Its sad to know that Philippines already have the first case of AN1H1 case in the person of the 10 year old girl who arrived from the US in May 18. The patient tested negative in thermal scanner after arriving from United States and Canada with her parents.
The patient showed symptoms – fever, cough, and sore throat – a day after her arrival in the country and was rushed to RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine). As of this writing the patient doesn’t have fever already and in stable condition. She will be discharged after five days. Her parents were tested also and negative of the virus.
DOH (Department of Health) officials said that they already have the the manifest of the flight taken by the girl. Passengers who were seated around six feet or three rows in front, beside, and at the back of the girl have been identified. These 17 passengers who sat closest to the girl are being traced so they can be notified and told to be vigilant about their health condition.
As of the latest update of WHO, Philippines is the latest addition, the 42nd country who have AH1N1 case but with zero death. There are already 11168 cases in the whole world.
As early as first week of May, DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) are monitoring the prices of school supplies for the coming new school year 2009-2010. Although prices of school supplies have increased a little, other parents tend to buy cheap supplies and depriving their children of quality school supplies such as crayon, erasers etc.
This is indeed the result of the global crisis affecting filipinos. Some parents prefer to buy school supplies to known bookstores while others prefer to buy in Divisoria, Binondo and other wholesalers where they can have the supplies cheaper and they can also make “tawad“.
My children are enrolled in private schools, the school is selling customized notebooks, school logo printed in the cover page w/ plastic cover. Although its not mandatory, my children prefer to used them so their notebooks are the same with their classmates. A normal notebooks in a known bookstore costs around Php 12-18, the school’s notebook cost Php 45 (school price last year). The price is doubled and the paper doesn’t have the quality of top-of-the-line notebooks. The difference of Php 27 max could be my savings per notebook, multiply it by 20, that’s roughly Php 540 savings for the notebooks only. I could use the savings for other school supplies and books. I’m just giving you the idea of the notebooks only, there are other school materials which are also expensive compared to bookstores.
What I did from the past was to buy notebooks from school, other supplies needed were bought from wholesalers. After all, school is giving out checklist for school materials needed for the school year. I guess, I’ll be doing this again.
The bottom line… DTI should also monitor the prices of school supplies from private schools. Parents and students from private schools should also be protected from “school business”. Does DepEd (Department of Education) knows anything about schools’ other business? I tried googling around if there is such law on this issue but to no avail.
I maybe one of other parents from other schools that also thinks the same way. Regardless that my children are in private school, we are also affected by global crisis. Its about time to do something. The title speaks for itself… or it is under DepEd’s jurisdiction?
I’m quite busy preparing for the new school year when I saw the flash news about actor Alec Baldwin and about mail order bride, a filipina in specific. So I search for the video in youtube, its an episode of David Letterman shown last May 12, 2009. I don’t usually watch David Letterman show but the episode seems like they are old time buddies and joking to each other.
Regardless that they’re old time friends and teasing with one another casually, Alec Baldwin’s joke is in bad taste. He shouldn’t have said that. I’m sure he wasn’t aware of the Republic Act 6955 or the Anti-Mail Order Bride Law in the Philippines.
“I love to have more kids. I think about getting a Filipina mail-order bride… or a Russian one. I’m 51,” Baldwin said in video. Alec Baldwin was so insensitive for striking a joke like that, an insult to Filipina. He doesn’t know how Filipina are as wives. The issue irritated Senator Ramon Revilla and Representative Risa Hontiveros.
“Being a celebrity, Baldwin should be more prudent in issuing statements. And he must know what he is talking about. Apparently, he is not aware that here in the Philippines we don’t tolerate mail order bride schemes.” – Sen. Ramon Revilla
“He totally doesn’t deserve a Filipina wife. He meant that as a joke but it was totally foul.” – Rep. Risa Hontiveros
Do I need say more? Its insulting. Respect is not self impose, I don’t respect him now even if I watched his movies in the past. Now, I consider him as “persona non grata”, I will never watch again movies from a racist. This is me, my opinion, a filipina.
Update (May 22, 2009): Alec Baldwin says sorry for his bad joke.
Last night, we went to see Angels and Demons, guaranteed seat movie starts with a Philippines national anthem Lupang Hinirang. It was familiar because there was a time that ABS CBN was airing that featuring their contract artists singing Lupang Hinirang. After that, a warning about movie piracy. And followed by schedule of Brigada Balik Eskwela or Oplan Balik Eskwela. I can’t remember if it will start two weeks before school opening. Sorry, I can’t post the date here, you could contact your local officials for schedules. (It starts today on most schools.)
Most of the public and private school will start on June 1. Parents and other concerned citizens flock to public schools to help repair the tables, chairs, shelves, fans etc. If they received paint donation, they will also paint classrooms. Bayanihan is still alive these days, usually this was held in behalf of public schools for the benefit of the students in the community. I’m sure they will also handle stagnant waters within the campus, rainy season means possible dengue.
I never participated in this kind of activity since I didn’t know if it exist in our community, I could say our barangay is big for having 3 public schools. Bayanihan for a cause, it doesn’t matter if my children doesn’t study there, we could help by donating small things that could help the students of the community. A support for students in our community.
World Health Organization (WHO) had received reports that there are 33 countries have officially reported 5728 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection. Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) reported 46 cases, which 39 have negative results while 7 have still pending results.
Given the figures of WHO’s reported confirmed countries and patients around the world, Philippines is still blessed for having zero AN1H1 patient as of this writing. Remember that DOH is still monitoring 7 possible patients, we are not totally free.
Some countries have warned their citizens from going to AN1H1 infected countries, we do. And since we do not belong to infected countries, tourism is still ok. Filipinos prefer to travel within our country instead of going to our countries for fear of virus infection. A friend of mine who’s family spent their summer vacation in US yearly but change their plan this year. She could be one of other pinoys who thinks the same way. And their major reason is AH1N1 virus.
Come to think of it, if Philippines is still AN1H1-free country, we became one of the tourist destination of other countries. That’s good to our economy. What if they came from infected countries? Some of the 46 cases reported by DOH were admitted by private hospitals and not by DOH hospitals. Does it mean that they were negative when they passed through thermal scanners?
I still hope that the remaining 7 patients’ results will turn out negative.
As early as first week of May, DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) are monitoring the prices of school supplies for the coming new school year 2009-2010. Although prices of school supplies have increased a little, other parents tend to buy cheap supplies and depriving their children of quality school supplies such as crayon, erasers etc.
