THE government is now meeting with US and Russia manufacturers of COVID vaccines as part of efforts to secure the vaccine for the country.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and a representative from the Office of the President were set to meet with representatives of the two foreign countries to discuss “arrangements” for securing vaccines being developed by the New York-based pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and Russian Sputnik V Vaccines.
The government finally awakened to the fact that we can’t just rely on Chinese government’s assurance of helping us in our fight to cure the illness caused by the new coronavirus, which has claimed almost a million lives already and crippled economic activity around the world. China, where the virus started, may not be 100 percent sure that the vaccine it’s offering us is conclusive as even its people continue to suffer from the COVID. And besides, what maybe a cure to the Chinese may not be to us, Filipinos!
And while we’re expecting that the Americans and the Russians will not ask favors from us in exchange for the efforts to help us put to rest this deadly disease, we can’t expect from China to do the same syempre with strings attached considering that the issue of territorial disputes in south China seas are yet to be resolved.
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Some government officials call it “ridiculous” and an “idiot regulation” the plan of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to regulate content of popular online movie streaming platform Netflix.
I agree with them. At this time of the COVID pandemic that continues to threaten the world’s health and the people are looking for anything that may lessen their suffering and be entertained, Netflix came to the rescue.
I, for one became an avid viewer of this online movie when the government started enforcing stay at home order and controlled our movement. Marami sa atin ang parang maluluko dahil sa nangyayari.
Netflix saves my day from getting bored of doing nothing.
Admittedly, Netflix movies are full of violence, sex, nudity, language, and substance, especially Mexican movies which adult viewers prefer over cartoons or tear-jerker Filipino and Korean dramas – puro iyakan at sampalan.
But while I’m for Netflix, I’m not recommending the same to young viewers. Okay, pag nagpilit ang MTRCB na matulad sa ABS-CBN, isara na lang ni Presidente. Inutil din lang sila!
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While on vacation in my daughter’s house in the US last year, our favorite hangouts to dine every other day were either at Italian, Mexican, Chinese, or Japanese restaurants. We seldom go to Jollibee where I crave for pansit palabok, Jollibee’s noted dish aside from its chicken joy.
We seldom go because the nearest Jollibee in our place in Volo, State of Illinois is in Skokies town an hour’s drive from home, but if you’re not lucky, almost two hours drive during peak hours to reach the place which is equivalent to four hours back and forth. And who will have the patience to have that long trip on the road just to have that taste of my favorite palabok?
McDo is almost in every street corner of Illinois as well as the rest of the 50 states of America. But this is not surprising as it was founded by an American mogul, Mac Donald, and originated from the US. But it only serves spaghetti.
With the opening of a new franchise in New York of the Jollibee Group, a Filipino-owned Asian food conglomerate, we expect that Illinois will be its next target as consumers in this State for sure will patronize its brands.
In my almost five months in the US, I never heard or saw Mang Inasal, Chowking and Red Ribbon, the other brands of Jollibee Group operating in the US. They are not popular there. In the Philippines, McDo, as what we hear in jingles, “Is almost in every street corner.”
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A top doctor from Canada was heard saying that couples should wear face masks while love making to avoid getting infected with COVID-19.
But his advice was contradicted by his colleague who said that instead of wearing face masks, he and his partner only use pillows as barriers.
Puede rin. Pero para sa akin, maiisip mo pa bang maglagay ng barrier kapag nandoon ka na! Stay safe parin.
