On Thursday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of March 17, 2022.
The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 33 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 33 new recoveries, and 0 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases slightly increased to 1,116 (from 1,112).
Cebu City – Total confirmed: 53,681 (+12 new) – Total recoveries: 51,309 (+2 new) – Total deaths: 1,676 (+0 new) – Active cases: 696
Lapu-Lapu City – Total confirmed: 17,030 (+4 new) – Total recoveries: 16,486 (+1 new) – Total deaths: 506 (+0 new) – Active cases: 38
Mandaue City – Total confirmed: 15,390 (+1 new) – Total recoveries: 14,852 (+3 new) – Total deaths: 494 (+0 new) – Active cases: 44
Cebu Province – Total confirmed: 46,179 (+16 new) – Total recoveries: 43,053 (+29 new) – Total deaths: 2,788 (+0 new) – Active cases: 338
SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:
Total Active Cases in Cebu: 1,116 (from 1,112)
Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 132,280 (+33 new)
Total Recoveries in Cebu: 125,700 (+33 new)
Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,464 (+0 new)
A total of 1,463 laboratory results were released.
NOTES from DOH-7:
*As per DOH-7, the additional deaths in the report are not due to the overnight spike in deaths but due to more accurate data collection and validating efforts. Not all of those deaths occurred today but occurred more than a week ago.
Reports maybe subject to change as these claims undergo thorough validation by the local healthcare offices and health personnel.
After several setbacks and postponements, the Miss World 2021 coronation finally happens today.
The Miss World 2021 will be crowning a new queen at its finals in Puerto Rico today, March 17 at 8:30 AM (Manila time).
Catch the Philippines’ bet Tracy Maureen Perez who is from Cebu City vies for the coveted Miss World crown.
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Watch the live show online and ad-free via Upstream. Tickets are available for P249.
Who is Philippines’ Tracy Maureen Perez?
Tracy Maureen Perez who represented Cebu City was just crowned as the Miss World Philippines 2021 (MWP 2021) shortly after the crowning of fellow Cebuana Beatrice Luigi Gomez as Miss Universe Philippines 2021.
Tracy is no stranger to the pageant world and is already battle-tested if her pageant history is to be viewed. This was also her 2nd attempt on winning the crown for Miss World where she said that she is 100% confident and have prepared a lot for the competition. She wanted to close this chapter in her life with a bang and oh she definitely did.
This elegant and poised beauty isn’t shaken by any hardship and even a stumble and a fall in the pageant stage as what happened during the MWP2021 coronation night. She stood got back up, stood strong and proud and proved to everyone that she owned that crown. A resilient and hardworking queen that we should definitely get to know more.
A DIVERSE QUEEN
I don’t know about the others but this queen is definitely diverse. She is a model and a host and an Industrial engineer by profession. Now, this is not the most diverse part, it’s her hobbies and interests.
Her simple joys come from Fliptop. Fliptop is a Filipino rap battle known for their creative and striking lines.
There is also online games. I’m sure many online gamers would rejoice on this as she is an Esports fan and a gamer. She is even considering to become a streamer someday.
Photo from Tracy Maureen Perez Facebook PagePhoto from Tracy Maureen Perez Facebook Page
PAGEANT HISTORY
Miss World Philippines 2021: WINNER
Miss World Philippines 2019: Top 12
Miss Universe Philippines 2020: Top 16
Binibining Cebu 2018: Binibining Cebu Charity
Miss Cebu 2016: 1st runner up
INNER BEAUTY
These queens aren’t just crowned for their beauties but most importantly for what’s inside and who they are. Here are some of Tracy’s notable statements that would let you take a peek into her inner beauty.
Photo from Tracy Maureen Perez Facebook Page
HEAD TO HEAD CHALLENGE
“Coming from a simple family and [to] be born as a miracle baby, I always taught myself to be grateful for every single beginning and every single day that I live my life and I hope that it becomes as an inspiration to others to see the little miracles in their daily lives and to be grateful and thankful to the people around them,”
“I’ve learned to aspire for one thing – and that’s to be happy. That translates to me as success…. By that simple definition of success, I know that I can inspire others. I can teach others not to dream about all these superficial things but to dream and aspire about the most important thing in life. And that is to always strive for happiness.”
Photo from Tracy Maureen Perez Facebook PagePhoto from Tracy Maureen Perez Facebook Page
Final Question:After we go through this pandemic, what would you want us to learn from it?”
“After this pandemic, I hope that we never take for granted the family that we have, taking care of our health, and taking care of the people that protect us — our leaders, our frontliners. We should always give importance to those people. We may not see the efforts that they give out, but most definitely they are our modern heroes. And for that we should always be grateful, and that we should always stick with them and pray for them. Thank you.”
Miss World Philippines 2021 was held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center which lasted for about 6-7 hours
Complete list of winners and crowns:
Miss World Philippines 2021- Tracy Maureen Perez from Cebu City
Miss Eco Philippines 2021 – Kathleen Paton from Aklan
Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2021 – Emmanuelle Vera from Taguig City
Miss Tourism Philippines 2021 – Trisha Martinez from Pila, Laguna
Miss Environment Philippines 2021 – Michelle Arceo from Quezon City
Miss Multinational Philippines 2021 – Shaila Rebortera from Cebu
Miss Eco Teen Philippines 2021 – Tatyana Austria from Paranaque City
Miss Supranational 2021- Dindi Pajares
First Princess – Riana Pangindian from Pasig City
Second Princess – Ganiel Krishnan from Kawit, Cavite
Special awards:
Miss Photogenic – Kathleen Paton from Aklan
Best in Evening Gown – Danica Dilla from Bicol
Best in Swimsuit – Tracy Maureen Perez from Cebu City
Tracy Maureen Perez will try and win the crown for the 70th Miss World 2021 pageant in Puerto Rico this December. Let us all cheer and pray for an excellent performance in the international platform. Go Tracy!
Yes, the gas prices have been skyrocketing but don’t be discouraged getting your driver’s license and have this necessary skill.
There is some good news for the drivers that might cheer them up. People who want their driver’s license renewed don’t have to worry for an additional cost over the new law requiring motorists to undergo a comprehensive driver’s education program (CDE).
Photo from Unsplash
This program means that drivers who will renew their licenses have to study the CDE modules. After the study/review, the drivers will then have to take and pass a 25-question evaluation test to get their CDE certificate of completion. This completion certificate is now a requirement for license renewal.
“intended to retool our drivers with the [goal] of keeping the road safe for everyone.”-LTO
According to the Land Transportation Office (LTO), this new program will not entail an added cost and clarified that the learning materials and evaluation test for license renewal would be available for free.
The government agency further states that CDE should not result to an additional expense or inconvenience to the drivers.
Photo from Unsplash
These are the CDE materials that can be accessed for free at the LTO Land Transportation Management System portal ([email protected]. LTO) are:
learning modules
a five-hour program of video
slide presentations
evaluation test
Note: Field offices also offer free in-person CDE seminars and exams
We might want to brush up on our Korean vocabulary as South Korea just announce that they are losing the quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated tourists.
Seoul, South Korea | Photo from Unsplash
Starting March 21, fully vaccinated travelers from all countries around the world will be able to travel to South Korea without having to quarantine.
Yes. The inconvenience of quarantine is slowly being phased out which will give us plenty of time to make the most of our travels.
The ministry of South Korea announcing that people who are fully vaccinated against Coronavirus will be exempted from self-quarantine when entering South Korea is a far cry from its current seven-day self-quarantine for travelers.
Fully vaxxed people refers to only those who have received two vaccines of COVID-19 vaccines two weeks earlier but less than 180 days ago. These international travelers will also need to take the rapid antigen tests twice six and seven days after entering South Korea.
Travel Requirements to travel to South Korea
Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) or Korean visa
Digitally certifiable vaccination certificate
Negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test results
Booking confirmation of on-arrival RT-PCR test
Travel Insurance
South Korea | Photo from Unsplash
Note: Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Myanmar, are excluded from the self-quarantine exemption.
From the mouth-watering food, picturesque places, our oppas and idols, palaces and the culture that is very much alive in South Korea, it truly is one of the travel destinations we should put in our bucket list.
Scammers have existed since time memorial and have managed to utilize different channels including the internet. With the rise of e-commerce, scammers have taken a keen interest in using these sites to victim unsuspecting people. The prospect of winning a random prize is one of the most attractive for unwary users.
Photo from Unsplash
A new modus has been spotted recently where e-commerce sites are the ground zero, with alleged representatives of these sites making suspicious claims. The modus operandi goes like this:
A representative will cold-call a random person stating that he/she stands as an official rep for certain company or an international courier service.
The representative then tells the cold-called victim that they won a prize via random raffle. The representative then announces from which company/e-commerce site he/she is from as well as the alleged prize, and further states that the victim can only claim the prize once the processing fee has been paid which is around P600 to P900.
If the alleged representative says that he/she is from an international courier, they will tell the victim that they are not aware of the contents of the package but will give hints that the package itself looks valuable. A delivery charge will then be asked which is usually under P500.
The victim then agrees to the processing fee/delivery charge, eager to ‘have won’ something valuable in exchange for only hundreds of pesos for convenience.
Once the agreed fee is paid, the package arrives only for the victim to discover that the alleged ‘random prize’ is nothing but garbage: either a mystery box that contains worthless items or simply a piece of rock.
Netizens have been posting similar cases of this type of scam where internationally, it is quite a popular lottery winning scams. Only here, this type of scam is tailored to victim the modern Filipino people.
With e-commerce sites such as Shopee and Lazada becoming extremely popular, thanks to the pandemic, it is not unusual for anyone to receive packages from such sites, usually purchased ones.
Unfortunately, with this popularity and reliance of Filipinos to such sites, evil-minded individuals have taken advantage of this by posing as legitimate individuals from small-time or fly-by-night e-commerce operators.
How it starts is quite common: previous records of a customer, eventually potential victim, are studied and then sent with low-value items. Usually, these items are worthless, items that have been long stuck in the warehouse and other wasted inventory. The merchant will then attempt to make the COD delivery.
If the recipient is around to receive the item, they may or may not pay the suspected item. If the addressed recipient is not around but somebody from the same household accepts and pays the ‘fee’, then the scam is a success. Worst, if no one accepts, then the cost of the scam will be the RTS fee or return to sender fee.
Photo from Unsplash
With this type of modus and as much as how we like the convenience brought by online shopping, may we also be very vigilant with such scams. Who knows, you might be the next victim if you’re not very careful with your next transaction.
On Wednesday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of March 16, 2022.
The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 34 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 31 new recoveries, and 0 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases jumped to 1,112 (from 1,109).
Cebu City – Total confirmed: 53,668 (+21 new) – Total recoveries: 51,310 (+2 new) – Total deaths: 1,675 (+0 new) – Active cases: 683
Lapu-Lapu City – Total confirmed: 17,025 (+4 new) – Total recoveries: 16,484 (+3 new) – Total deaths: 506 (+0 new) – Active cases: 35
Mandaue City – Total confirmed: 15,387 (+1 new) – Total recoveries: 14,849 (+11 new) – Total deaths: 494 (+0 new) – Active cases: 44
Cebu Province – Total confirmed: 46,162 (+8 new) – Total recoveries: 43,024 (+15 new) – Total deaths: 2,788 (+0 new) – Active cases: 350
SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:
Total Active Cases in Cebu: 1,112 (from 1,109)
Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 132,242 (+34 new)
Total Recoveries in Cebu: 125,667 (+31 new)
Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,463 (+0 new)
A total of 1,356 laboratory results were released.
NOTES from DOH-7:
*As per DOH-7, the additional deaths in the report are not due to the overnight spike in deaths but due to more accurate data collection and validating efforts. Not all of those deaths occurred today but occurred more than a week ago.
Reports maybe subject to change as these claims undergo thorough validation by the local healthcare offices and health personnel.
To the selenophiles, get ready for the full worm moon happening this Thursday afternoon, March 17.
For March’s full moon, we don’t have to wait a little longer as it’s said to have the peak illumination at 2:20 AM (Philippine time) on Thursday, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
In case you miss the worm moon the first time, there’s a chance you’ll see it again around the same time, as the moon will be full for nearly three days, from Thursday to Saturday.
Why is it called the Worm Moon?
This name is traditionally thought to refer to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in cold climates.
Another explanation: Captain Jonathan Carver, during his travels in the 1760s, wrote that this Moon name refers to a different sort of “worm”—larvae—which emerge from the bark of trees and other winter hideouts.
The next full moon is the Pink Moon, which is slated to appear in the sky on Sunday, April 17.
The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that all areas of the country, including those under Alert Level 2, are now classified as low risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Harbour Square, Manila | Photo from Unsplash
In an online media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the government is stepping up its vaccination campaign in Alert Level 2 districts to boost vaccination coverage so that the situation can be reduced to Alert Level 1.
The local agency further stated that there has been no new increase in Covid-19 instances across the country, and that the Deltacron has not yet been detected.
Despite the fact that the Deltacron is not yet a variant of concern, Vergeire advised the public to get vaccinated to protect themselves from other Covid-19 variants that are circulating around the world.
Taguig, Metro Manila | Photo from Unsplash
During the fourth round of the “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” program, a total of 1,400,889 doses have been administered as of March 14, 2022. To enhance immunization coverage among senior residents, the government has extended this program until March 18.
So far, the country has 6.5 million completely immunized citizens and 1.9 million boosted older citizens.
On Tuesday, Apple released new software updates for the iPhone and iPad products.
iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS and iPadOS 15 operating systems that were released in September 2021. iOS and iPadOS 15.4 come a month after the launch of iOS 15.3.1 and iPadOS 15.3.1.
Photo from MacRumors YouTube Channel
Face ID Unlock is basically useless with our masks on. But with the iOS 15.4 update, we can now unlock our devices even without taking our masks off and somehow exposing ourselves in public places. This feature scans the areas around your eyes for authentication.
The iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 updates are free to download, and the software is accessible over-the-air in the Settings app on all compatible devices. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to get the new software.
The updates also include 37 new emoji characters such as melting face, Korean finger heart, pregnant man, mirror disco ball, among others.
Here are the complete release notes from Apple:
Face ID – Face ID while wearing a mask option on iPhone 12 and newer – Apple Pay and password autofill in apps and Safari can be used with Face ID while wearing a mask
Photo from MacRumors YouTube Channel
Emoji – New emoji including faces, hand gestures, and household objects are now available in emoji keyboard – Handshake emoji allows you to choose separate skin tones for each hand
Photo from MacRumors YouTube Channel
FaceTime – SharePlay sessions can be initiated directly from supported apps
Photo from Unsplash
Siri – Siri can provide time and date information while offline on iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone 11 or newer – Siri now includes an additional voice, expanding the diversity of options
Photo from MacRumors Website
Vaccine cards – EU Digital COVID Certificate support in Health enables you to download and store verifiable versions of COVID-19 vaccination, lab results, and recovery records – COVID-19 vaccination cards in Apple Wallet now support the EU Digital COVID Certificate format
Photo from MacRumors Websit
This release also includes the following enhancements for your iPhone: – Safari webpage translation adds support for Italian and Chinese (Traditional) – Podcasts app adds episode filters for seasons, played, unplayed, saved, or downloaded episodes – iCloud custom email domains can be managed from Settings – News offers enhanced discovery of audio content in the Today feed and Audio tab – Camera in keyboard can be used to add text to Notes and Reminders – Shortcuts now supports adding, removing, or querying tags with Reminders – Emergency SOS settings have changed to use Call with Hold for all users. Call with 5 Presses is still available as an option in Emergency SOS settings – Close-up in Magnifier uses the ultra-wide camera on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max to help you see small objects – Saved passwords can now include your own notes in Settings
Photo from MacRumors Website
This release also includes bug fixes for your iPhone: – Keyboard may insert period between typed numbers – News widgets in Today View may not open articles when tapped – Photos and videos may not sync to iCloud Photo Library – Speak Screen Accessibility feature may quit unexpectedly within the Books app – Live Listen may not turn off when switched off in Control Center
On Tuesday, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) listed Cebu City under the less restrictive Alert Level 1 from March 16 to March 31, 2022.
The Cebu City Government has yet to issue a new Executive Order but below are some of the guidelines set by the national government for areas under Alert Level 1:
No restrictions for indoor and outdoor capacities. Everyone can undertake intrazonal and interzonal travel without regard to age and even comorbidities.
Public transportation shall be at full seating capacity.
For aviation, maritime and rail public transport operating in and out of Alert Levels 1 areas, the passenger capacity will be at 100 percent.
All establishments, persons, or activities are likewise allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at total on-site or venue seating capacity, provided these are consistent with minimum public health standards.
Agencies and instrumentalities of the government shall likewise adhere to 100 percent on-site workforce.
On contact tracing, the use of health declaration forms/paper-based contact tracing shall not be required for all the agencies and establishments under Alert Level 1.
Establishments are no longer required to set-up isolation facilities within the workplace.
Individuals 18 years old and above will be required to present proof of full vaccination before participating in mass gatherings or entry into indoor establishments, such as but not limited to:
In-person religious gatherings; gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment and funerals for those who died of causes other than Covid-19 and for the cremains of the Covid-19 deceased;
All indoor dine-in services of food preparation establishments such as kiosks, commissaries, restaurants and eateries. For outdoor or al fresco dining and take out channels, no proof of full vaccination is required;
All indoor personal care establishments such as barbershops, hair spas, hair salons, and nail spas, and those offering aesthetic/cosmetic services or procedures, make-up services, salons, spas, reflexology and other similar procedures including home service options;
Fitness studios, gyms and venues for exercise and sports;
All indoor cinemas or movie houses operating at full capacity;
Meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibition events and permitted venues for social events such as parties, wedding receptions, engagement parties, wedding anniversaries, debut and birthday parties, family reunions, and bridal or baby showers;
Venues with live voice or wind-instrument performers and audiences such as in karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls and theaters;
Indoor ancillary establishments in hotels and other accommodation establishments; and
Venues for election-related events.
Children ages 17 and below shall not be required to present proof of vaccination status.
Meanwhile, face-to-face classes for primary education shall be subject to prior approval of the Office of the President.
The IATF also noted that “well-fitted face masks shall be worn properly at all times, whether outdoors or in indoor private or public establishments.”
Other areas placed under Alert Level 1 are the following:
Metro Manila
Cordillera Administrative Region
Abra
Apayao
Baguio City
Kalinga
Region I
Dagupan City
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Sur
La Union
Pangasinan
Region II
Batanes
Cagayan
City of Santiago
Isabela
Quirino
Region III
Angeles City
Aurora
Bataan
Bulacan
Nueva Ecija
Olongapo City
Pampanga
Tarlac
Zambales
Region IV-A
Batangas
Cavite
Laguna
Lucena City
Region IV-B
Marinduque
Puerto Princesa City
Romblon
Region V
Naga City
Catanduanes
Region VI
Aklan
Bacolod City
Capiz
Guimaras
Iloilo City
Region VII
Cebu City
Siquijor
Region VIII
Biliran
Ormoc City
Tacloban City
Region IX
Zamboanga City
Region X
Cagayan de Oro City
Camiguin
Region XI
Davao City
CARAGA
Butuan City
Areas not mentioned — including Cebu Province, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City — will still be under Alert Level 2 from March 16 to 31.
