you gain it by calling off your dogs, you gain it by doing a good job.

4. Yung kakulangan ng adequate protective gear for soldiers manning the checkpoints increases the possibility that they will contract the virus. In at least one checkpoint, a friend was just asked where he was going. No thermal checks, no ID check, no protection.

5. This post is not to be misconstrued as an attack on the frontline workers. You guys are truly brave and I salute you. Ingat lang at all times.

Original Post:

January 2020. Who asked for stricter travel ban policies of all travelers from China?

Health professionals.      Doctors and nurses. Epidemiologists.     Media people and netizens.  And, Dilawans.

Who opposed such travel ban policies?

PDuterte.  Bong Go.    Duque.     Sotto.    Padilla.     Badoy.    Salot.    MochangTanga.   

Ka-dds trolls.

Who posted FAKE STORIES about ‘Chinese neighbors at the condo elevator…at the bus…at jollibee…at the airplane’?

Ka-dds bloggers.       Ka-dds TROLLS.        Ka-dds

Who called antis and dilawans as ‘racist’ and having no ‘humanity’ – for demanding a TRAVEL BAN for all travelers from China?

Ka-dds bloggers.        Ka-dds trolls.         Ka-dds.

February 2020. Who trumpeted that PH is purportedly ‘WHO model for containing Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak’?

DUQUE.                      Ka-dds bloggers.              Ka-dds trolls.

March 2020. PH has the unenviable distinction of having the HIGHEST COVID-19 MORTALITY RATE in the world.

Anong pinagkukuda niyong mga ka-DDS, ka-dds TROLLS and bloggers:

“Tumulong ka na lang!”
“Stop the blame! Diyan kayo magaling!”
“Set aside politics. We must be united in this time of crisis.”
“Kawawa naman si Tatay Digong, mukhang overworked na.”

Mga gago lang di ba? We could have contained the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak MUCH, MUCH EARLIER if only this government and its supporters did NOT PRIORITIZE CHINA’S FEELINGS over the welfare of the Filipino people!

Just because your poon kowtows to China’s whims and caprices every time, sana naman, di niyo makalimutan na Pilipino din kayo!

After nagdeclare ng community quarantine, eto naman ngayon, it seems that the order of the day is to deflect the blame back to the people since di nila masisi ang mga Dilawans. Iresponsable daw ang mga Pinoy – comparing it to how Singapore is handling theirs.

SG gov’t is way reassuring, hence they are able to keep the uncertainties in the minds of their citizens to the minimum. Tsaka, walang mga trolls na nagkakalat ng katangahan dun! Dito sa atin, dahil may 48 hours pa na binigay to prepare before the said community quarantine, people were in a mad rush to get out of Metro Manila putting a much higher risk for the virus to spread to poor areas and ill-prepared provinces across the country, panic buying of essentials and hoarding – because in their minds, “we’re on our own”.

And lastly, we have you, mga ka-DDS, trolls and bloggers alike, na todo depensa pa rin sa kapalpakan ng administrasyong ito kahit ang kaligtasan na nang nakakaraming Pilipino ang nasasakripisyo.🙊

#ctto #reposted”

The poster, who is a lawyer, was just calling out the Duterte government officials and their “Die-hard Duterte Supporters” or DDS.

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Jamal Ashley Abbas shared a post. Mar 18, 2020, 4:19 PM:

Dane Lorica March 18

An open letter to PH government officials with regards to the enhanced community quarantine relative to Covid 19 pandemic.

Last March 17, 2020, government officials gave updates on Covid 19 in the Philippines. Click link below to watch video:

(https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4YWi8RvYzfs&feature=share)

Two important yet overlooked issues were raised:

1. Are businesses selling pet foods exempted from the enhanced community quarantine? (42:29)

2. Are veterinarians also included in the list of healthcare workers who are allowed to report for duty amidst the implementation of enhanced community quarantine? (54:24)

The government officials answered that they have not considered exemptions of VETERINARIANS and PET STORES from the enhanced community quarantine.

This is to express our appeal to allow Veterinarians and Pet Stores to continue their work and operations during the implementation of enhanced community quarantine.

The Veterinary profession is not limited to providing healthcare to pets (since the question raised by the media focused on Veterinarians assigned in hospitals taking care of dogs and cats).

According to the Republic Act No. 9268 or “The Philippine Veterinary Medicine Act of 2004” Article IV, Section 29, Veterinarians provide services including:

(a) the examination and/or diagnosis, treatment, operation of, or the prescribing and dispensing of any remedy for, any injury to or diseases, ailment or deformity of animals;

(b) attesting for official or commercial purpose to the health of any terrestrial, aquatic, domestic or non-domestic animals;

(c) rendering veterinary technical services which indirectly affect the health and welfare of human beings and animals;

(d) attesting to the fitness for human consumption of animal products and by-products;

(e) holding of any job or position in a public or private entity which requires knowledge of or skill in veterinary medicine; or

(f) teaching or lecturing of veterinary clinical subjects in the curriculum of the degree in veterinary medicine.

Hence, the lack of Veterinarians during this challenging time may result to more public health problems as they also provide technical services that indirectly affect the health and welfare of humans.

For instance, Veterinarians ensure that animal meat and byproducts are safe for human consumption. They are also the frontliners in conducting inspections especially now that we have reported cases of African Swine Fever (not zoonotic but causes economic crash to the hog industry) and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu).

Also, impeding Veterinarians from doing their work may also increase illegal shipment of livestock animals and/or wildlife animals to and from different ports of Luzon.

Veterinarians are also an integral part of the Regional Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) where most of Covid 19 tests are conducted.

Likewise, the Republic Act No. 10631 or “The Act Amending the Animal Welfare Act of 1998” Section 6 states that “It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care.”

Section 9 states that “Any person who subjects any animal to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect shall, upon conviction by final judgment, be punished by imprisonment and/or fine.”

According to House Bill No. 4318, Chapter V, Basic Care and Animal Handing Guidelines include:

Sec. 18. Provision of food and water; and
Sec. 20. Provision of Veterinary medical care for sick, compromised and injured animals

Hence, Veterinarians and Pet Food businesses are essential in the provision of appropriate nutritious food to all animals to maintain their good health.

Also, Veterinarians took oath to “take all reasonable steps to ensure that all the physical, health and behavioral needs of the animals are met in accordance with good practice and scientific knowledge.”

We are in full support of the government’s effort to control the Covid 19 pandemic. We ensure that precautionary measures will be implemented such as proper hand washing, one owner per pet policy, appointment system, routine disinfection and the likes, to prevent further spread of Covid 19.

Again, we humbly appeal that Veterinarians and Pet Stores be allowed to continue their work and operations during the enhanced community quarantine period.

Also, this is to request fellow Veterinarians, pet owners, pet stores owners and animal lovers to help us send this message to the persons in charge.

Veterinarians are often neglected and most of the time, considered inferior compared to other health professionals. However, this is not the time to claim a spotlight for our profession. Rather, this is a rightful time for us to perform our duties not just for animal health and welfare but also for our countrymen.

Respectfully,

Dane Agatha Lorica, DVM

This was a plea by a veterinarian for the government to remember the rights and welfare of animals during the Covid19 period.

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Jamal Ashley Abbas shared a post. Mar 28, 2020, 11:55 PM:

I shared a post by St. Louis Hospital with my note:

I don’t understand.

On the one hand, mass and social media have been praising health personnel to high heavens, calling them frontliners in the war vs Covid19 and portraying them as heroes and even martyrs.

On the other hand, there are reports of barangay officials warning nurses of being barred from their own barangay if they continue to work. Nurses and doctors are not given due consideration by policemen and lockdown enforcers. Reports of nurses having to walk all the way to their homes because of no transportation. One was asked to go down the public vehicle because of the curfew/ lockdown. And now this…

Why do some people begrudge the health personnel? Why don’t the hospitals concerned or DOH take the cudgels for the nurses against their barangays?

In this particular case, St. Louis hospital administration should insist that the police apprehend the culprits and initiate proceedings against them. Otherwise, all their health personnel would be in danger of suffering the same or worse fate.”

ST. LOUIS HOSPITAL’S OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON FRONTLINER HARASSMENT INCIDENT (28 March 2020)

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Jamal Ashley Abbas      March 29

Humingi kayo kay Duque at DOH!

Pati ang mga donors pinapahirapan pa ni Duque. Parang gusto ni Duque na magpasalamat pa ang mga donors na tatanggapin ng DOH ang donation nila!!!

Duque forbade donors to donate directly to the hospitals. They are required to course everything to DOH and to fill up so many forms. Duque appears to impress that it is a privilege and honor to donate PPEs and other things to DOH and the government hospitals. Duque and the DOH even denied the government hospitals need PPE when medical personnel of these hospitals have time and again told the media that they are in dire need of PPE.

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Jamal Ashley Abbas        March 29

I shared this meme, which again promotes Mass Testing and negates government propaganda that mass testing is not needed.


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Jamal Ashley Abbas  March 29

WTF! Are we just going to accept this lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope?!

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Jamal Ashley Abbas        March 29

“According to the clarification of the DOH, the two batches of 2,000 BGI PCR-type test kits and 100,000 Sansure PCR-type test kits donated by the Chinese government have been assessed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) to be at par with World Health Organization-provided kits, and those test kits are of high quality and standards and have no accuracy problems, which are being used in Philippine test laboratories and have helped accelerate the testing process,” it said.”

What do you say now, DOH???

Does DOH just not want to do any testing?!”

Inquirer story:    China denies donating COVID-19 test kits yielding ‘inaccurate’ results

China has donated 100,000 test kits which DOH officials said are in perfect order. So, they now don’t have any reason NOT to do any mass testing. Besides, there are still the test kits done by UP Manila doctors/scientists, which could do at least 200,000 test kits.

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Jamal Ashley Abbas    March 29

#MassTesting Now!


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Jamal Ashley AbbasMarch 29

“This is unacceptable. There should be more proof. The name of the defective brand should be given and the name of the Foundation, if there’s any truth to this. The official who announced the false info, if it is really false, should be sacked immediately.”

Inquirer story:      DOH apologizes, says China COVID-19 test kits at par with WHO kits  

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Jamal Ashley Abbas 
March 29

Will DOH approve?!”  The DOH, at this time,  do not want entities other than its own hospitals to do any testing

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MARCH 29  I shared this post:

Rachelle Serrano-Ramos is with Liwanagjr Serrano and 6 others.

March 28   I refuse for you to be remembered as a statistic. I never thought you will be a casualty of war, a battle we lost without a FIGHT.

My Dad followed gov’t quarantine rules and stayed inside the house for two weeks, prior to lockdown he visited the grocery twice. He doesn’t have any history of travel or contact with known Covid positive. He started exhibiting mild symptoms last Monday (on and off fever). No cough or colds. We pushed him to go to the hospital but he refused every single time. He was scared and now I know why. Most likely you go to the hospital and not come out alive. This is the sad reality now.

Friday, around 2:30am my youngest brother called me to say that we needed to bring Dad to the hospital as he was looking very pale and weak. He complained of not having an appetite. He never exhibited cough but for some reason he suddenly had difficulty of breathing.

We called several private hospitals in QC only to be turned down and refused admission. Their reason: they can’t accept possible covid19 patients anymore. All the hospitals pointed us to Lung Center. We called and they said to come but expect a long wait. That long wait was 11 hours. 11 hours my Dad was out in the heat sitting in a wheelchair under a triage tent with several coughing PUI’s around him. My youngest brother never left my father’s side.

We had to get a private ambulance to transport him as my brother didn’t know how to drive.

Bless Lung Center. They can only do so much. We can tell they are so overwhelmed, understaffed and tired just tired. There were so much death around. I never thought in less than 24 hours, my Dad will pass.

He died without family beside him. Until now we are having a difficult time finding a funeral home to pull him out from the hospital and cremate his remains . As per the funeral coordinator when I requested for my Dad to be bathe and groomed…no, we can’t do that anymore I’m sorry. We can’t open the bag. He has to go straight to the crematorium. We can’t even say our proper goodbyes.

We are in mourning but I can’t help but feel like we lost without a fight. My Dad was not given a chance to live because the hospitals are just too chaotic to provide the best possible care. They intubated and put him on a ventilator in a room with PUI’s and not in the ICU because it was full. . According to the doctor who apologized to me, they only had 3 nurses looking after the PUI ward. He died alone.

I still salute all our frontliners, they are doing their best with the limited resources they have. I have no ill feelings towards them .

And now even as we want to mourn, we are still confronted with the bureaucracy and the stigma. Funeral homes are now refusing to take in Covid or PUI even if it’s straight up cremation.

Thank you Hazel Lechuga Villamayor (Angels Memorial) for helping our family give Dad the proper send off. He was pulled out at 9pm and is now undergoing cremation. Wasn’t able to kiss or hug him one last time. This is the most painful part for us.

I begged my husband if I can go to Loyola Commonwealth to be with my Dad one last time. I wanted to hug and kiss him. Reality is, I will risk the lives of my kids in the process and in a way, I had to choose. How painful for a daughter and mother to have to make this decision.

I’m sorry Daddy. I’m sorry for letting you down.    I’m sorry that we are so helpless.

I love you, Daddy. I will always be your baby girl. Thank you for being the rock of the family.

How sad we feel, to be orphans now. Wally Serrano and Peter Serrano

Farewell Daddy. Mommy is there to welcome you.

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

I ask each and everyone to please say a short prayer for my Dad and prayer for my brother who is on strict quarantine. #notastatistic

I wrote as a note to the above:
“Horrible. We cannot go on like this. Absolutely no real leadership everywhere. DOH execs must resign ASAP. Same with inter-Agency Task Force. We cannot just wait for Death to come to everyone. We need to act NOW.”

Jamal Ashley Abbas  March 29

For the DDS, an endorsement from Nobel laureate (Nobel Prize co-winner for Physics) Dr. Sheldon Cooper.”

I shared a meme from somebody where Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory endorsed Pres. Duterte as a great president.  It must have been done by an anti-Duterte person as a satire as well as a trick to lure the DDS to share the meme.  Facebook removed the image, presumably as a Fake News. FB fact checkers cannot seem to distinguish fake news and fun new or satire.

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Jamal Ashley Abbas   March 29

Doctors take an oath to help heal the sick at all times. But since this pandemic, there are so many reports of hospitals not accepting covid19 cases because they are supposedly not serious enough. So they go home and die. And presumably, they infected relatives and housemates.

And now comes this. He was not admitted because he had no covid19 disease. PGH, QCGH, NKTI, Heart Center, East Avenue and even Provvidence hospital all refused to admit him. And so he died at home…

Whatever happened to the Hippocratic Oath?!”

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March 30,  I shared a Manila Bulletin story: “Duque vouches for testing kits donated by China”  After announcing that the test kits from China are faulty, Duque and the Dept. of Health changed their tune after the Chinese embassy officials complained and said that the test kits from China are in perfect order.

I wrote: “Duque and the Usec who announced the supposedly wrong info should resign ASAP…

It’s so amazing that high ranking government officials can say one thing and then say the opposite a few days later, without any consequences.

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March 30, I shared this meme:

Congress gave billions of pesos to the government for Covid19 programs, plus the right to re-align agencies’ budget to covid 19 programs. But really, no accountability from the government.

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March 30, I shared this meme:

Many people are complaining why husband and wife couples cannot ride a motorcycle together when they live in the same house and share a bed. The authorities said that there should be “social distancing” even in motorcycles. Tomorrow, 1 June, Metro Manila slides from Enhanced Community Quarantine to a supposedly more lenient General Community Quarantine. But husbands-and-wives still cannot ride motorcycles together.

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Jamal Ashley Abbas     March 30

Senate awaits Malacañang’s weekly report on distribution of crisis subsidy.” The crisis subsidy was supposed to have a budget of P270 Billion or thereabout. But , only very few people or families got 5,000 to 8,000 persos subsidy (some got even lower).

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Jamal Ashley Abbas March 30#MassTesting   Shared a link on a New York Times story:

The government and the mass media , plus the DDS trolls, are downplaying the necessity of Mass Testing. I felt I need to share articles on Mass Testing to somehow counter the government agenda.

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March 31. I shared a week-old image of Covid19 tracker with the following note:
2.084 cases na as of March 31. That’s about 337% increase in one week!!. Aabot ba ito ng 10,000 sa April 7??! (2,084 cases as of March 31… Will it reach 10,000 by Aril 7? 
This is not a joke. And this is even without mass testing. With mass testing, the number would go sky-high.


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March 31.  I shared a Philippine Daily Inquirer story titled “Poe seeks explanation from DOH for ‘overpriced’ sets of PPE

I noted that “That’s SOP for purchases by government agencies – overpricing to give “commissions” to several officials and go-betweens…”

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March 31.  I shared a meme about the fact that in fighting Covid19, the authorities were more interested in ARRESTING people than TESTING them.

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March 31, I shared an image from The Political Animal:
It’s funny that four people in charge of the National Action Plan against covid 19 either tested positive or is in quarantine.

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March 31, I shared an image with notes:


I wrote: “My thoughts, exactly. But I don’t live in a subdivision.

I just heard the Marikina Mayor say on TV that his testing center is for the poor as the rich could be tested in expensive hospitals.

Can those of us who are neither rich nor poor get something else, like priority in Covid19 testing?”

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