We’ve all been occupying ourselves with poductive things during the quarantine.
A day goes by fast and the quarantine isn’t getting lifted sooner so why don’t we make the most of it and learn something instead.
Let’s go back in time and venture Cebu in the olden days. A look back into the rich and historical past. The streets, churches and the gone train stations will help you better understand our city.
With the rising cases of CoVID-19 in Cebu, more practices have been implemented to help flatten the curve.
For one to know about his/her state in this pandemic, one has to undergo COVID-19 swab testing and/or rapid testing; there are things you need to know about these testing kits and even to do’s. Because of the constant plea of mass testing, Cebu will start conducting its targeted mass testing on May 6, 2020.
The results of this test will serve as basis of the city’s policies, programs and actions after the expiration of the extended Enhanced Community Quarantine in May 15, 2020.
However, because this pandemic is alien to us, you prolly do not know what to prepare yet, yes? Hence, keep your eyes locked on this page and continue scrolling to read through.
Frequently Asked Questions
IS THERE A TEST FOR NOVEL CORONAVIRUS?
Yes, there is a COVID-19 test. It is becoming more widely available as more laboratories, both public and commercial, become certified and FDA-approved.
HOW IS TESTING FOR COVID-19 DONE?
There are two (2) types of testing:
RT-PCR Testing / Swab testing (swabbing)
Rapid Antibody-based Test (by blood sample)
According to the Cebu City Government (and also the same as Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City), blood samples will be taken during the rapid testing. Initial test results will be ready in 15 minutes.
Those who tested positive on the rapid tests will be subjected to confirmatory PCR swab testing. If the repeat test is still positive, the resident will be taken to a quarantine facility.
1: Rapid Testing (blood sample) will be performed.2: If rapid test result is positive, individual will be subjected to confirmatory PCR swab testing.
Recent photo from Cebu City PIO
Recent photo from Cebu City PIO
Recent photo from Cebu City PIO
WHAT SHOULD I PREPARE BEFORE GETTING TESTED?
These are only optional; the health workers will always make sure they sanitize everything and dispose when necessary. But should you want to be extra careful, you can do these:
– Bring your own gloves. Inform the frontliner assigned you have yours and humbly ask them to change their gloves with the ones you brought.
– Prepare a pale of water with chlorine or a drop of zonrox and soap. Ask your healthcare worker nicely to wash their hands before they touch anyone and anything.
WHAT SHOULD I DO AFTER GETTING TESTED?
– Always remember to isolate yourself. Also, after testing, make sure to take a bath more than washing your face and hands with soap and water.
Guidelines
Always remember that our frontliners are doing the best that they can to lead this combat against the virus. Therefore, little details might often be forgotten. Hence, always make sure to be prepared and informed should the need arise.
It pays to be informed. Make sure to spread this article for you to help save one life at a time.
The world is moving according to this mantra. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will be here for quite some time until a vaccine is developed, so we have to adjust our lives to the new norm step by step.
With this, there will be areas in the country that will still fall under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), and there are areas that will transition to General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
ECQ until May 15, 2020:
Metro Manila (National Capital Region)
Calabarzon (Region IV-A)
Central Luzon (Region III), except Aurora
Benguet, including Baguio City
Pangasinan
Iloilo
Cebu, including Cebu City
Davao City
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All other regions and provinces not mentioned under ECQ shall automatically fall under GCQ (IATF Resolution No. 29,)
Starting May 16, all decisions to impose, lift, or extend community quarantine shall rest with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).
WHAT HAPPENS UNDER GCQ?
1. Government offices, salons, and parts of shopping malls will reopen beginning May 1, 2020.
2. There are individuals who will still not be allowed to leave their homes
3. Curfew hours will still be enforced
4. Certain establishments will still remain closed.
WHO MAY GO OUT OF THEIR HOMES UNDER GCQ?
1. You may go out of your homes only to buy basic necessities. EXCEPT:
Persons 20 years old and below
Senior citizens
People with high-risk health issues
2. You will be subjected to mandatory temperature checks, you have to wear a mask outside the house, and you many not consume alcohol in public places. Physical distancing will strictly be observed.
3. Local government units shall impose curfew for non-workers, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
4. Checkpoints will remain in place. You are required to bring a valid I.D. wherever you go. You will still be questioned if you defy the GCQ rules.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, GOVERNMENT OFFICES, OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS DURING GCQ
1. Public transportation may operate but at reduced capacity.
2. Airports and seaports may operate to allow the unhampered movement of goods.
3. All government offices will resume operations.
4. In shopping malls and commercial centers, only non-leisure stores (supermarkets, hardware stores, clothing shops) will be allowed to reopen. Malls will limit the entry of shoppers.
5. Diners are still prohibited from eating in restaurants. Food shops may only do take-out and delivery.
6. Barbershops, salons, spas, and other personal-care businesses will resume operations, subject to strict health standards.
7. Priority construction projects can resume.
8. Publishing activities, and movie, music, and television productions will also be allowed.
WHO ARE ALLOWED TO GO TO WORK DURING GCQ?
1. Selected workers in non-essential services are allowed:
Electronics
Exports
Manufacturing
E-Commerce
Delivery
Repair Services
Maintenance
Housing
2. In certain sectors, half of the employees will be working from home, while the other 50 percent will work on site. These sectors include:
Finance
Business Process Outsourcing (Bpo)
Non-Leisure Trade And Service
ESTABLISHMENTS THAT REMAIN CLOSED UNDER GCQ
Schools
Amusement Centers
Gyms, Sports Facilities
Gambling And Betting Activities
Libraries And Museums
Tourism Services
MASS GATHERINGS STILL PROHIBITED UNDER GCQ
Concerts And Shows
Festivals
Trainings And Workshops
Conferences
Conventions
Tournaments
Rallies And Parades
BUSINESS SECTORS ALLOWED TO OPERATE
Agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and logging
Manufacturing and processing plants and the entire value chain (raw materials, inputs, and packaging) of basic good products, essential products, medicine, and medical supplies
Mining and quarrying
Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas
Food manufacturing and supply chain
Food preparations and water refilling stations
Power, energy, water, IT and telecommunications supplies and facilities, waste disposal services, sewerage, property management, and building utility services
Media
Manufacturing companies and suppliers of construction equipment
Data gathering, survey activities of the Philippine Statistics Authority for COVID-19, national ID registration
Publishing activities
Advertising and market research
Real estate activities, except buying and selling
Legal and accounting
Insurance, reinsurance, and pension funding, except compulsory social security
Architecture and engineering activities, technical testing and analysis
Scientific and research development
Government frontline offices
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
Logistics service providers: cargo handling, warehousing, trucking, freight forwarding, and shipping lines
ESTABLISHMENTS THAT MAY REOPEN UNDER GCQ
Malls and commercial centers: hardware stores, clothing, and accessories, and non-leisure stores
Hospitals and medical clinics
Dental and EENT (eye, ear, nose, throat) clinics
Veterinary Clinics
Retail establishments: groceries, supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, public markets, pharmacies, drug stores
Banks and capital markets
Accommodation
buildings used as quarantine facilities for returning overseas Filipinos, and for temporary accommodation of workers in essential industries like healthcare facilities, banks, BPOs, exporters, and other frontline service sectors
Hotels for areas outside Luzon for existing bookings for foreigners or those with long-term bookings; stranded passengers; distressed OFWs; healthcare workers
Barbershops, salon, spas, and other personal care industries with strict health standards
Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
Laundry shops, including self-service machines
Business process outsourcing companies with temporary accommodation and shuttle services for on-site workers or work-from-home arrangements
SERVICES THAT MAY REOPEN UNDER GCQ
Repair and installation of machinery and equipment
Repair of computers and personal and household goods
Services to buildings and landscape activities, except landscape care
Employment activities, manpower services for essential activities
Security and investigation activities
Rental and leasing, except for entertainment or mass gathering purposes
Gasoline stations
Transit of permitted persons to and from allowed establishments
Funeral and embalming services
Postal and courier services
STILL CLOSED
Gyms, fitness studios, and sports facilities
Sports-related mass gatherings, including but not limited to: trainings, games, tournaments, championships
Libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural activities
Gambling and betting activities
Travel agency, tour operator, reservation service and related activities
Activities of membership organizations
Physical classes, but flexible learning arrangements are allowed
Entertainment-related mass gatherings, including but not limited to: theaters, cinemas, large concerts, festivals, carnivals, conventions, shows, pubs, bars
Business-related mass gatherings, including but not limited to: trade shows, conferences, conventions, workshops, retreats
Politically-related mass gatherings, including but not limited to: election rallies, polling centers, parades, speeches, addresses
A wish has just been granted to witness another meteor shower.
If you missed the Lyriad meteor shower last April 22, you will another chance to watch the amazing meteor shower on Tuesday night, May 5 into the early morning of Wednesday, May 6 (Philippine time).
But you should set your alarms this time as the Eta Aquarid will be the only major meteor shower in May, and might not be another one until July 2020. It occurs every year as a result of the Earth’s passing close to the orbit of Halley’s comet that happens twice a year.
Also sometimes spelled as Eta Aquariid, the meteor shower surely is visible in the Philippines, with the best viewing occurring just before dawn of May 6, 2020.
Photo from Unsplash
If you wish to view this wonderful display, here are some tips from earthsky.org:
1. Sprawl out in a moon shadow. Notice that the moon casts shadows. Find a moon shadow somewhere that still provides you with a wide expanse of sky for meteor-viewing. A wide open field or at least a wide view would work just fine.
2. Avoid city lights. You might probably know this already, but this is important. A wide open area – a field or a lonely country road – is best if you’re serious about watching meteors.
3. Tell your family or friends about this, call a friend, or share this post on social media. If you’re with a company, let them face in different directions so that if someone sees a meteor, that person can call out – “meteor!” – to the rest.
Note, there is no sharp peak for the meteor shower or even an estimated time when it shows up. If you really don’t want to miss this, make sure to start seeing the night sky on May 5, 2020 until the peak morning of May 6, 2020.
If you have taken amazing photos of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower that you’d like to share with us for special feature, you can email us your photos at [email protected] or message us on Facebook.
Tourism had suffered greatly because of the global pandemic.
Now, to get back on its feet, it has to adapt and make changes for the new environment after COVID-19. We all have to learn to live with it to save our economy.
Boosting domestic travel seems to be the play of the Department of Tourism (DOT). They are banking on domestic travel to aid the Philippine tourism’s recovery.
“We believe that, for the rest of the year, what will really trigger the activities would be itong domestic tourism movement.”
– Benito Bengzon Jr., Tourism Undersecretary
The DOT has already estimated a 35% drop in the revenue from foreign tourist arrivals for the first three months of the year compared to 2019.
From the proposed P370-billion fiscal stimulus package to keep the economy afloat by Marikina City Representative Stella Luz Quimbo, approximately P43 billion will be used to aid stakeholders in tourism industry.
“Out of the P43 billion that will be allocated to us, siguro kulang-kulang mga P36 billion will go to ‘yung working capital kasi ‘yun talaga ang pinaka-importante,” Bengzon said.
DOT Policies and programs to be applied to the country’s tourism stakeholders:
Regular sanitation and disinfection of hotels, resorts and other accommodations, tourism transport services and other tourism-related establishments
Provision of sanitation or disinfection devices to tourism workers.
Tourism establishments will also be regularly inspected that will involve relevant agencies on health and safety standards such as the Department of Health.
Encouraged to develop online systems that can facilitate tourism-related transactions digitally.
Temple of Leah, Cebu | Photo by Thor MediaBuwakan ni Alejandra, Cebu | Photo by The Island NomadTaoist Temple, CebuEl Nido, Palawan
Your eyebrows might have raised with the opening sentence, but let me tell you. With the arising cases of CoVID-19, we have to consider everything our new normal.
Going to the market to do your groceries, wearing of face masks, practicing proper hygiene, and avoiding the crowd. These could all be new to you, but this is definitely a good practice.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia even said that we have to accept that there is now a new normal and we should be open to creating the new normal hence the formation of the CEBU NEW NORMAL TASK FORCE.
Cebu is still placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) until May 15, or until further notice.
“Now, we are crafting a new Executive Order that will create Task Force New Normal. Sa daghang higayon nagbalik-balik nako og ingon, do not expect nga magpadayon ang atong naandan. The old normal is gone. Prepare yourselves,”
– Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia
“Let us define the new normal aron maka-adapt kita sa bag-o nga kalibutan, bag-o nga probinsiya, bag-o nga kinabuhi,”
The task force will be headed by Gov. Garcia and will have representatives from the business sector, airline industry, travel and tourism, bus and public transport sectors, National Government agencies like the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor, and the Department of Trade and Industry, among others.
However, Gov. Garcia is most likely to declare a liquor ban if people will continue to violate the local ordinance and Executive Order 5-G on social distancing and ban on social gatherings and assemblies.
Whether they’re trying to relive their old movies, throwing their own lines, or real feelings, we don’t really know. What we know is that if you’re a fan of the OG love team John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo, your kilig is definitely all over.
To what was supposed to be a tutorial on how to cook bagoong rice, fans of Bea Alonzo were in for a much bigger treat. They were able to relive the 2000s kilig of John Lloyd and Bea loveteam.
On Monday, April is 27, Bea went live on Instagram. However, she thought it was too boring to have no one to talk to. She got declined by some people, but ended up talking to someone whom we didn’t expect: ‘THE’ John Lloyd Cruz.
Their talks started with some playful rounds of Q and A, but eventually turned serious when Lloydie reflected on where he was in life. While he wad away in Cebu, he admitted how lonely he still felt.
“Pero, iba pa rin. Parang may pag-iisa pa rin. Parang ito ata ang pinakamalungkot na uri ng pag-iisa…’yung pinapalibutan ka ng mga tao,” he said.
They eventually turned into talking about the relief drives and aids amid CoVID-19. Bea has been spearheading donation drives and fundraising activities for those who were greatly affected.
John Lloyd and Bea were vocal about being reel partners, nothing more than that.
Though during the live, Lloydie tried to touch on their closeness after a back-and-forth of their most iconic lines from TV and film during the Instagram Live.
“Nandoon ka nung nagmahal ako, nandoon ka nung nasaktan ako, nandoon ka nung wala akong matakbuhan, nandoon ka nung kailangan ko ng kaibigan, nandoon ka nung kailangan ko ng kausap. ‘Pag binabalikan ko lahat ng ‘yan, minsan ‘di ko na alam kung ano pa tayo…kung sino tayo. Pero ok lang kasi ‘yung mahalaga ‘yung nandoon ka. ‘Yun lang, sapat na ‘yun,” John Lloyd said.
If you’ve reached this part, SURPRISE! You’re in for another treat.
The IG live of Alonzo and Cruz is an avant-garde film piece of The Unconfined Cinema. This was organized by fil critic Philbert Dy and award-winning writer, editor, and film composer Erwin Romulo. They were also revealed to be the producers of such film alonf with director Dan Villegas.
Just yesterday, April 29, it was revealed that the IG live is an experimental short film entitled “Love Team,” written and directed by local filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone.
This project is a way for the filmmakers to continue telling stories “in this unprecedented time of quarantine… when movie production is impossible.”
“Love Team,” the post reads, “is a love story—whether romantic or in its other forms—told entirely within Instagram. It is a story of our times.”
Regardless if they were only trying to read lines, relive old movies, whatever it is, we’re all hoping for them to both find their own happy ever after — John Lloyd and Bea loveteam.
On Monday, April is 27, Bea went live on Instagram. However, she thought it was too boring to have no one to talk to. She got declined by some people, but ended up talking to someone whom we didn’t expect: ‘THE’ John Lloyd Cruz.
Their talks started with some playful rounds of Q and A, but eventually turned serious when Lloydie reflected on where he was in life. While he was away in Cebu, he admitted how lonely he still felt.
“Pero, iba pa rin. Parang may pag-iisa pa rin. Parang ito ata ang pinakamalungkot na uri ng pag-iisa…’yung pinapalibutan ka ng mga tao,” he said.
They eventually turned into talking about the relief drives and aids amid CoVID-19. Bea has been spearheading donation drives and fundraising activities for those who were greatly affected.
John Lloyd and Bea were vocal about being reel partners, nothing more than that.
Though during the live, Lloydie tried to touch on their closeness after a back-and-forth of their most iconic lines from TV and film during the Instagram Live.
“Nandoon ka nung nagmahal ako, nandoon ka nung nasaktan ako, nandoon ka nung wala akong matakbuhan, nandoon ka nung kailangan ko ng kaibigan, nandoon ka nung kailangan ko ng kausap. ‘Pag binabalikan ko lahat ng ‘yan, minsan ‘di ko na alam kung ano pa tayo…kung sino tayo. Pero ok lang kasi ‘yung mahalaga ‘yung nandoon ka. ‘Yun lang, sapat na ‘yun,” John Lloyd said.
If you think they were all talks, Lloydie also sang Bea a song. He sang ‘You Are My Sunshine’.
On the course of their conversation, when Lloydie was almost done performing, someone knocked on JL’s door. It was someone carrying Elias, Lloydie’s one-year-old son with Ellen Adarna.
For the first time, Lloydie introduced the boy on camera as he made Elias wave for Bea.
Regardless if they were only trying to read lines, relive old movies, whatever it is, we’re all hoping for them to both find their own happy ever after.
The Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) has reported there are now 864 confirmed COVID-19 cases in entire Cebu with 233 additional cases recorded today, May 1.
There’s also an additional death recorded for today, a 58-year-old male from a municipality in the Province of Cebu. He had existing medical conditions aside from being diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. The patient died on the same date of admission.
According to DOH-7, there were 1,032 test results released today, which yielded 240 positive results with 7 of the results being repeat tests of previously confirmed positive cases.
Cebu’s tally now is at 864 with 25 recoveries and 11 deaths. Below is the latest breakdown of the confirmed cases in Cebu:
• 758 – Cebu City (+75 new, +128 BJMP) • 25 – Mandaue City (+8 new) • 35 – Lapu-Lapu City (+1 new) • 29 – Cebu Province (+4 new) • 3 – Health Workers* (+3 new) • 14 – Repatriates/OFWs** (+14 new) Total: 864 confirmed cases in entire Cebu
DOH-7 Official Report for today
*DOH-7 on infected Health Workers:
“We now have three health workers who have tested positive for COVID-19. They were exposed to patients who have COVID-19 in their line of work. The hospital administration has started their isolation as soon as they manifested symptoms. Investigations are being conducted by the hospital’s Infection Control Committee to ensure that all contacts inside and outside the hospital are being traced, swabbed, isolated and managed accordingly. The DOH CVHCD is one with the medical community in praying for the recovery of these brave health workers. We continue to support our health workers through the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the hope that no additional health workers will be infected with COVID-19 in the performance of their duties to serve our sick brothers and sisters.”
**DOH-7 on infected Repatriates/OFWs:
“The presence of positive cases among our repatriates after undergoing the 14-day quarantine in Manila and a COVID-19 negative test result prior to travel to Cebu and other provinces in the region needs to be validated. Additional laboratory test such as testing for the presence of antibodies may tell us if the latest positive results are active infections or previous exposures. There are two kinds of antibodies: those that appear during infection (IgM) and those that appear upon recovery (IgG). The presence of either of the two will tell us if the infection is an active one or in the case of IgG, is of previous exposure and therefore the positive RT-PCR result could be possibly viral remnants of a previous infection. However, these repatriates are already on quarantine and will complete the additional 14 days. They will be tested again prior to release after the mandatory quarantine.”
Meanwhile, in the Philippines as of May 1, 2020: the Department of Health reported 284 new confirmed cases, 41 new recoveries and 11 new deaths in the country. To date, the Philippines’ tally is 8,772 confirmed cases with 1,084 recoveries and 579 deaths.
The Department of Health is reminding us that this is a fight we can win, but we can only win if like good soldiers we do what needs to be done. We should be united in our fight against COVID-19 and not against each other, most especially our health workers who continue to selflessly serve in our health facilities even with the risk of being exposed to our common enemy.
The COVID-19 pandemic originated from Wuhan City in China that has affected nearly 200 countries and territories with more than 2.5 million confirmed cases and at least 185,000 deaths.
“We are not alone” is statement that is slowly becoming true.
Aside from the global pandemic issue, we now have UFO’s on top of it.
I don’t know if you’ve seen the viral leaked videos of unidentified flying objects but the Pentagon have just released a statement telling us that the videos are legit and that they are indeed UFO’s.
The United States Department of Defense (Pentagon) has officially classified the “aerial phenomena” in the three leaked videos shot by the U.S. Navy as “unidentified”.
Watch this footage from Bloomberg:
In the videos, you can see an oblong-shaped entity dashing above water at high speed.
The first video was taken in November 2004 and the other two in November 2015 and was leaked in 2007 and 2017 and have sparked speculations for the past years.
They have only been authorized for release by the Pentagon recently to “clear up any misconceptions by the public” about their authenticity.
The existence of a U.S. $22 million-funded program which looks into reports of UFOs have also been confirmed in 2017. The program started in 2007 as part of the Defense Intelligence Agency and lasted until 2012.
God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.
Two priests have not only become catalysts of spreading God’s word, but also ones who’d seek justice. Fr. Victor De Guzman and Salesian Fr. Abundio Bacatan are among the 2,103 new lawyers.
Fr. De Guzman and Fr. Bacatan graduated law and passed the 2019 Bar examination, as announced by CBCP on Wednesday.
Fr. Victor De Guzman
Fr. De Guzman is the parish priest at the San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church in Balaoan, La Union while Fr. Bacatan is assigned at Don Bosco Dumangas in Iloilo province, according to the CBCP.
Fr. Abundio Bacatan
Fr. Bacatan, before being assigned in Iloilo, served as an administrator at the Don Bosco Technical College in Labangon, Cebu City.
May Fr. De Guzman and Fr. Bacatan, along with the other lawyers, bring justice to those who deserve it.
