Re: NCR llockdown
 

How is it discrimination? Everyone has an opportunity to take advantage of this benefit once they reach a certain age...of course it's possible that your advocacy may have an effect...perhaps they'll pull all such "Senior privileges" the day before you turn 60.:p

Re: NCR llockdown
 

if you are really really lucky you too may become a senior citizen some day.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/15/...-hopkins-tally

Philippines most cases and second highest COVID-19 deaths in SE Asia, according to John Hopkins.

Somewhat concerning that only a few days ago the Health Secretary was painting a much rosier picture.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

https://www.rappler.com/nation/25807...ing-april-2020

A concerning report on how the Philippines compares internationally and in SE Asia on COVID-19.
Never heard of the deep Knowledge group but if Rappler is showing its report that to me gives it some weight.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Possibly a more understandable statistic is total number of cases per one million population.
The latest statistics published this morning are;
USA 1946
Spain 3864
Italy. 2732
Frrance 2265
Germany 1608
UK. 1451
Belgium. 2897
Netherlands 1643
Switzerland 3043
PRC. 57
India. 9
S Korea. 207
Japan. 68
Philippines. 50
Indonesia. 19
Malaysia. 157
Singapore. 632
Thailand. 38
Vietnam 3

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Quite a good site for numbers etc

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Re: NCR llockdown
 

The Philippines doesn't look too bad until you see how little testing has been done. There is a promise to more than double the daily rate of targeted tests over the next two weeks. The case figures are then likely to greatly worsen. Add to that the effect on transmission of fairly soon having to start loosening one of the tightest lockdowns in the world on Luzon when the government can no longer bear the public pressure to return to work and the cost of support. Plus the poor public health system. There's a long way to go here before the curve flattens.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

I would not want to live in BAR in Mindanao, population around 4 million and they have 3 ventilators.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Very few at Palawan this morning. A week ago long lines. That was just after Easter over which they were closed for a time, but even so I wonder if people have now begun to run out of money to send.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Not at all surprising that the lockdown is extended to 15 May. Liquor ban still in place so that must be good for general health:lol:

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Yes, no surprise as they don't have much idea about the scale of the outbreak due to insufficient testing. For one thing so many staff have been off sick at the country's main testing centre!

To my mind the liquor ban is now unnecessary. People have no money for food, let alone drink. And anyway many are probably working hard on home brew.

Disappointing to see no announcements on any, even small, measures to make the lockdown easier for people to bear. A missed opportunity as I can't see another 3 weeks making the picture here much clearer, due to a continued lack of testing..Continued restrictions and financial strains up to mid May leading to pressure for a major, and risky lifting.. Better they had started now with small steps on some sort of phased program to lift restrictions over a longer time period.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Finding an open bank branch is becoming more difficult as the lockdown grinds on. Non functioning ATMs, and unhelpful notices which do not tell you where the nearest open branch is. Some branches only open one day a week. A branch of a major bank here which was open two weeks ago is now closed. The notice outside said it was closed to protect the health of the public. Yet I remember an organised line outside, socially distanced seating inside and the cashier behind polythene sheeting. So I think they just want to cut costs. It's in a populated area even though transactions are obviously less and it's a long way to the nearest branches, which may or may not be open.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

If you are with BPI they update early each day as to which branches are open ( https://www.bpi.com.ph/announcements/open-branches ). We managed to get into Roxas City on Monday did a bit of shopping and then I joined the 50m queue at the bank, after half an hour in the sun had advanced 2m so gave up and went back early next morning, My wife suggested that I should just get what I can out of the ATM, I said OK but that would not be enough for the shopping and her pocket money, she made me queue for 1.5hrs.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

You should change,Stokkevn................................... ....................................NOT the bank.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

At the end of a drive around parts of Paranaque and Pasay yesterday during which we saw another three closed PNB branches, we did find a functioning one. Which a couple of weeks ago was shut so we didn't think to go directly to it. Inside just one teller behind the thick polythene. Annoying thing was there was no notice and the guard outside had no idea of its future operating days.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Try the attached link for PNB branch opening times, seems to be updated relatively early each morning.

https://www.pnb.com.ph/index.php/pnb-open-branches

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Thanks,.. but the list shows two branches which were closed yesterday.. one of them has definitely been closed for at least three weeks! It lists another which had a notice saying it was closing on April 20. And it doesn't list the one local branch to us which was open. Luckily we won't need to go again for some time.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Pity about that, I use BPI and their list ( at least for our local banks ) seems pretty accurate.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Agree about the alcohol ban but in Iloilo they did lift the ban and 12 hrs later reinstalled it due to the amount of drunks not obeying the lockdown rules. If they had never banned it, it would have been less of a problem. Wife has a friend of a friend who has a relative who works in the local San Miguel warehouse so hopefully after dark nudge nudge wink wink - no problem sir, when required.

The Philippines must be one of the countries in the world with the most experience with respect to distributing aid ( typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions etc ) but every disaster turns into an aid disaster as they don't know who should get it, when, how much and why. Our local barangay captain's son got his P6,000 despite having an OFW wife and himself still working in BPO, his cousin who scratches a living in the jungle with half a dozen chickens and picking and selling a few jungle weeds/vegetables apparently does not qualify for any financial assistance.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

My wife's young single mother neice didn't get it because she is related to my wife who is rich because she's married to me.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

My in Laws didn't get anything as they're getting money on the 4Ps programme. But they only get 1,500 every two months!

To be fair the DSWD are facing a distribution on a far larger scale than the usual typhoon, earthquake etc. But instead of concentrating on lockdown enforcement the government should by now have started to help by opening up many small businesses and occupations.

We needed a new car battery the other day. I can understand why the large establishments should remain closed, but not the small shops. That goes for all the other auto shops too.

People here in the NCR will now be looking forward to May 15, but I don't think they should expect the relaxation proposed for General Quarantine Areas if cases are still increasing by then.

I think the number of poor here, however defined, will greatly increase long term as a result of how these lockdowns are being operated.

Re: NCR lockdown- Inbound Flights Restricted
 

"The Philippines halted all inbound passenger flights for a week starting yesterday to free up space in quarantine centres filled with thousands of migrant workers who have come home during the coronavirus pandemic.Millions of Filipinos work abroad, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Singapore and Qatar among the most popular destinations.

Some 24,000 have already returned home, many after losing their jobs as the global economy screeches to a halt because of the virus.

Those returning are required to complete a 14-day quarantine at centres built or re-purposed by the government that are now filled to capacity.

“The new flight restriction… will be implemented for one week to give the government the opportunity to decongest the quarantine facilities in Metro Manila,” government official Carlito Galvez said."

https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/0...ntine-centres/

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Apart from the obvious disaster that this virus is causing there are some positives. The air quality has improved immensely and is very obvious even where I live in a village on the edge of the jungle 400km from Manila, where I thought we were not that effected by air polution. The other positive is that since mid March I have not heard songs being murdered on karaoke machines late into the night, or at any other time of the day come to that. Other positive is that the local beer shop opened yesterday so life is back to normal.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Also....driving around town very relaxing and you can park almost anywhere....although you need to watch out for speed merchants.

But I think the major positive, if you follow it, comes from watching the news coverage of people who have succumbed to the virus. Many front liners, some personalities and some well before their time. For a while at least it should make you appreciate your life and health much more.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Well the news coverage is now much less than it was with the closedown of ABS-CBN

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Yes..many here rely on it.

We're in a select group of countries where the opportunity has has been taken to reduce the news coverage of problems with Covid-19 associated policies, settle old scores and
implement other policies and actions when domestic and international attention is elsewhere.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

At last I can enjoy a G&T with a slice and ice this evening.
Went to my local supermarket this morning and discovered that the liquor ban has ended in Marikina. The tricycles are also back in action so some sort of normality is beginning to return.
Credit where credit is due I think that the authorities have done a splendid job in educating the populace. Now that the daily new COVID-19 cases is hovering around the low 200's time to move forward with caution. Unlike their former colonial masters.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

A fair assessment also of the situation in our part of Metro Manila. Though still a liquor ban and just a few tricycles going around. Good many smaller shops have been allowed to open at last. But if you see the reporting you learn that there are a number of residential areas here where testing is finding a worrying number of infections. Those areas are undergoing more restrictions and testing. But people living in those areas want to head to the reopened malls and so the precautions in those are really necessary. Unless they are stopped from going out, which is the case in one area of Pasay where I am reliably informed that only one person in each household can be named on a pass.to exit the barangay.. Where we live it is two and there is no problem both of us going out of the subdivision.

New Covid cases are steady at around 200 a day for the country as a whole, with most in the NCR. Hopefully more targeted testing will help to control the outbreak, but that will be difficult as the numbers so far tested nationally is only about 200,000.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Looks like the Paranaque pass was meant for one ...the space ion the pass is for "Name". But my wife and I are both on it . Suspect there is some exception being made as we are in a satellite village contained in a high end subdivision. Cars exiting the three gates we need to pass through to the main road often have one or more passengers ...with no checks made from day 1 in March. Because where we live is unlikely to be a virus hot spot? Or influence of the rich occupants of the containing village? But the larger groceries in the city do only allow one of us in at a time.
My contact in Pasay also said that she could get out on payment of P5,000! To whom she didn't say.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Now Manila's a General Quarantine area things look much livelier around Paranaque. The Malls are attracting a lot of people, but on the late pm weekday we went the main interest was still in the Hypermarket, with many patiently lining up to go in. The Department store, though usually not busy, had hardly any customers inside. Other stores were doing better, but were not crowded. Maybe the need to follow the one way system marked on the floor had something to do with it ?

But I read a report that two very localized short term lockdowns are planned from tomorrow on two streets in a nearby barangay to us. Many COVID cases there apparently.

Another interest of ours is in driving into the adjacent province of Cavite, and I am always monitoring the news feeds on that. But the place where we need to go is under what the local Mayor there has previously named as an SSECQ. No, he's not using the violent methods of Hitler's paramilitary organisation! Though SS stands for "Super Strict". Many restrictions, forms to fill up, passes to get. Worse than in Paranaque. So we will just wait.

However I did see a long report on Sunday, which looked authoritative, detailing what you could and couldn't do under the new General Quarantine here. One section was about travel in the case of an energency. That is fine if you want to do so within MM or within any adjacent Calabarzon province. But if your proposed travel involves crossing into one of those provinces from MM then you will have a problem:

Step 1: Visit your .barangay captain who must confirm you haven't had any COVID symptoms for the past 14 days!
Step 2: Visit the medical officer at your City Hall, who will make further unspecified tests and who can then issue you a Certificate of Medical Clearance.
Step 3; With your CMC then either..visit a police station for a travel pass, where they will make arrangements with the relevant provincial LGU...or..go back to your barangay captain, who can also do that for you!

As for us the only even slightly urgent matters at our empty property are to water some plants and feed a stray cat we're just going to sit this all out!

To me this is another indication, on top of the steady rise in cases daily, that the authorities are not at all confident about the size of the outbreak and its ability to spread here in Manila.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Marikina is also beginning to wake up. A lot more traffic and even more bicycles as there is no public transport for people to get to their places of work. I haven't bothered to visit the local malls as I have two supermarket within 5 minutes walking distance and the same for two hospitals. I am missing my Friday evenings listening to live music, gossiping and generally consuming far too much SMB.
I also wonder about the true state of affairs concerning the spread of the virus. I didn't find the explanations concerning the large increases in cases last week at all plausible.
It seems that around the world a 10 week quarantine period is about the limit for the general populace to accept. So I suspect the dreaded second wave could become a reality.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Out in the sticks things have been more relaxed for a while, the 21:00hrs curfew siren goes off ( well some nights as early as 19:30 or as late as never ), jeepnys are now done out with seats surrounded by bamboo and clear plastic sheeting which now limits the seating to that on their registration ( either 14 or 20 ) instead of the normal 35-40. As per EO from the Governor all travel checkpoints have been dismantled, except for any LGU that considers them necessary. Local mall ( 25km away ) tried to stop me going in as I am 64, I explained that the EO stated Senior Citizens are deemed to be over 65 years old, luckily I did take a copy of the EO with me, long faces all round when they saw they were wrong and I suggested to their manager that he and his staff should go on a training course.

Large increase in cases is most likely due to larger volume of people actually being tested now, a 2/3 weeks ago a local girl had the symptoms and was rushed off to hospital, 6 days later she got tested, luckily she was negative.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/spec...the-data-says/

A long but interesting read. Unusual for GMA News to put up something as technical as this.
Seems to me this country is now at something of a crossroads, like many others, after restrictions are being relaxed... albeit with the numbers of cases and deaths not too bad.
Still, as a developing country we would obviously want to avoid a long medium sized outbreak here, with possible future spikes and localised outbreaks. Also because of the poor health services here, the effects on non COVID illnesses and mental health, education and the economy/public finances. Plus we're entering the typhoon season.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

You are cheerful aren't you. Last Xmas day we got a direct hit from a typhoon and no power for nearly a week, a few days later an earthquake followed by a volcano going off from early Jan to mid Feb then a few days later some nasty virus turns up and we all got house arrest. Think I shall look into moving to Syria for a quieter life.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

With the Manila situation especially opening up could well produce a spike in 2 or 3 weeks time.But if the authorities help commuters and the poor to earn a living safely and not just tell them off for unavoidable social distancing then I think it won't be too big. and we can have a little optimism. As what I see around here is that people are very conscious of social distancing,.. in public at least.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

They do it in private as well, wife has moved into the spare room.

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Not sure if social distancing is going to be effective. Just seen a truck packed to the gunwales with construction workers non of whom where wearing face masks.
C'est la vie, C'est la guerre

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Oh...perhaps she sees you too symptomatic with complaints about that series of Acts of God this country is suffering from?

Rather than Syria I recommend relocation to North Korea. No Civil War and no reported cases of COVID-19!

Re: NCR llockdown
 

Seems that the writ of Manila doesn't apply in your part of the sticks. I think you are, like Manila, under GCQ. Under which Seniors must stay at home except for essential activities, like going to work, shopping etc. I think that would effectively include any shopping..not just grocery. Plenty of seniors can now be seen in the various shops in our local Mall. Exercising also to be seen around here. Rappler is reporting this afternoon that the same goes for those areas under the modified GCQ, in case you are under that.