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Cebu logs 634 new cases on January 24

On Monday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of January 24, 2022.

The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 634 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 966 new recoveries, and 16 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases declined to 13,754 (from 14,047).

Cebu City
– Total confirmed: 48,936 (+272 new)
– Total recoveries: 40,415 (+263 new)
– Total deaths: 1,553 (+6 new)
– Active cases: 6,968

Lapu-Lapu City
– Total confirmed: 15,494 (+66 new)
– Total recoveries: 13,545 (+88 new)
– Total deaths: 475 (+2 new)
– Active cases: 1,474

Mandaue City
– Total confirmed: 14,019 (+78 new)
– Total recoveries: 12,193 (+258 new)
– Total deaths: 448 (+2 new)
– Active cases: 1,378

Cebu Province
– Total confirmed: 41,587 (+218 new)
– Total recoveries: 35,056 (+357 new)
– Total deaths: 2,597 (+6 new)
– Active cases: 3,934

SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:

  • Total Active Cases in Cebu: 13,754 (from 14,047)
  • Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 120,036 (+634 new)
  • Total Recoveries in Cebu: 101,209 (+966 new)
  • Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,073 (+16 new)

A total of 1,516 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.

DOH-7 FULL REPORT (CENTRAL VISAYAS):

Get to Know Filipino-American Jacob Batalon, Spider-Man’s ‘Best Friend’

We all know spiderman’s sidekick Ned as an Asian but some of us just recently found out that he is a Filipino.

The Filipino representation was strong in the recently released ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ movie what with the introduction of Ned’s lola and the Filipino language spoken in the movie.

Now, you might be wondering who “Ned Leeds” really is in real life as he is a whole lot of charming and an awesome character as well.

Ned is actually a Filipino American actor named Jacob Batalon, born in Hawaii, to Filipino parents. His Filipina mother, who has always supported his dreams, is Eva Andres who is originally from Pangasinan here in the Philippines.

Jacob also has an interesting big family as he has seven half-siblings. He has a brother and a sister from his mother, and three brothers and two sisters from his father.

He had a drastic change in his body as well for Jacob lost 102 pounds (46 kg) in 2020. He decided to start a fitness journey after realizing how unhealthily he had been living.

“I felt like I could barely walk upstairs without being out of breath, and this one day I kind of just saw myself without a shirt on and it was just ridiculous. I could not believe I let myself get this far. That’s what sort of started it all.”

– Jacob Batalon

Road to playing “Ned”

He was really studying for his dreams if his academic pursuit is taken into consideration as he attended Kapi’olani Community College to study music theory, but later dropped out and then took a two-year program to study acting at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.

He had his acting debut in the film North Woods playing the role of Cooper and was recently cast as the lead role of Reginald in Syfy’s dramedy series Reginald the Vampire. 

Jacob Batalon to lead Syfy series ‘Reginald The Vampire’

He had cameos as Ned in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home so people have always associated Jacob as a permanent lead character in the MCU.

Now, without giving out any spoilers, he swings into action in a much bigger role and says that It’s been really fun.

Success Story behind Angel’s Burger: From Common Employees to Owners

Everyone knows this burger and when I say everyone, I mean everyone.

Angel’s Burger is so popular that anyone and everyone can see it everywhere. It has more than a thousand outlets all over the Philippines. A lot of roadside breaks and late-night snacks have been spent on these burgers.

Photo from Zomato

The very successful business known for its Buy 1, Take 1 Burger, had its humble beginnings. In fact, one of the owners was even an employee in a bank, Vicky Mojica.

This “Burger ng Bayan,” is the baby of Joseph and Vicky Mojica’s leap of faith. These two ‘regular’ employees quit their jobs during the ’90s, franchised a burger business and also ventured into several more businesses.

Joseph and Vicky Mojica, Angel’s Burger Owners | Photo from Angel’s Burger
Vicky Mojica, Angel’s Burger Owner | Photo from My Puhunan via Twitter

Now, the couple made Angel’s Burger a household name and as one of the most popular food kiosks in the country.

Its name came from their daughter Angel. It was when she was born that they decided to stop franchising and start a burger business of their own.

Angel’s Burger Story Timeline:

  • 1997: first burger shop built and named it after Angel with an initial capital of P20,000. Unfortunately, it was NOT successful.
  • After that, the couple decided to become Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
  • Vicky won the jackpot in a slot machine in Las Vegas. She took home $10,000 or around P500,000 at that time.
  • With the lotto prize, Vicky and Joseph decided to come home and invest all of it in their burger business.

Their buy 1, take 1 strategy, which is what makes them famous, only profits a little when they were still starting but Vicky was positive that small profits are better as long as it is consistent.

“Konting kita basta dire-diretso ay okay na. Hindi kami naghangad ng sobra sobrang kita. Basta sigurado lang po na araw-araw may kita, masaya na po kami”

Vicky Mojica, Angel’s Burger Owner

The namesake Angel, their daughter is now all grown up and is very proud of her parents and what they have achieved. This is one of those rare times where a win in luck was beneficial and actually made a family successful. But no matter the luck, it was hard work that made sure of their success.

2022 BUDGET TRAVELING Guide to Malapascua Island

4

It is already known to many that people visit the island of Cebu because of its great history, its churches, parks, but not known to many, people come to Cebu for the white beaches and beautiful nature.

Nestled 6.8km from the offshore of the northern coast of Cebu island is, Malapascua. Because of its rich marine sanctuary, Malapascua Island has attracted both local and foreign visitors, especially divers. It is best known for its world-famous diving sites, specifically the Monad Shoal where thresher sharks can be seen and observed regularly before sunrise.

The Best of Malapascua Island

As I was saying, the island of Malapascua is perfect for a beach vacay. There are quite a number of beaches waiting for you to explore and I have a list of some for you:

1. LIGHTHOUSE BEACH

If you are up for snorkelling, Lighthouse Beach is perfect for you because of the Japanese wreck submerged in the shallows. The skeleton of the ship is what remains, and became an artificial reef. Lighthouse beach is accessible by foot or a short habal-habal ride from anywhere on the island.

Lighthouse Beach Malapascua Cebu
Lighthouse Beach Malapascua Cebu

2. GUIMBITAYAN BEACH

Situated fairly close to the Lighthouse Beach is Guimbitayan Beach. Perfect for relaxation, this bach is hidden behind many fishermen houses along the way.

3. LANGUB BEACH

If you want the entire beach for yourself, Langub Beach is the place you should visit for it is a very quiet beach in the Northen part of Malapascua.

Langub Beach Malapascua Island Cebu (1)
Charlene Mae Abellana
Langub Beach Malapascua Island Cebu (2)
Charlene Mae Abellana

4. BOUNTY BEACH

With a long stretch of white sand beach, Bounty beach is a home to bars and restaurants. It is the main beach of the island, and there is no entrance fee. It is ideal for chilling around, having a meal or a snack, and going for a leisurely swim. There are even hammocks hanging around that you can lie in them and relax for free.

Thomas Dietz

Diving in Malapascua

Apart from beach-hopping, you can also go diving in Malapascua. Malapascua is also very well known for macro diving (small critters, yes it very confusing), and you will see seahorses, shrimps, crabs and sea slugs in most of the dive sites. But ofc, thresher sharks – if you’re in for some great adventure.

@bryanchu

Whale shark 2.0 at Monad Shoal, Malapascua!!! Yes, the lucky divers of Exotic had another unbelievable whale shark encounter again. And this time there were TWO whale sharks😱😱😱❤️❤️❤️Keep your eyes open when you go for the thresher shark dive—you never know what bonus will show up😜.Special thanks to Scott Lam who generously shared his awesome video with us for this amazing experience🙏#malapascuaexotic #whaleshark #whenoneofthemisnotenough #sharkdiving #itsmorefuninthephilippines

Posted by Malapascua Exotic Island Dive Resort on Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Monad Shoal is the 1# dive site in Malapascua, where thresher sharks (not dangerous) come every early in the morning to bathe in the depth of 30-40m.  And since it’s the BER months, they say that divers can usually spot manta rays there too.

Gato Island is known for the white tip sharks dwelling here. There is an amazing tunnel dive here that ends with a small cave, and lots of marine life. There are plenty more dive sites around Malapascua, and even in Kalanggaman and Kemod shoal closer to Leyte, where you can see many interesting things.

TRAVEL TIPS

  • Summer is the best time to visit the island
  • There is no pharmacy in the island so I suggest you bring your own medicine kit
  • As of November 2020, there are at least 3 ATMs in Malapscua.
  • There’s a decent mobile signal or data in the island.
  • UPDATE: In this time of pandemic, visitors are required to present a hotel/resort booking before you’re allowed to board from the port.

WHERE TO STAY?

You can book your resort/hotel room in Malapascua island by checking out the resorts indicated below:

Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort

Starts at 2,500 PHP
CHECK RATES
Hippocampus Beach Resort

Starts at 1,400 PHP
CHECK RATES
Celtis Resort

Starts at 700 PHP
CHECK RATES
Malapascua Thresher Cove Dive Resort

Starts at 1,500 PHP
CHECK RATES

HOW TO GET TO MALAPASCUA ISLAND?

Exact Location: Bounty Beach, Malapascua Island, Daanbantayan, Cebu — 4 hours away from Cebu City, and 30 minutes away from Maya Port.

BY BUS AND FERRY: From the Cebu North Bus Terminal, ride a bus going to Maya/Bagay. It will drop you off at Maya Port. Bus fare is around ₱150 per head, travel time is 3-4 hours.

From the port, ride a ferry boat going to Malapascua Island. Boat fare is ₱100 per head, travel time is around 45 minutes. Boats ply every 30 minutes from 6:30AM to 4:30PM only.

PARKING: If you’re bringing your own car, you have to leave it in the mainland near Maya Port. Look for ‘Sugbo Maya’ or any private property where you can park for ₱100-150 per day.

Note: If it’s low tide, you may need to transfer to a paddle boat going to the shore.

Cebu logs 1,247 new cases on January 23

On Sunday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of January 23, 2022.

The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 1,247 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 281 new recoveries, and 4 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases jumped to 14,047 (from 13,085).

Cebu City
– Total confirmed: 48,672 (+523 new)
– Total recoveries: 40,177 (+258 new)
– Total deaths: 1,547 (+0 new)
– Active cases: 6,948

Lapu-Lapu City
– Total confirmed: 15,430 (+220 new)
– Total recoveries: 13,465 (+1 new)
– Total deaths: 473 (+0 new)
– Active cases: 1,492

Mandaue City
– Total confirmed: 13,944 (+161 new)
– Total recoveries: 11,953 (+0 new)
– Total deaths: 446 (+0 new)
– Active cases: 1,545

Cebu Province
– Total confirmed: 41,370 (+343 new)
– Total recoveries: 34,717 (+22 new)
– Total deaths: 2,591 (+4 new)
– Active cases: 4,062

SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:

  • Total Active Cases in Cebu: 14,047 (from 13,085)
  • Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 119,416 (+1,247 new)
  • Total Recoveries in Cebu: 100,312 (+281 new)
  • Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,057 (+4 new)

A total of 2,929 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.

DOH-7 FULL REPORT (CENTRAL VISAYAS):

Viral: Netizen shares P149 Cable Internet bill from Cine Cebu

The Internet has become a necessity in our daily life especially now that almost everyone is working from home. Cebuanos have also struggled with the effects of super typhoon Odette amidst the pandemic which makes it harder.

So, having an internet service that has the initiative to disconnect during those times when everyone cannot access the net due to lack of electricity is something to be praised indeed.

Mars Catiquista shared on Facebook that her internet bill is only 149 Pesos which were far from its original usual bill of P1,499.

Screenshot from Mars Catiquista

Flexing her internet provider, Cine Cebu Television Network Incorporated (CCTNi) which is a newcomer in the internet provider services, she shared her gratefulness to the company’s initiative.

“Good day our dearest Subscriber: The bill (SOA) that was sent to you was already adjusted since Cince Cebu Management decided to disconnect all the subscriber’s account that was effective last Dec. 16, 2021.”- Cine Cebu Billing Staff

Screenshot from Mars Catiquista

Yes. We sure don’t need to be fined for those days that we don’t even have access to. It was a state of calamity and still, most of those telecoms have not considered this. The internet bills that came were still intact, just like that.

“I’m so thankful. Gaan ra kaayo sa bulsa. And dali ra kaayo na restore ako internet connection because their customer service rep was so responsive and paspas molihok sa imo request. I just wanna appreciate them. Because of them, I immediately went back working from home.”

– Mars

Though not yet as popular as Globe and PLDT, she claims they’re worth the price.

Rusty old white satellite dishes on blue sky background

Cine Cebu (CCTN) Internet Plans

  • 10Mbps – P999 per month
  • 20Mbps – P1,499 per month
  • 30Mbps – P1,799 per month
  • 50Mbps – P3,000 per month

Plan Inclusions (All Bundles):

  • Unlimited Fiber internet. No data capping.
  • Complimentary premium TV channels.

Branches:

  •  FCT Building (Unit 6), Poblacion, Minglanilla, Cebu
  •  Rey & Lucy Alison Bldg., Pajo, Lapu-lapu City
  •  LMPC Bldg., Lamac, Pinamungahan, Cebu
  •  JDS Bldg., S. Osmeña St., Luray 1, Poblacion, Toledo City

If you wish to apply, you can visit any of their branch or their official website. Installation usually takes 3 to 5 days.

It’s official! Netflix’s Squid Game is getting a Second Season

“The ‘Squid Game’ universe has just begun.”

These were the exact words of Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer, as he confirms the second season of Netflix’s breakout hit of 2021.

‘Squid Game’ premiered on Netflix in September 2021 and the South Korean survival film quickly soared to the top of the charts, racking up 1.65 billion viewing hours in less than a month.

Previously, ‘Squid Game’ creator Hwang Dong-hyuk also confirmed that the hit series would be renewed for a second season.

“There’s been so much pressure, so much demand and so much love for a second season. So I almost feel like you leave us no choice!” Hwang told the Associated Press last November 2021.

Lee Jung-jae, the lead actor portraying Seong Gi-hun, is reportedly coming back for the new season. The last time we saw Player 456, he won the games and took home the golden prize of ₩45.6 billion prize pool (about $38.5 million). Instead of flying to see his daughter, Gi-Hun appears to be on the lookout for the game’s mastermind as he tries to “do something for the world.”

Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun

The Netflix series is truly remarkable as it made history by becoming the first non-English-language series and the first Korean series to be nominated at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards for cast in a drama series, actor in a drama series (Lee Jung-jae), actress in a drama series (Jung Ho-yeon), and stunt ensemble.

In addition, “Squid Game” took home three Golden Globe Awards, including best TV drama and a supporting actor award for O Yeong-su. The show was also nominated for three Critics’ Choice Awards and won the Gotham Award for Best Breakthrough Series.

According to confidential corporate data released to Bloomberg, Netflix spent $21.4 million for the first season of “Squid Game” and estimates the series will generate $891 million in “impact value.”

Release Date

The first season took two years to complete so it’s unlikely to see the second one until 2023. Hopefully, we get to see the new season sometime in 2024 or 2025.

Cebu logs 1,672 new cases on January 22

On Saturday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of January 22, 2022.

The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 1,672 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 447 new recoveries, and 1 new death. Cebu’s total active cases jumped to 13,085 (from 11,860).

Cebu City
– Total confirmed: 48,149 (+691 new)
– Total recoveries: 39,919 (+117 new)
– Total deaths: 1,547 (+0 new)
– Active cases: 6,683

Lapu-Lapu City
– Total confirmed: 15,210 (+196 new)
– Total recoveries: 13,464 (+270 new)
– Total deaths: 473 (+0 new)
– Active cases: 1,273

Mandaue City
– Total confirmed: 13,783 (+231 new)
– Total recoveries: 11,953 (+60 new)
– Total deaths: 446 (+0 new)
– Active cases: 1,384

Cebu Province
– Total confirmed: 41,027 (+554 new)
– Total recoveries: 34,695 (+0 new)
– Total deaths: 2,587 (+0 new)
– Active cases: 3,745

SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:

  • Total Active Cases in Cebu: 13,085 (from 11,860)
  • Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 118,169 (+1,672 new)
  • Total Recoveries in Cebu: 100,031 (+447 new)
  • Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,053 (+1 new)

A total of 3,904 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.

DOH-7 FULL REPORT (CENTRAL VISAYAS):

Vax card not required for employment, gov’t transactions in Cebu Province

“A no vaccine, no work policy shall not be allowed.”

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s latest memo Memorandum No. 2 – 2022 with the subject “Covid-19 vaccination” subhead “Vaccination cards shall not be mandatory requirements for any educational, employment, and other similar government transaction purpose.” was signed on Wednesday, January 19, 2022.

This memorandum was addressed to all the mayors in Cebu province as there were many questions and speculations from the public in this regard.

This is also in accordance with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) advisory 03 series of 2021 that employees are encouraged only and if said employees refuse, they shall not be discriminated against.

The Department of Education (DepEd) also assured that there is no discrimination in having vaxxed teachers for in-person classes as this is just a precautionary measure to protect the teachers and students both. Teachers who choose not to be vaccinated will not be terminated simply by being unvaxxed.

It was pressed that the memo was for strict compliance and guidance as the governor also emphasized repeatedly that the law is very clear on this.


“I think the law is very clear. How else can we interpret other than saying that there shall be no mandatory requirement of vaccine card so that people may enter establishments? May enter schools? May go to work or may enter government buildings or avail of government services?”

— Gwen Garcia, Cebu Governor

Requirement or not, we are still encouraged to get vaccinated for our own safety.

Baby Shark sets world record with 10 Billion Views on YouTube

Even adults are also going crazy about it!

Baby Shark, the aquatic-themed earworm that toddlers and preschoolers alike are fascinated with, has reached a new milestone.

The hit song, which was produced by Pinkfong, is YouTube’s most-watched video and the only one to exceed 10 billion views. It was uploaded on YouTube in June 2016.

Baby Shark surpassed “Despacito,” a Spanish-language song from Luis Fonsi featuring reggaeton king Daddy Yankee, which had set the previous record of 7.04 billion views in November 2020.

“It has been a truly meaningful journey to witness how Baby Shark has connected people around the world, and we can’t wait to introduce Baby Shark’s further adventures that will bring unparalleled experiences to even more fans everywhere.”

– Min-seok Kim, CEO of The Pinkfong Co.

The song “Baby Shark” is thought to have started as a campfire song in the early twentieth century.

During the chant, campers used their arms to imitate Baby Shark, Mommy Shark, Daddy Shark, Grandma Shark, and Grandpa Shark’s varied jaw shapes and sizes.

Hope Segoine, who was 10 years old at the time, sang Baby Shark, which reached No. 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 38 on the Global 200.