Saturday, November 14, 2020
Thursday, November 12, 2020
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Labella bans Christmas caroling: Covid-19 is still very much around
Mayor Edgardo Labella has agreed to ban prohibit Christmas street caroling in Cebu City to avoid the further spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).
“In order to ensure that the city’s programs and measures to mitigate the spread of the Covid-19 are maintained, the City of Cebu sees the need to impose a ban on street caroling within Cebu City within the period of community quarantine,” Labella’s Executive Order (EO) 104 read.
The EO defines caroler as “a person or group of persons who sing or dance to the tune of a song or music of praise or devotion heralding the birth of the Saviour on Christmas Day or any other tune whether for a charitable purpose, for a consideration or gratuitously. It includes persons furnishing music for the carolers.” (https://bit.ly/3eM312Y)
The mayor said caroling creates mass gathering as those who carol are often groups that go from house to house.
“If there is caroling, there will be a mass gathering. They will group together and go around, to go to houses, but this is something we have to avoid. I hope our carol singers will understand that, like our other traditions, we have to suspend this because we are still in the middle of a pandemic. Whether we like it or not, the virus is still very much around,” he furthered.
The city’s Emergency Operations Center and the Department of Health- 7 earlier pushed for the ban on Christmas caroling this year so as not to reverse the city’s progress in its fight against Covid-19.
https://visayas.politics.com.ph/labella-bans-xmas-caroling-covid-19-is-still-very-much-around/
DILG urges public to shift to online caroling
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday urged the public to shift to online caroling during the Christmas season, given the threat of COVID-19.
With proposals to ban the traditional house-to-house caroling likely to be approved, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said people should consider doing the activity online.
“If there would be caroling, probably go online instead,” he said in Filipino over Teleradyo.
Año said caroling would physically put people, especially children, at risk of contracting the disease.
The department chief said while measures have already been placed to contain COVID-19, the virus remains a threat.
“For now it’s not feasible because we have yet to flatten the curve,” Año said.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has yet to come up with a resolution banning caroling, as recommended by local chief executives in Metro Manila.
The Philippine National Police, which has been implementing quarantine protocols, has backed the proposed ban.
Metro Manila mayors have agreed, as well, to ban caroling in Metro Manila this Christmas season, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority general manager Jojo Garcia said yesterday.
The mayors came to the agreement during a virtual meeting Sunday, Garcia said.
Mayors agreed to ban caroling to avoid mass gatherings amid the pandemic, Malabon Mayor Antolin Oreta III and Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco both said.
The proposal will be forwarded to the IATF for its decision.
Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire had backed the proposed ban after studies have shown that singing increases the risk of virus transmission.
The proposed ban also followed the mayors’ agreement to ban Christmas parties in the metropolis, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, even as quarantine restrictions had been eased.
Likewise, the Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) discouraged parishes and groups under it from holding Christmas parties to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
RCAM Chancellor Fr. Reginald Malicdem issued instructions to their clergy on the celebration of Advent, Simbang Gabi and Christmas, wherein it was mentioned that they are dissuading parishes, organizations and groups under their archdiocese from holding Christmas parties.
“We discourage parishes, communities and groups, in the RCAM from holding Christmas parties this year. We know that the gathering of people is an occasion usually prone to the spread of the virus,” said Malicdem. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Evelyn Macairan
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/11/11/2056028/dilg-urges-public-shift-online-caroling
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
62 anyos driver patay sa pamamaril sa QC
Patay ang isang 62 na ayos na lalaki na driver ng isang catering service matapos pagbabarilin sa Brgy. Holy Spirit sa Quezon City nitong Martes.
Kinilala ang biktima na si Lito Vidania, driver ng Red Spider Catering Services.
Ayon sa anak ng biktima, papunta dapat sa Divisoria umaga ng Martes si Vidania kasama ang kanyang amo, pero nasira raw ang kanilang sasakyan. Kaya umuwi na lang muna siya para mananghalian.
Umalis aniya si Vidania para ayusin ang kaniyang sasakyan.
Pero, pasado alas-3 ng hapon ay pinagababaril ito sa Sta. Monica Street sa nasabing barangay at agad namatay.
Agad umano tumakas ang gunman sakay ng motorsiklo.
Nakabulagta sa loob ng sasakyan sa driver’s side and biktima.
Base sa inisyal na imbestigasyon, 3 basyo ng bala ang nakita sa crime scene, ayon kay Staff Sgt. Jofrancis Burawes, imbestigador ng QCPD Station 14.
Inaalam pa ng pulisya kung nahagip ng mga CCTV camera ang pamamaril. — Wheng Hidalgo, ABS-CBN News
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/10/20/62-anyos-driver-patay-pamamaril-quezon-city
COVID-19 prompts Metro Manila mayors to urge IATF ban on caroling
Metro Manila mayors have unanimously agreed to recommend the banning of caroling this upcoming Christmas season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Yes po," Metro Manila Council chairman Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez told GMA News Online when asked if they local chiefs would recommend the ban to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) general manager Jojo Garcia said it was a "unanimous" decision that the Metro Manila mayors reached at a meeting over the weekend.
"Mayors meeting last sunday. Unanimous wala muna caroling this year. Will recommend sa IATF," MMDA General Manager Jojo said.
Manila and Quezon City already banned caroling in the streets over the Christmas holidays amid due to the virus.
The Joint Task Force COVID Shield over the weekend also supported proposals to ban caroling during the 2020 Christmas season due to the danger of COVID-19 infections among children.
Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and National Task Force on COVID-19 Vice Chairman Eduardo Año also supported the caroling ban. -NB, GMA News
Monday, November 9, 2020
Manila, QC ban street caroling ahead of Christmas holidays amid COVID-19 pandemic
Manila and Quezon City have banned caroling in the streets over the Christmas holidaysamid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Raffy Tima’s report on “24 Oras”, the two cities prohibited the joy-giving activity to prevent the further spread of the virus.
On Sunday, the Joint Task Force COVID Shield supported proposals to ban caroling during the 2020 Christmas season due to the danger of COVID-19 infections among children.
JTF COVID Shield commander Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar said the groups was waiting for the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) on the proposals.
Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and National Task Force on COVID-19 Vice Chairman Eduardo Año also supported the caroling ban.
Earlier, Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba urged the national government to ban caroling as he believed this would prevent further transmission of COVID-19, which has so far infected 398,449 people in the country including 7,674 deaths.
The Department of Health called on the public to still follow health protocols during the holidays.
“May lumabas po na pag-aaral, this is just last week that we got it na naipakita po diyan ‘yong pagkanta ng malakas, ‘yan po ‘yong pinakamataas na porsyento or highest yield of the virus if you are infected, mas marami kang nailalabas,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
Metro Manila mayors earlier banned the conduct of Christmas parties amid the threat of COVID-19. -NB, GMA News
Police back proposed ban on Christmas caroling
The police Joint Task Force (JTF) COVID-19 Shield is supporting proposals to ban house-to-house caroling during the Christmas season to curb the transmission of the virus, especially among children, an official said yesterday.
JTF commander and Philippine National Police deputy director for administration Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said it would be dangerous for children if local governments would allow street caroling during the pandemic.
Eleazar said he understands that caroling has been part of the Filipino tradition, but the country is facing a different situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are facing a serious threat. We believe that it is in the health interest of everybody if we just stay home and enjoy the Yuletide season with our families,” he said.
The JTF COVID-19 Shield is the quarantine enforcement arm of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The IATF has yet to decide on the proposal.
However, the Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier recommended the ban on caroling nationwide.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who also sits as vice chairman of the National Task Force on COVID-19, cited studies and statistics as indicators that the virus likely spread in group singing activities as “singers have to remove their masks as they sing and viruses are released through aerosols.”
Eleazar said police commanders nationwide have been ordered to coordinate Christmas caroling policies with local governments.
If the ban is approved, he said parents should explain to their kids why there is a need to skip the traditional caroling this year.
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/11/09/2055536/police-back-proposed-ban-christmas-caroling
Sunday, November 8, 2020
JTF COVID Shield backs Christmas caroling ban proposal
The Joint Task Force COVID Shield supported proposals to ban caroling during the 2020 Christmas season due to the danger of COVID-19 infections among children.
In a Sunday statement, JTF COVID Shield commander Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar said they were waiting for the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) on the proposals.
“Caroling has always been part of the Filipino tradition, I believe each and every one of us has his or her funny and meaningful stories of caroling especially when we were children,” said Eleazar.
“But the situation is currently different. We are facing a serious threat [from COVID-19] and we in the JTF COVID Shield believe that it is in the health interest of everybody if we could just stay home and enjoy the Yuletide season with our family.”
Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and National Task Force on COVID-19 Vice Chairman Eduardo Año also supported the caroling ban.
“Based on studies and statistics, the spread of COVID-19 is more likely to occur in mass singing like choir and caroling because singers have to remove their masks as they sing and viruses are released through aerosols,” chimed Año.
Meanwhile, Eleazar, in coordination with Philippine National Police chief General Camilo Cascolan, instructed police commanders to work with their respective local governments over the possible caroling ban. — DVM, GMA News