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Every morning, Adelaide Dolar would ask a favor: could she charge her mobile phone at her neighbor's house? She didn't have electricity at home, and her children needed her gadget for online class work. She did this for the whole duration of the school year 2020-2021.

The pandemic made it difficult for financially struggling families like hers to fulfill their children's needs for distance learning, the 43-year-old vendor from Batangas province told Rappler in an interview on Sunday, July 18.

Despite this, she made sure that her children would not miss school the past year, when the government enforced a remote setup due to pandemic lockdowns.

Her three children - all basic education students - were enrolled under the modular learning system. The eldest, who was in Grade 10, needed to occasionally attend online classes. The younger ones, however, couldn't just answer the modules distributed by the school; they also needed to watch video lessons uploaded on YouTube or do research for their classes.

With a meager income of P300 ($5.91) a day from selling afternoon snacks to her neighbors, Dolar had to budget this amount between their meals and an allotment of mobile datafor her children's online classes.

"If they have online classes, I need to have P200 for internet 'load.' If my eldest son needs to attend a Google meet, I need to buy internet load worth P50 per hour. Of course, there's also research that needs to be done, so the P50 load won't be enough - that's why we're spending P200 for it. It will be registered for three days," she said.

To make a living, Dolar and her husband sell snacks every afternoon in their neighborhood. Her husband has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, so he cannot help that much with household finances. Dolar also does laundry services just to get by.

Not good for mental health

Aside from the financial burden brought by remote education, Dolar said that her children's mental health had been affected. Without teachers explaining the lessons to students, she had to change her morning routine so she could guide and motivate her children to answer their learning modules. That delayed her preparation of food she would sell in the afternoon.

"They're looking for the [in-person] school. They said in-person classes are better. They miss their interaction with their classmates. They are unmotivated to study. What will happen next school year? Will we be in this kind of situation again?" Dolar asked.

"They were culture-shocked. They are not used to this kind of situation. They're hoping to interact with their teachers and their classmates," she added.

In a recent video interview released by the Ateneo School of Government, Professor Carmel Abao said that aside from the issue of accessibility, remote learning also had an impact on students' mental health.

"There's an issue on the impact of this kind of learning on mental health. I still think that this is not advisable. Our kids are not made for this kind of isolation. Even if you do perform well in online learning, it's different if you're able to see, feel, and talk with your classmates," she said.

Students didn't learn as much

In a Rappler Talk interview on Friday, July 16, senior high school graduate Cheska Avenido said she found the remote learning setup really difficult.

"Besides the adjustment under the new modes of learning, sometimes we ask ourselves if studying during a pandemic is still worth it, because there are a lot of uncertainties," she said.

Dolar shared that sentiment, saying her children didn't learn that much in the remote setup, as she could not teach them properly. Though Dolar graduated with a degree in computer science, she wasn't able to practice any related profession.

"I think they're learning, but learning with teachers is far way better. Sometimes, I find it really hard to understand their lessons. Face-to-face classes is still the best way to go," Dolar said.

Aside from the school system being unprepared for the shift, remote education also posed a major challenge for students who did not have anyone to facilitate learning at home, or whose parents were not capable of guiding them due to lack of knowledge. (READ: Parents bear the brunt of distance learning as classes shift online)

Dolar said that, most times, she was the one attending her children's online classes, especially in mathematics, so she could explain the concepts to them when answering their modules.

An online survey conducted by the multisectoral group Movement for Safe, Equitable, Quality and Relevant Education (SEQuRE) found that 86.7% of students under modular learning, 66% under online learning, and 74% under blended learning said they "learned less" under the alternative modes of learning compared with the traditional face-to-face setup.

The survey also found that only 5.4% under the blended learning, 5.7% under modular learning, and 9.1% under online learning "learned more."

The survey was conducted from June 25 to July 12 among 1,278 teachers, 1,299 Grades 4 to 12 students, and 3,172 parents.

Teachers' Dignity Coalition chairperson Benjo Basas said in a Rappler interview that, while the teachers would always do their best to teach students under any circumstance, they didn't have any control on how students would respond.

"Either of those modalities, whether online or modular, it was difficult to learn. It's difficult for the students. It's also difficult for the teachers because we're not trained for this system," he said.

In March, senators questioned a report from the Department of Education (DepEd) that said 99% of public school students obtained a passing grade in the first quarter of the school year (October-December 2020).

The lawmakers were baffled by the high passing rate because many students struggled with distance learning. They cited instances when it was the parents or household members who ended up answering the exercises in the learning modules.

Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said it was likely that teachers were being considerate and therefore gave students high passing rates.

When pandemic is over, Basas said, teachers would have a tougher job because the students will need to catch up on the level of learning that corresponds to their grade or class.

"We have a lot of catching up to do because we're promoting students to the next level even though we're unsure if they do actually learn. But then we cannot do something about it because we're asked to be considerate since we're in a pandemic," he said.

Erroneous modules, not enough gadgets

Education advocates have said that the pandemic highlighted the gaps in the Philippine education system. This was evident in the erroneous learning modules distributed to public school students during the pandemic.

"Painful" grammatical errors, wrong math equations, and depictions of gender stereotypes alarmed a public already worried over the quality of education that over 24 million students were receiving during the pandemic.

Aside from learning module blunders, Ateneo's Abao said the pandemic exposed the "cracks" in the country's education system.

"If the problem before the pandemic was the lack of classrooms, the problem now is the lack of computers. We have a problem with the quantity and quality which were magnified by the pandemic," she said.

Better than academic freeze

Still, there were those who appreciated that the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education were able to go ahead with the school year amid the pandemic.

Dolar said that, even though the implementation was flawed, distance learning was still better than having an academic break. (READ: School time out during a pandemic? Pros and cons of an academic break)

"They have nothing to do at home, that's why it's okay to have distance learning. But we hope that they can improve the implementation and provide support to parents, teachers, and students," she said.

Professor Jayeel Cornelio, director of Ateneo de Manila University's development studies program, said that while remote education provided an opportunity for those in the academe to be creative, it would not be as effective if not all had equal access to the tools needed for the digital shift.

"As a professor, [remote education for me] is a good. We take advantage of every platform available, but the question is - who is winning and losing here? The reality is that if you come from an elite private school, you can easily cope with it. But we cannot say that flexible learning is the way to go for small private schools and state universities," he said.

Students and teachers remain safe from the virus while they continue learning from their homes. Despite the challenges brought by remote learning, senior high school graduate Avenido said she still felt unsafe to return to face-to-face classes.

"I'd be comfortable to return to face-to-face classes if the government finds better solutions to our pandemic problems. If they can find ways to contain virus spread and ramp up vaccination, it's the only way I will feel safe to join face-to-face classes," she said.

Over a year into the pandemic, the Philippines is still struggling to contain the deadly virus that has so far infected more than 1.5 million and has killed over 26,000 of its population. The country is bracing for a possible surge in infections, as the threat of a more virulent Delta variant looms.

Finding local solutions

Regina Sibal, lead convenor of education advocacy group Aral Pilipinas, said that, aside from the slow response, the government's top-down approach in its policy making was another barrier in the reopening of schools. She said that the government should not be implementing a "blanket rule" across the country.

"Our remote learning now is for all schools and no provision is given to other areas that are able to do face-to-face classes. Disparity in education access has been more pronounced now, especially in marginalized areas that lack resources," she said.

Sibal said that what government should be doing now is to provide local communities with guidelines on finding solutions specific to their areas and situations. (READ: Empower LGUs to make decisions on school opening - advocacy group)

President Rodrigo Duterte turned down several times calls for face-to-face classes due to the threat of the pandemic.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones, however, was hopeful the DepEd would get the go signal to start limited face-to-face classes in some 100 schools it had identified. She was banking on the vaccination of teachers and the planned inoculation of students.

The DepEd had said that it was preparing for "the delivery of quality education no matter what the circumstances will be in the coming months."

Public schools in the country will start classes for school year 2021-2022 on September 13, while private schools can start as early as June since they closed the past school year earlier.

"Enhanced" blended distance learning will continue to be implemented. But will the government make it right for millions of students this time around? - Rappler.com

Editors' Note: All Filipino quotes were translated into English.

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Distance learning in the Philippines: A year of hits and misses

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Parents, teachers, and the education department agree: Allow face-to-face classes in areas where it is safe to do so

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 Step 1 Look for problems or challenge the norm.

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 Step 1 Look for problems or challenge the norm.

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DepEd coordinating with authorities to probe online group promoting cheating | ABS-CBN News

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 Step 2 Ask questions that initiate change and address different needs.

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 Step 2 Ask questions that initiate change and address different needs.

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Example: While the online class is the driving force that continues the students' education, it opens opportunities to compromise the integrity of the students' output. Therefore, the educational leaders must create academic policies that will end mass cheating. 

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Example: While the online class is the driving force that continues the students' education, it opens opportunities to compromise the integrity of the students' output. Therefore, the educational leaders must create academic policies that will end mass cheating. 

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xppl33ml-zY

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Open Court: AAU Basketball - Good or Bad ? | June 15, 2015 | NBA

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Does the AAU system right now help the game of basketball and its players? If not, what needs to be changed in the system?

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The AAU system is important to the game of basketball, as it helps players gain attention and helps them develop their game. However, the AAU system needs to put more value in winning and developing essential basketball skills for their players to be successful at the next level.

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Are the difficulties and struggles of online classes really worth it or do they cause the students to have a much more difficult and stressful academic year?

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Though the online setup for the Philippine's educational system is already on its second year, students are still faced with difficulty and struggles in adjusting to this new setup. With this, our government should rethink whether online classes should still continue to push through or if we should go back to our normal face to face setup.

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Causes and Effects of Climate Change | National Geographic

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Knowing that Climate Change, causes the increase of extreme weather conditions, is being aware of Climate Change the only way to prevent it from increasing, or are there more ways?

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Since Climate Change came to existence with the help of human beings, they are held responsible and accountable for the actions they've made. Therefore, the citizens and government should allocate more funds, time, and laws for solutions that help with the prevention of the increase of extreme weathers.

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3 Teens Shot At Louisville Bus Stop As US Sees Rising Gun Violence Involving Kids

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Nowadays, more and more people are being implicated in homicide tragedies, and the number is still increasing. What can we do to prevent these unnecessary tragedies?

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step 2
As the Philippines is the last country that has yet to go back to face-to-face classes and with a continuous number of rising cases, is the country ready to take the risk of having its students go back to school?

step 3
If the Philippines pushes through with their trial of in-person classes, they need to ensure that students would be safe during the process. The students and teachers are at major risk and the country cannot afford another skyrocketing amount of cases, so they need to be extra cautious about the safety of the students and teachers in these 120 schools that were chosen to be a part of the trial.

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MANILA, Philippines - After more than a year of school closure, President Rodrigo Duterte has given the go-ahead for a two-month pilot testing of limited in-person classes for elementary and high school students in areas with low risk for COVID-19, Malacañang announced on Monday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the decision was based on the need to return students to the classroom because of the detrimental effects of keeping them confined at home.

"It is not just an issue of education, it is also an issue of health, the mental health of the youth," Roque said in a press briefing.

He said Mr. Duterte was not opposed to the idea of limited in-person classes as long as these would be held in areas with a low number of COVID-19 cases and have the support of local governments and parents.

"This is a small step back toward the life we knew before the pandemic," he said.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has yet to set the date for the start of the pilot classes, but Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in the Palace briefing that the program would be implemented soon.

Limited hours

She said the limited in-person classes would be conducted in 100 public and 20 private schools and involve students in kindergarten, Grades 1 to 3 and senior high school.

The areas where the classes would be held must pass the safety assessment of the DepEd and local governments must also permit the holding of classes, while parents must provide written consent allowing their children to return to school, Briones said.

The schools must likewise meet the requirements of the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to ensure the proper enforcement of health protocols.

Their facilities must allow for physical distancing, have running water for hand-washing and be close to health-care facilities.

Officials would also keep an eye on the risk assessment of the areas, Briones said. "If there are changes in the risk assessment, then we will really stop [the classes]."

The classroom sessions for the pilot program would be held every other week, which means there would still be blended learning.

The number of students per classroom would likewise be limited to ensure space for proper distancing.

The kindergarten class size would be limited to 12 students, while Grades 1 to 3 classes would have a maximum of 16 students.

Technical-vocational classes in senior high schools would be allowed to have only 20 students.

Classes would not last the whole day. Kindergarten to Grade 3 classes would be for a maximum of only three hours and four hours for senior high school students.

"In all countries, there are no daily, continuous face-to-face [classes]. These are properly scheduled and strictly monitored," Briones said.

She also noted that teachers were ready for the pilot in-person classes since the idea had been under discussion for some time.

Children's movements would be closely watched as well, she said.

"If this pilot is safe and it is effective, then we will gradually increase [its coverage]," Briones said.

Briones said teachers and school staff would not be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in respect of their rights since vaccination was not mandatory in the country.

"Teachers and staff 65 years old and below who have no comorbidities could participate in the program and serve regardless of their vaccination status," she said.

However, the chair of the Senate basic education committee on Monday said that while he welcomed the planned dry run of in-person classes in schools, the move should go hand in hand with teachers and learners getting inoculated against COVID-19.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the government should take steps to assure parents that their children would remain safe by vaccinating teachers and school staff and immediately launching the vaccination rollout for school-age children below 18.

Mixed reactions

But Briones noted that a significant number of teachers had already been vaccinated, and the DepEd had been encouraging educators to sign up for inoculation with their local governments.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) welcomed the approval of the pilot implementation of in-person classes, a move which the group said was a significant step to advancing the education system amid the pandemic.

"[This] is direly needed amid grave learning loss and inaccessibility of distance learning to the youth who mostly belong to impoverished families," ACT said on Monday.

It urged the government to ensure that health facilities are installed in schools, including sufficient toilets, hand-washing facilities and clinics.

Health and sanitation personnel should also be present and health checks and mass testing must be administered to all participating learners and workers, it said.

Meanwhile, the Teachers' Dignity Coalition on Monday said that given the rising number of COVID-19 cases and a burdened health-care system in the country, it was untimely and dangerous to conduct in-person classes for now.

"The government has not yet fixed the COVID response and the record of more than 20,000 cases almost every day in the past week can attest to that ... so if the in-person classes will push through, it is like they are risking the safety of the people, especially the children," the group said.

Prior to the President's latest directive, in-person classes were allowed only for college students taking health-related degree programs.

The Philippines is one of the last two countries in the world to reopen schools since the pandemic began in March 2020. The other country, Venezuela, is reopening face-to-face classes in October. INQ

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.

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DJ Yap, Jane Bautista, Leila B. Salaverria

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Duterte OKs limited in-person classes for 2-month testing in more than 100 schools

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After more than a year of school closure, President Rodrigo Duterte has given the go-ahead for a two-month pilot testing of limited in-person classes for elementary and high school students in areas with low risk for COVID-19, Malacañang announced on Monday.

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They kill because of childhood abuse, lack of love, and neglect from all of us! Thus, we should care and pay more attention to the people around us.

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Step 1:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/10/deforestation-in-brazils-amazon-rainforest-falls-remains-high

Step 2:

Will the idea of planting more trees be enough to be able to help restore or replace the many trees in the Amazon Rainforest that were affected by deforestation?

Step 3:

Trees are the reason for oxygen which we need to breathe, and deforestation is one reason why the oxygen supply is depleting. Therefore, we should come up with ways that will lessen the effects of deforestation and that will help restore the trees that were affected by this issue.

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August deforestation was lower than last year, but rates remain much higher than before Bolsonaro took office.

Pahnin Mekragnotire, an Indigenous man of the Kayapo tribe, observes the destruction left by loggers during a surveillance patrol of Menkragnoti Indigenous Land [File: Lucas Landau/Reuters]

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest fell in August compared with the same period a year earlier, continuing a downward trend while remaining higher than before right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro took office.

Forest clearances in August totalled 918 square kilometres (354 square miles), down 32 percent from the same month in 2020, data from the country's national space research agency (INPE) showed.

The decrease marked the second month in a row deforestation numbers were lower than previous years.

However, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, often dubbed "the lungs of the Earth" only fell by 1.2 percent from January to August 2021 compared with the same period in 2020. That decrease equalled 6,026 square kilometres, or an area more than seven times the size of New York City.

Year-to-date deforestation in Brazil remains nearly double what it was during January to August 2018, before Bolsonaro took office and immediately took steps to weaken environmental enforcement, prompting a boom in logging.

Nevertheless, in recent weeks there have been signs the Bolsonaro government is taking some tentative steps towards combating the soaring destruction.

The government has doubled the budget for environmental enforcement and plans to hire some 700 new environmental field agents, Environment Minister Joaquim Pereira Leite said last month.

Deforestation and forest fires

Despite the steps, environmental advocates say that destruction has merely plateaued and shows no sign of returning to pre-Bolsonaro levels.

The high deforestation rate also helps to feed forest fires, with the felled trees serving as tinder, according to the Amazon Environmental Research Institute.

Loggers generally extract valuable wood with fire being set to the remains to clear it for eventual agricultural use.

A Reuters news agency witness travelling in southern Amazonas state during the past week saw massive fires billowing smoke miles into the air with the haze blanketing the landscape.

Many of the fires were near the edge of existing cattle pasture. Much of the burned land will likely become pasture too, with cattle ranching the main driver of deforestation, according to a draft of a landmark study compiled by 200 scientists and published in July.

Amazon fires in August - while also showing a slight decline from a year ago - remained above the historic monthly average for the third consecutive year, according to INPE.

Prior to Bolsonaro, the last time Brazil saw such high levels of fire in the Amazon was in 2010.

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Brazil's Amazon deforestation remains high despite slight fall

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August deforestation was lower than last year, but rates remain much higher than before Bolsonaro took office. Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest fell in August compared with the same period a year earlier, continuing a downward trend while remaining higher than before right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro took office.

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The impacts of Martial Law are so devastating that we are still feeling the consequences today. By the time Marcos was kicked out of Malacañang, the Philippine economy was in bad shape from the corruption and heavy borrowing from other countries. Poverty rates drastically increased, the value of the peso went down, and the country's reputation crashed. Truth be told, all of us are still paying for the trillions worth of debt today.

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[OPINION] Time to move on from Martial Law?

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The impacts of Martial Law are so devastating that we are still feeling the consequences today. By the time Marcos was kicked out of Malacañang, the Philippine economy was in bad shape from the corruption and heavy borrowing from other countries. Poverty rates drastically increased, the value of the peso went down, and the country's reputation crashed.

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Does Ferdinand Marcos deserve the title of being called the Philippine "hero" despite knowing his wealth is ill-gotten and taken out of corruption?

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It has been nearly 5 decades since Ferdinand Marcos imposed the Martial Law and yet they are still given freedom and they are blatantly misrepresenting themselves as transformational leaders despite all their unjust deeds. Therefore, the government should rightfully detain and penalize the Marcos' for their iniquities.

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Step 1:
https://www.rappler.com/nation/coa-says-poor-use-billions-covid-19-funds-led-missed-opportunities

Step 2:
Should President Duterte change Secretary Duque amidst the COVID-19 crisis in order to improve the use and allocation of DOH budget? As such, would this be a critical action towards better management of the pandemic situation in the Philippines?

Step 3:
The current bidding anomalies and unaccounted purchases of DOH for COVID-19 essentials have led to problematic supply in the Philippines, which consequently put the country's frontlines at higher risk and worsened transmission. With DOH playing an important role in this crisis, President Duterte should take decisive, better, and new actions. Given that the current DOH administration, with its more than a year battle against Covid, has not presented an effective solution. Hence, has been under investigation over a number of anomalous contracts and its failure to give hazard pay to frontliners.

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DOH's poor use of P67 billion COVID-19 funds led to 'missed opportunities' - auditors

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(1st UPDATE) The Commission on Audit says some P11.9 billion meant to 'strengthen the department's capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic' remain unused

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Step 1

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/9/28/Duterte-use-of-police-power-to-compel-vaccination.html

Step 2:

Will the people get encouraged or discouraged to take the vaccine? Will their views on the government change due to this harsh and strict command?

Step 3:

Despite the president being demanding in the way he communicates, this should be implemented be to get the citizens more immune and to decrease the spread of the virus.

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https://business.inquirer.net/316565/ph-posts-worst-recession-in-2020

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MANILA, Philippines-The Philippine economy fell to its worst post-war recession in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, aggravated by the onslaught of natural disasters, like Taal Volcano's eruption and a string of strong typhoons, that devastated both lives and livelihoods.

National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa on Thursday (Jan. 28) said the 9.5-percent drop in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020 was the biggest since the government started recording yearly output in 1946 or after the Second World War.

Mapa told the Inquirer that the value of goods and services produced in the Philippines in 2020 amounted to P17.98 trillion at current prices.

Before the pandemic, the country churned out P19.52 trillion in output in 2019-sustaining annual economic growth for 21 straight years since GDP declined by 0.5 percent in 1998 because of the Asian financial crisis.

Prior to 2020, the worst recession was in 1984, when the economy shrank by 7 percent during the waning years of the Marcos dictatorship saddled with a debt crisis.

But the pandemic's larger damage had been inflicted on the Philippines' gross national income (GNI)-the total output produced by Filipinos here and abroad.

Mapa said GNI slid by a faster 11.1 percent in 2020-he told the Inquirer that the reduction in deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) when global borders were closed or restricted to contain the deadly coronavirus led to a decline in Filipinos' total compensation income.

When divided across the Philippines' estimated population of 109.1 million as of end-2020, Mapa said the share per capita or for every Filipino of GDP declined 10.7 percent, while per capita GNI dropped by a bigger 12.3 percent, reversing steady growth in recent years.

The Philippines seeks to move up to upper middle-income country status next year when President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office, but the reduction in GNI may make it more difficult to achieve the feat.

In 2020, the World Bank redefined the threshold for upper-middle income countries to a GNI per capita ranging between $4,046 and $12,535, up from the previous range of $3,996 to $12,375.

As the Philippines' growth slowed in 2019 due to the then delayed national budget approval, it remained a lower middle-income country with a GNI per capita of $3,850 in 2019-and given the double-digit decline in per capita GNI in 2020, the ascent to upper-middle income status instead took a step back.

Despite these setbacks, acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua on Thursday claimed the Philippines was on track to move up to upper-middle income status in 2022, to join the likes of China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in the region.

Chua, who heads the state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), also claimed the poverty-reduction target may be achieved "earlier than 2022, despite the pandemic."

The Duterte administration sought to slash the poverty rate to 14 percent next year and made inroads pre-pandemic-nationwide poverty incidence fell to 16.7 percent in 2018 from 23.3 percent in 2015. The next poverty survey will be conducted soon, alongside a monthly reporting of the employment situation which Chua said would allow better monitoring of the labor market after 4.5 million Filipinos were made jobless by the pandemic and its ensuing lockdown in 2020.

But Chua himself had flagged a possible temporary increase in urban poverty due to the pandemic, which he had said could bring the 2020 rate to 16-17.5 percent.

Chua's push to gradually reopen the economy while adhering to minimum health and safety standards was nonetheless already recovering some lost ground-fourth-quarter GDP contraction narrowed to 8.3 percent year-on-year from 11.4 percent in the third quarter.

On a quarterly basis, GDP grew by 5.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020 from the third-quarter output, while GNI increased by 2.9 percent.

These quarterly improvements, however, were slower than the 8-percent GDP growth and 6.3-percent GNI expansion during the third quarter from the trough in the second quarter-at the height of the longest and most stringent COVID-19 lockdown in the region.

With consumers being urged to spend more and businesses enjoined to resume their operations, the industry sector grew 11.6 percent quarter-on-quarter from October to December, while services expanded by 4.5 percent.

Only the agriculture sector contracted by 4.1 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the preceding quarter as typhoons damaged farm output.

But for the entire 2020, output decreased across all three major economic sectors-industry shrank by 13.1 percent, services by 9.1 percent, and agriculture by 0.2 percent.

Chua said a "careful balance" of gradually opening the economy, avoiding prolonged quarantines, and adhering to health standards would hopefully pave the way for economic recovery in 2021 through restoration of business and consumer confidence.

However, jump-starting consumer spending may not be easy-surveys conducted by the World Bank in August 2020 showed that one of every four breadwinners was jobless; one in every three families suffered from hunger; and one out of three families had no access to a doctor despite threats from a deadly coronavirus.

According to the World Bank, the rich had been able to "use their savings and borrowed from banks" to cope with the harder times, while poor Filipinos had to scrimp on food expenses while also borrowing money from friends.

While cash grants and relief goods from the government helped-up 90 percent of the poorest and most vulnerable households supposedly benefited from dole outs, the pandemic's wider impact on the global economy trickled down to 60 percent of remittance recipients who got none or less than pre-COVID-19 inflows in 2020, the World Bank said.

In the case of businesses, a World Bank survey in July 2020 showed that sales fell by 60 percent or more; firms engaged in construction, education and food had to lay off about half of their workforce; and three out of every 20 companies had to shut down for good.

As such, businesses had sought support from the government to pay their workers as well as to access low-interest loans, as almost half of them had no idea when they could reopen their doors, according to the World Bank.

JE/TSB

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MANILA, Philippines-The Philippine economy fell to its worst post-war recession in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, aggravated by the onslaught of natural disasters, like Taal Volcano's eruption and a string of strong typhoons, that devastated both lives and livelihoods. National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa on Thursday (Jan.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/13/world/asia/philippines-students-remote-covid.html

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With Schools Closed, Covid-19 Deepens a Philippine Education Crisis (Published 2021)

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The country remains among the few that have not at least partially reopened, sparking worry in a place where many lack a computer or internet access.

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Will locking down less truly save our economy at the cost of losing lives due to COVID-19?

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At a glance:

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed back to zero the anti-child labor efforts of the national and local government, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and communities.

The government's target of removing all 2 million child laborers from hazardous labor is impossible to achieve by 2022.

Philippine child workers are among the estimated 160 million children worldwide who have been pushed into hazardous work because of the pandemic. The Philippine government, however, has not tracked these children, so their true numbers are unknown, and they are beyond the reach of public services.

The children of the village of Malaya were freed from child labor four years ago, but the pandemic has brought them back to where they were - a life of dangerous and backbreaking work from which there may be no escape.

In 2017, a government program took in Eron, then 15, from the mines of Malaya in Labo, a town in the gold-rich province of Camarines Norte in southern Luzon, the largest of the Philippine islands.

"I was very happy then," he said. "I could go to school without thinking about earning money. I felt that my life had taken the right direction."

The pilot program Eron took part in provided education and other support for 49 of 70 underaged youths employed in small-scale gold mining operations in Malaya. Called the Strategic Help Desks for Information, Education, Livelihood, and other Developmental Intervention (SHIELD), it was a joint project of the government's social welfare department and international NGOs.

At the time, the Philippines was already making slow progress in its long fight against hazardous child labor. Malaya, a Filipino word which means "free," was one of the two towns in Camarines Norte formally recognized by the government as small-scale mining areas. This recognition meant that these towns would commit to taking children out of hazardous work and former child workers would qualify for government assistance.

Camarines Norte, a poor province with large, untapped gold deposits, is a hotbed for illegal artisanal and small-scale mining funded by local businessmen. Mining is one of the few job opportunities there, so Eron, like many youths in his village, grew up with his father working in the mines while his mother spent hours on most days panning for gold in the Bosigon River.

The children's work exposes them to mercury, which they handle with their bare hands so they can mix it with the gold ore to create refined gold. Mercury is a toxic metal that has no known safe level of exposure and can be fatal. It can hurt the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems, and can also damage the lungs.

In most parts of Camarines Norte, many children also dive deep into mud-filled mine tunnels to search for gold. They do this with a diesel-powered compressor hose that provides oxygen. In 2015, Human Rights Watch reported that this practice put underage mine workers at risk of drowning, decompression sickness, and bacterial infections.

In 2011, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that there were 2.1 million Filipino child workers, nearly all of whom work hazardous jobs, including small-scale mining.

Philippine law prohibits children from engaging in any form of hazardous labor. It allows only two forms of child work: employment in the entertainment industry or in family-run businesses as long as the children are continuously provided with education.

Since 1948, the Philippines has been a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO), a United Nations agency that considers mining hazardous for children and has mandated its member organizations to commit themselves to eliminating all forms of hazardous child work.

But these laws and commitments are honored more in the breach. The Philippine government has committed to removing all 2 million children out of the worst forms of child labor by 2022, as stated in the Philippine Development Plan. It has also committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to end child labor by 2025. The country is unlikely to meet any of these targets.

A boy pans for gold using a wooden basin locally called 'pabirik,' a process usually done after separating rocks from the mud collected from the tunnel.

A boy wipes mud away from his eyes after compressor diving for an hour straight under 40-feet mudwater.

A program to rescue children

The Department of Social Welfare and Development launched SHIELD, an ILO-supported program, in 2017.

"The SHIELD program was initiated so that we can see the problems of the children," said Lovely Galicia, a social worker employed by the town of Labo. "Since 2017, we have traced that the reason why these children engage in such dangerous work was for them to fund their education. We heard them and we asked what they think can solve this and their answer was the same - education."

In Malaya, the nearest school was 17 kilometers from the village center and the children needed to walk two to three hours each way to attend classes. SHIELD provided funds and school supplies so the minors who were withdrawn from the mines could go to school.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, classes moved online. Those who didn't have internet access were given the option to do modular learning, which meant children had to study on their own and claim their weekly printed materials from the school. The Department of Education has reported that nearly 3 million schoolchildren in the entire country didn't enroll in school year 2020-2021 because of pandemic-related difficulties.

Eron was among the millions of children who struggled to cope. "I'd rather go to school and learn face-to-face with my classmates," he said. The hardest part, Eron explained, was that they were obliged to learn on their own and answer the questions in the modules.

"Sometimes I do not understand the lesson, especially in music. Once a week we get to consult with our teacher online, but the internet here is very weak, and I'd usually miss the chance to ask," he continued.

Eron didn't enroll the following school year. At age 16, he was still in the seventh grade; most of his classmates were age 13.

Eron also saw his parents struggling to put food on the table, so he decided to step up. His four older siblings are married and no longer living at home. Eron was the oldest of the remaining four children still relying on parental support.

By then, mining operations had stopped because of the pandemic and Eron's family had to make do with panning gold by the river. Meanwhile, gold prices had also dipped. In the past, families could sell matchstick-sized gold pieces for around $15 (P748.38). Now, they're being offered only $10 (P498.92) apiece.

"No parent would ever want their child to work for them," said Lydia, Eron's mother, who has panned gold for years to supplement the family income. "But I can't really do anything especially when they insist and tell me that they, too, are struggling and would rather help."

"Right now," she said, "there's not much gold in the river anymore, the prices are really low, and we can really use an extra hand."

When Eron dropped out of school in 2020, he joined his mother and sometimes his father in panning for gold and then mixing it with mercury. "Sometimes, after 10 hours in the river, I still can't find something worth $10, the most I have earned was just $4 (P199.57)," he said. He would use that money to buy a kilo and a half of rice to take home.

Eron misses the days when his only worry was whether he could catch the jeepney that left the village each morning so he could get a free ride to school.

Bureaucracy stalled efforts

From the start, SHIELD was slowed down by bureaucratic problems.

In the beginning, the program distributed financial help directly to the youths withdrawn from the mines. But new rules required the children to apply to get the aid.

In June 2021, only 4 of the 49 children in SHIELD's care were able to submit their application and qualified for the $60 (P2,993.55) quarterly school subsidy.

Galicia, the social worker, said that since the pandemic hit their work is "back to zero." They have been unable to keep track of the number of children who have returned to mining.

"It's really hard especially during the height of the pandemic, we can't prioritize and focus on the situation on the ground since we were also considering that we might be carriers of the virus," she said. "Then we had issues with the funding, so we were also a bit hesitant to come up here in the community without any money to help them."

This year, the town government allocated $60,000 (P2.99 million) for child labor programs but the money has yet to be used because government workers have not been able to report for work and all government programs have been stalled, said Galicia.

She is still hopeful, however, that SHIELD can be revived by the town government once it's been passed on to them. At the very least, she said, the program has already provided hope for the children, who felt there was a structure that was looking out for them.

"I hope I can enroll for the start of this school year in September," Eron said. "I think I can do my school modules in the evening after mining."

Two friends pan for gold under the heat of the midday sun on August 14, 2021.

A boy holds on to a shovel handed to him by an adult before he completely submerges himself under muddy waters.

Other children in need

Many children, however, have not been helped at all. In the village of Gumaus in Paracale town, an hour and a half's drive from Malaya, boys are risking their lives daily for meager pay.

Dylan, 14, is one of them. He was just nine when he stopped going to school to work in compressor mining.

On a sunny Saturday in August, he was deep in 40 feet of muddy water, breathing through a compressor hose as he collected soil in a mine tunnel that might contain gold. Nearby, a group of boys were huddled, waiting for him to ascend from the mud.

"We don't have any source of income," Dylan said. "On good days, I can earn $10, but not every day is a good day. It can go as low as $1 (P49.89)."

With him were Ryle and Vince, both 13, and also covered with mud. Unlike Dylan, who had been working for several years, the two boys just started a year ago when the pandemic left their families with no food to eat.

"Down there, it's very dark, silent, and cold. When I start to go back up, the mud gets inside my eyes," said Vince.

"We're no longer afraid, we're used to it," said Ryle. "We can even stay under the water one hour straight."

"I don't have a choice, I must help my family," Dylan said.

In a June 2021 report, the ILO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that the number of children around the world who are engaged in child labor has risen to nearly 160 million - about 9 million more since 2016.

Because of the pandemic, the number of children in hazardous jobs has gone up to 79 million after two decades of continuous decrease

"The poor have two assets: health and education," ILO Country Office Director Khalid Hassan said in an interview with the local media. "Child labor takes both health and education from the poor."

There is no way of estimating the pandemic's impact on child labor in the Philippines, said Hassan, since there is insufficient information on who these children are. One indicator of the extent of child labor, he said, is "when you don't see other children in school, they might be working somewhere."

The labor department recognizes this challenge. Its last survey of child laborers was in 2011 and it had scant information on the children, making it difficult to provide services for them, said Ma. Karina Trayvilla, director of the department's Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns. She said that in the last five years, the agency had identified only 290,000 child laborers and removed just 68,000 of them from hazardous labor.

"We are quite sad that children feel compelled to go back to work because of the pandemic. This could be the same situation in many parts of the world. But it is not a reason for any of us to give up," said Concepcion Sardana, senior program officer of ILO- Philippines.

"The adage 'It takes a village' is so true - but it takes the combined efforts of all individuals, families, organizations, [and] government structures at all levels for our initiatives to address child labor to work," she added.

Eron, meanwhile, keeps the hope alive. "I don't think I can come out of this situation soon," he said, looking at his hands, which are scarred from hours of gold panning. "I can't say for sure. I hope so, but life is so hard."

"I just want to have a simple life," he added. "I don't wish to be rich, I just want to not work here anymore." - Rappler.com
This story was supported with funding and training by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

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The gold trap: COVID-19 is pushing more Filipino children into hazardous work

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The Philippines had been making slow progress in its long fight against child labor, but the pandemic reversed the gains that had been made

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The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific

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The Philippines is contending with one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in southeast Asia. As of April 18, 2021, there were 926 052 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 15 810 deaths recorded. WHO has warned that the country's health-care system risks being overwhelmed. From March 29, 2021, a new round of lockdown was implemented in Manila and four surrounding provinces to suppress the new surge of infections. Although lockdown measures help control the spread of the virus, they only offer a short-term solution.

The pandemic has heavily hit the country in multiple ways. As an archipelagic country made up of more than 7000 islands, the Philippines is among the most vulnerable countries in the world to natural disasters. In addition, the longstanding battle with infectious diseases has been compounded with the rise in non-communicable diseases due to lifestyle changes and an increase in risk behaviours. These issues have predisposed the population to severe negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The economy shrank almost 10% in 2020, which pushed more people into poverty. Besides the direct health losses due to the pandemic and the associated policy response, there are indirect health losses that are hard to estimate--for example, when health-care resources were reprioritised away from other important areas.

Case isolation, contact tracing, and physical distancing are recognised as the backbone of effective COVID-19 control. A prerequisite of successful implementation of these strategies is to have a robust public health system and sufficient workforce, which was inadequate and insufficient in the country even before the pandemic. The limited investment in health-care infrastructure and a shortage of health-care workers curtail the system, while inequalities in health-care delivery further jeopardise access to services. According to The Philippines Health System Review published by WHO in 2018, there were 23 beds per 10 000 individuals in the National Capital Region, and this number is less than ten per 10 000 individuals for the rest of the country. Public and privately owned health systems are supposed to be complementary in health-care service delivery, but no effective measure exists to regulate the expanding private sector, leading to a high amount of out-of-pocket expenses for health care; for example, more than half of total health spending was out-of-pocket in 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic puts further pressure on the fragmented public health system. Along with this fragmentation, the insufficient response from the government has resulted in a delay in contact tracing and mass testing, an overwhelmed medical system, and slow vaccine roll-out.

Parallel with public health policies, mass vaccination is another viable solution to this pandemic. There are 600 000 doses of the CoronaVac vaccine (Sinovac Life Sciences) donated from China and more than 525 600 doses of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (Oxford--AstraZeneca) from the COVAX scheme arriving in the country. The shortage of COVID-19 vaccines and the slow vaccine roll-out has been criticised by the public; however, vaccine hesitancy is another public health issue that needs addressing. Public confidence in vaccines has dropped markedly since the Dengvaxia controversy and is likely to affect the willingness of people to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Concerns over data transparency, rare side-effects, and government accountability could further push people away from vaccination.

In February, 2019, the Philippines passed the Universal Health Care (UHC) law to ensure equitable access to quality and affordable health-care services for the entire population. The implementation of UHC can minimise the existing discrepancy in health-care systems. There is an urgent need for the country to gain control of the pandemic through mass testing, better contact tracing, and planning beyond vaccine acquisition and roll-out. These positive actions will not only help the country to recover from the pandemic, but also support UHC as a long-term goal to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response capability in the future.
The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific

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COVID-19: an ongoing public health crisis in the Philippines

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The Philippines is contending with one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in southeast Asia. As of April 18, 2021, there were 926 052 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 15 810 deaths recorded. WHO has warned that the country's health-care system risks being overwhelmed.

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MANILA, Philippines - Sixty-seven percent of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICU) are unvaccinated, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in the taped weekly briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte that aired late on Monday.

Lorenzana added that 84 percent of intubated COVID-19 patients were also unvaccinated.

"That's why we continue to call on everyone to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to prevent transmission or the severe symptoms of the virus," he said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, the healthcare utilization rate nationwide is currently at 68 percent, according to Lorenzana.

Earlier, the total COVID-19 infections in the country hit the 2.5 million mark with 2,509,177 total confirmed cases. This includes 158,169 active cases, 2,323,412 recoveries, and 37,494 deaths.
RELATED STORY PH logs 18,449 new COVID-19 cases; total infections reach 2.5M 93 more deaths bring COVID-19 toll to 37,494 - DOH
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Most COVID-19 patients in ICU are unvaccinated - Lorenzana

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MANILA, Philippines - Sixty-seven percent of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICU) are unvaccinated, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in the taped weekly briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte that aired late on Monday. Lorenzana added that 84 percent of intubated COVID-19 patients were also unvaccinated.

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The Philippines is still pandemic, but many covid patients have not vaccinated yet. Does the government should to get a stronger pandemic and more Filipinos vaccinated sooner?

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The number of patients with covid is increasing in the severe pandemic of the Philippines. However, 84% of patients have not yet been vaccinated. That is why many people need to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of the virus.

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MANILA, Philippines - COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila have shown a "sudden downward trend" as reported cases decreased by 16 percent over the past two weeks, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday.

An average 4,347 new infections were reported daily during the past week, down from the 5,145 reported in the previous week.

The DOH, however, also pointed out that there were much less laboratory tests to report coronavirus cases, which may be the reason for their decline, the department said.

"The large decline in reported cases may have been largely affected by the rapid and large decline in RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) laboratory output. Thus the need to interpret our case metrics carefully," the DOH said in a statement.

It noted that daily cases detected in Metro Manila and in the national level are starting to slow down over the past days, based on the negative two-week growth rate and the decline in the reproduction number.

There has also been a drop in the number of individuals tested, from 538,533 two weeks ago to 487,768 last week.

Tests declined in 12 of the country's 17 regions-Metro Manila, Cordillera, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Davao, Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos), Caraga and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Lower alert level?

The DOH on Monday reported 18,449 new cases, bringing the total case count to 2,509,177.

Of the 158,169 active cases, majority or 78.7 percent are mild, 15.3 percent are asymptomatic, 3.42 percent are moderate, 1.7 percent are severe and 0.8 percent are critical.

For the first time since Thursday last week, the DOH updated the COVID-19 death toll with 93 new fatalities, bringing the total count to 37,494.

Monday's bulletin said there were 21,811 new recoveries, bringing the total number of survivors to 2,313,412.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Benhur Abalos anticipates the current alert level 4 imposed over the National Capital Region (NCR) to be soon lowered by a notch.

A new quarantine system is currently in effect in Metro Manila after the government on Sept. 16 declared the capital region to be under general community quarantine (GCQ), with the COVID-19 situation determined by the DOH according to five different levels under GCQ, the most critical being alert level 5.

At the Laging Handa briefing, Abalos noted that "what is important here is ... our Metro Manila residents are really cooperating, the people are being careful and our economy remains vibrant."

Abalos pointed out that, from a high of about 40,000 in mid-September, active cases had gone down to just 29,000 by Monday.

He also said data from the DOH showed that more than 7 million, or around 72 percent, of the eligible population in Metro Manila had been vaccinated.

Furthermore, 1 million Metro Manila residents who have gotten their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine are due to be inoculated by October, Abalos said, adding that the number of vaccinees in NCR will increase to about 82 percent.

Higher venue capacities

"That 82 percent is not a joke, it's a big thing. And once we reach December it will increase to 90 percent," he said.

The eligible population is 9.8 million, or 70 percent, of NCR's estimated 14 million residents.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez also said he looks forward to the alert level over the metropolis to be lowered by a notch, so that business establishments may be allowed higher venue capacities.

He noted criticisms regarding the 10-percent maximum capacity imposed on restaurants and personal care establishments.

"Many are saying they will lose profit and will not recover their investments. But more are saying that it's better than closure, because they are still able to make sales and have something for the wages of their workers, who now are able to return to work after the resumption of operations," Lopez said at presidential spokesperson Harry Roque's press briefing.

Undersecretary Alethea De Guzman, in that same briefing, said the DOH would study the current indicators over the capital region such as the average daily attack rate, the hospital bed utilization rate and even the numbers on the vaccination rollout in the metropolis so far.

She cited, for instance, the still high level of hospital bed use, which she said the DOH must consider, among other indicators, before deciding any alert level change.

De Guzman said: "We have to be careful in our analysis, we are not looking in just one or two metrics. We have to have various metrics so that we have a bigger picture of the COVID-19 situation that we can give you."

-WITH A REPORT FROM JEROME ANING

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COVID -19 cases in Metro Manila on 'sudden downward trend' - DOH

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MANILA, Philippines - COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila have shown a "sudden downward trend" as reported cases decreased by 16 percent over the past two weeks, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday. An average 4,347 new infections were reported daily during the past week, down from the 5,145 reported in the previous week.

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Reported cases of COVID-19 in Metro Manila have decreased by 16 percent in the past few weeks, does this mean that the Philippines should still be in a very strict pandemic or even decrease the duration of lockdowns?

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With the new vaccines and medicine will people still follow the government on protection from COVID or go back to the ways of not being safe?

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With the limited resources on hand, how do we ensure that both the health and education needs of Filipino children are met?

Why has the government kept the vaccination rates at 16% and what can be done to raise the number of vaccination?

What are the challenges to vaccination in the Philippines?

How can internet connectivity be improved in the country?

With the low vaccination rates and the current health crisis, can we really support face-to-face classes?

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https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/9/27/PH-moderate-risk-COVID-19-DOH-.html

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 27) - The whole country is now under moderate risk classification for COVID-19 infections after a slight decrease in cases, the Department of Health Epidemiology Bureau said Monday.

In a Palace briefing, DOH chief epidemiologist Dr. Alethea de Guzman said the dip in cases was reflected in the negative two-week growth rate over the past days. A negative growth rate indicates that infections are decreasing.

The country's two-week growth rate went down to -4% in the past 14 days, from 27% recorded three to four weeks ago.

Moreover, the country's average daily reported cases from Sept. 20-26 is at 17,783, lower than the 19,949 average daily cases from Sept. 13-19.

Meanwhile, the country's average decline attack rate, or the number of people infected per 100,000 population, slightly dropped to 17.12 from 17.80 recorded three to four weeks ago.

Despite the decline in cases nationwide, De Guzman said the following regions remain at high-risk for COVID-19: Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Caraga, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Soccksargen.

National Capital Region

With the decrease in the number of cases nationwide, De Guzman said the National Capital Region has also seen a downward trend in infections.

"Itong pagbaba na ito ay pinaka-marked sa National Capital Region...Nitong nakaraang linggo, meron pong biglaan at mabilis na pagbaba ng kaso na nare-report mula sa NCR," she said.

[Translation: This decrease was marked in the National Capital Region...This past week, there was a sudden decline in cases that were reported in NCR.]

The NCR logged daily average cases of 4,347 from Sept. 20 to 26, which is 16% lower than the 5,145 average daily cases in the previous week, said De Guzman.

The capital region is also currently under moderate risk classification.

Authorities are expected to announce in the coming days whether NCR will remain under Alert Level 4 or deescalate to a lower status on Oct.1.

"Kung itong mga numero ng NCR ang ating pagbabasehan, tayo po ay posibleng manatili pa sa Alert Level 4. Subalit ang mga metrics natin at mga numero ay tuloy-tuloy po nating pag-aaralan," said De Guzman.

[Translation: If the numbers in NCR will be our basis, we may remain under Alert Level 4. However, we are continuously studying our metrics and numbers.]

Under Alert Level 4, persons below 18 years old and over 65 years old, those with comorbidities, and pregnant women are not allowed to go out of their homes.

Outdoor dine-in services, barbershops, hair spas, nail spas, beauty salons, and physical religious gatherings are allowed to operate for up to 30% of their outdoor seating capacity, regardless of vaccination status.

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PH now at 'moderate risk' for COVID-19 - DOH

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 27) - The whole country is now under moderate risk classification for COVID-19 infections after a slight decrease in cases, the Department of Health Epidemiology Bureau said Monday. In a Palace briefing, DOH chief epidemiologist Dr. Alethea de Guzman said the dip in cases was reflected in the negative two-week growth rate over the past days.

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Although it is important to re-open schools, in order to do so safely, the government should come up with a quicker vaccination plan for students and teachers and create proper protocols when schools re-open. The re-opening of schools should be done with both education and health in mind. They are not mutually exclusive.

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Since the country is now under the "moderate risk" classification, does this mean schools can be open again, and businesses that were shut down can run again?

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Considering around 2 million children in the Philippines still suffer from child labor; has the government adequately protected the children engaged in child exploitation and trafficking, especially in a pandemic? Since the enforcement of child labor laws remains challenging, is there a need to increase the number of inspectors and their ability to asses situations?

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Though it states that we are now under moderate risk, we should still stay indoors, but keep it to a limit, only going out when we really need to. While it the risk is lessened, there is still a risk of catching the virus.

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https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-consequences/#:~:text=The%20High%20Cost%20of%20Excess%20Weight&text=No%20less%20real%20are%20the,overweight%20does%20not%20decrease%20mortality.

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We should continue to lock down more because I believe that lives are much more valuable than the value of our economy. We need people in order to stabilize the economy which is why I think people are more valuable than the economy itself.

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The coronavirus disease outbreak of 2019 (COVID-19) has triggered a global health catastrophe that has had a profound impact on how we view the world and live our daily lives. Not just the rate of infection and transmission patterns are important.

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In an era and time where everyone is always stressing out and spending less time taking care of themselves, is there a way for us to implement a healthier lifestyle that changes our physical and mental wellbeing?

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Despite the efforts the Philippine government has made towards zero child labor, there is still an unknown amount of children who has gone into child labor who engage in commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and armed conflict. With this in mind, the Philippine government must revisit laws that can increase and asses the inspectors's ability to judge penalties.

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https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/opinion/countries-reopen-schools-except-philippines-venezuela-a00293-20210909

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The Philippines is the only country in Asia, and one of two countries in the world, that has yet to resume physical classes in school. The other country is Venezuela.

In September, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bangladesh started allowing some of their schools to hold physical classes, leaving only the Philippines and Venezuela as the last two holdouts, according to a report by the Philippine Star.

Although Southeast Asian countries tallied the highest daily cases of the delta variant in the region, most of the countries there have decided to reopen schools.

Southeast Asia's COVID Cases as of September 8, 2021

Indonesia, which leads Southeast Asia's COVID cases, declared in January that 14 of its 34 provinces were ready for school reopening in July . Physical distancing in the classroom is one of the main conditions for reopening.

Malaysia, which recorded almost 20,000 cases on September 8, reopened its schools on September 1 . Over 52 percent of Malaysia's population of 31 million have been fully vaccinated.

Thailand resumed classes much earlier-in August 2020. This has contributed to public outrage and protests decrying the government's management of the pandemic. Thailand has the fourth-highest number of COVID cases in Southeast Asia. It recorded 14,000 new cases on September 8.

The Philippines should not join the bandwagon.

UNICEF-Philippines has been encouraging the government to reopen schools, citing "best practices" of other countries that have resumed physical classes.

"We have to do this in the best way possible," said Isy Faingold, who heads education work in UNICEF-Philippines in a forum. "We have to do this gradually, on a voluntary basis, and learning from the experience of other countries but adapting to the experience of the Philippines."

According to UNICEF-Philippines, closing schools at the beginning of the pandemic was the right thing to do, but this has negative impacts on learning, that's why a voluntary and gradual reopening of schools should be considered.

No one in their right mind should consider reopening schools in the middle of the worst waves of the deadliest variant to emerge in this pandemic.

Faingold suggested that schools hold outdoor classes, create "classroom bubbles," and then isolate these bubbles when a student is infected. He also cited how some schools abroad recruited temporary teachers for smaller classes.

But that's hardly the point: What about commuting students who have to ride cramped jeepneys to school, or those who have to eat outside campus? Schools may be able to guarantee safety protocols within their campuses, but what assurance do we have that children will be protected once they leave school premises?

Since August and as of this writing, the Philippines has been recording record-breaking daily cases of COVID-19. Just three days ago on September 6, the country recorded 22,347 cases-the highest single-day tally of new COVID-19 infections.

The previous single-day record-high was barely a week earlier when the government recorded 22,179 on August 30.

We are still in the middle of the worst wave of the pandemic, and we are not any better than we were in 2020. Just because most countries are reopening schools does not mean it is a sound decision. The Philippines should not join the bandwagon.

No matter how small the risks may be-and they're not-lives should never be gambled for the sake of anything, not even for face-to-face learning.

Discover the best of culture, business, and style from Esquire Philippines. for more stories and subscribe to our YouTube channel for new videos.

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Only Two Countries in the World Have Yet to Resume Face-to-Face Classes

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The Philippines is the only country in Asia, and one of two countries in the world, that has yet to resume physical classes in school. The other country is Venezuela. In September, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bangladesh started allowing some of their schools to hold physical classes, leaving only the Philippines and Venezuela as the last two holdouts, according to a report by the Philippine Star .

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Why is the Philippines the only country in Asia and one of 2 countries in the world without face-to-face class?

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The COVID-19 has affected each and every country's education by causing us to move on to a DLP (distance learning program). As of now, the Philippines is the only country in Asia and one of two countries in the world that has not moved back to the face-to-face class. We should not move on to face-to-face class. In my opinion it is still far too risky to do it. We should take it slowly because having face-to-face class may further worsen the pandemic

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https://business.inquirer.net/331665/unemployed-filipinos-increase-to-3-88-million-in-august-2021

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MANILA, Philippines - The number of unemployed Filipinos increased to 3.88 million in August, according to the Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released Thursday.

In a statement, the PSA said the country's unemployment rate last month was estimated at 8.1 percent, an increase from the 6.9 percent or 3.07 million unemployed Filipinos reported in July.
READ: Unemployed Filipinos down to 3.07 million in July 2021
The PSA's Labor Force Survey also found that the employment rate reached 91.9 percent in August, lower than 93.1 percent the previous month.

According to the PSA, 91.9 percent translates to 44.23 million employed individuals.

"This was higher than the employment rate in April 2021 (91.3%) during which the National Capital Region Plus Bubble was under Enhanced Community Quarantine status," the PSA explained. Employed individuals in April 2021 stood at 43.27 million.

Meanwhile, the country's underemployment rate hit 14.7 percent in August, lower than the 20.9 percent recorded in July, the same survey showed.

From 8.69 million in July, the PSA said 6.48 million persons were underemployed or needing more work opportunities last month.

Further, the Labor Force Survey noted that the labor force participation rate (LFPR) in August rose to 63.6 percent or 48.12 million Filipinos who were 15 years old and above that were either employed or unemployed.

This, the PSA said, was higher than the LFPR in July at 59.8 percent, which was equivalent to 44.7 million Filipinos.

KGA

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Unemployed Filipinos increase to 3.88 million in August

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MANILA, Philippines - The number of unemployed Filipinos increased to 3.88 million in August, according to the Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released Thursday. In a statement, the PSA said the country's unemployment rate last month was estimated at 8.1 percent, an increase from the 6.9 percent or 3.07 million unemployed Filipinos reported in July.

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- Is the Covid-19 quarantine excessive, and is it causing the major unemployment problem in the Philippines?
- If it is and it does respectively, what steps can be taken to satisfy both problems?
- Do the positives of the quarantine outweigh the repercussions  to the Philippine's economy and market?

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On March 16 2020, the first community quarantine was implemented in the Philippines. Since then, the government has only gotten more uptight about Covid-19 laws and regulations. The insistence for quarantine coupled with the uncertainty of policy has created an unsustainable environment for business and trade, causing the country's highest unemployment rates all year. Based on the circumstances at hand, government policy's are far too strict, and ought to reevaluate for the benefit of the community.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/09/05/by-the-numbers-whos-refusing-covid-vaccinations-and-why/?sh=2d54dd8d52ea

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Corbis via Getty Images

Hospitals are filling up with Covid patients with one thing in common: they're not vaccinated. Here's who they are.

O ver 100,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with Covid-19, and over 1,000 people are dying every day. These are people from all walks of life - rich and poor, white collar and blue collar, old and young. But according to an estimate from the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 98% of them have one thing in common: despite the ready availability of Covid vaccines, they chose not to get them.

The fact that Covid-19 has become a "pandemic of the unvaccinated" has been well-covered, and it dominates communications from public health authorities. However, millions of Americans who are eligible for shots still choose not to get them, and FDA approval of Pfizer's vaccine doesn't seem to have changed the rate of vaccinations nor people's views on getting it. Some of those sitting out the shot are adamantly opposed to the vaccine while others claim to still be on the fence. Here's a look at the adults who are still refusing to get a Covid vaccine, according to an analysis of nationwide polls.

21%

OF 18-29-YEAR-OLDS SAY THEY WILL NEVER BE VACCINATED

According to polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation, this age group also has the lowest percentage of adults who've received at least one vaccine dose (57%). (Only 41% of parents of kids ages 12 to 17 say their child has received at least one dose.)

This age group is followed closely by 30-49 year-olds, 19% of whom say they will never be vaccinated and 58% of whom report at least one dose.

18%

OF MEN SAY THEY WILL NEVER GET A SHOT

A gender gap in vaccine uptake has emerged and persisted in recent months, according to Kaiser. Fewer women say they will refuse the shot-10%-and are much more likely (71%) to report being vaccinated than men (63%).

According to data collected by the CDC, which covers around 90% of shots given, 53% of recipients are women and 47% men.

46%

OF REPUBLICANS HAVE NOT YET BEEN VACCINATED

Polls consistently identify Republicans as the group least likely to report being vaccinated and the most likely to say they will never get a shot.

While the proportion has changed over time-42% said they would probably or definitely not get a vaccine when available in December, 29% said they would never get one in March and in Kaiser's most recent polling this fell to 20%-the group still has one of the highest rates of vaccine refusal among groups polled.

Democrats consistently poll in the other direction, with just 5% saying they will never be vaccinated and 86% reporting having at least one dose.

44%

OF WHITE EVANGELICAL PROTESTANTS HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED

This religious group, along with Hispanic Protestants, are the least likely to say they have or plan to be vaccinated, according to polling by the Public Religion Research Institute.

This remains unchanged from polling in March, though both reported double-digit moves towards vaccination. 24% of white evangelical Protestants say they will never get vaccinated, the highest percentage among religious groups polled.

But, as another group proves, these numbers aren't set in stone: in March, only 56% of Hispanic Catholics had or planned to get a vaccine dose, but by June-which was even before the Pope urged everyone to get vaccinated and the FDA fully approved Pfizer's shot-that number was 80%, which among religious groups is second only to Jews (85%).

Getty Images

33%

OF RESIDENTS IN SOUTH DAKOTA SAY THEY WON'T GET THE VACCINE

According to polling by Morning Consult, South Dakota has the highest share of residents who say they are unwilling to get the vaccine - Covid cases have surged there nearly 700% since the August Sturgis Motorcycle rally.

South Dakota is followed by Idaho (32%), Alaska (29%) and Oklahoma (29%). Despite massive Covid-19 outbreaks, refusal rates in the most vaccine-resistant states have remained largely unchanged between June and August.

Mississippi and Louisiana are notable outliers, with the proportion unwilling to receive a vaccine falling from 31% to 26% and 28% to 22% respectively.

37%

OF AGRICULTURAL WORKERS SAY THEY WON'T BE VACCINATED

According to polling from Morning Consult, this group of workers also has the highest percentage of people who say they won't get vaccinated, followed by construction (27%) and food and drink (24%).

Workers in the tech sector reported the lowest levels of vaccine refusal-12%-and 71% of financial services workers reported being vaccinated, the highest among the sectors polled.

Health care workers came in the middle of the pack, with 17% unwilling to be vaccinated and 68% reporting having received at least one vaccine.

20%

OF FOX NEWS CHANNEL VIEWERS ARE UNWILLING TO GET VACCINATED

Viewers who tune in to Fox News Channel at least once a month report the highest rates of vaccine refusal and the lowest level of vaccine uptake (59%) of all outlets polled by Morning Consult, including CNN, CBS and The New York Times.

Fox, with 63% reporting vaccination and 17% saying they won't get vaccinated, had the second-lowest metrics.

Viewers tuning into MSNBC reported the highest vaccination (73%) and lowest refusal (10%) rates.

22%

OF PEOPLE WITH LESS THAN A COLLEGE-LEVEL DEGREE SAY THEY WON'T GET A VACCINE

Willingness to get vaccinated falls sharply along educational lines, according to polling by Morning Consult.

10% of college graduates and just 7% of post-graduates said they would never get the vaccine, while 78% and 83% report having been vaccinated, respectively.

AFP via Getty Images

Why People Refuse Vaccines

Why are people not getting vaccinated? These disparate groups of people who are refusing the vaccine have a variety of reasons, but here are some commonalities between them.

75%

OF ADULTS REFUSING VACCINATION ARE SKEPTICAL OF BOTH COVID AND ITS VACCINES

The vast majority-90%-of this group say they are not worried about getting sick from Covid-19 and are less convinced the vaccines work, according to Kaiser polling.

Those with no plans to get vaccinated also expressed distrust in companies making vaccines (17%) and against vaccines more generally (12%).

36%

OF ADULTS ON THE VACCINE FENCE ARE MOSTLY WORRIED ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS

Concerns about side effects were consistently the top concern for different groups open to taking the vaccine, according to polling by Morning Consult.

Fears the vaccines moved through clinical trials too quickly was another top concern among, reported by 31% surveyed.

22%

OF UNVACCINATED ADULTS DON'T THINK VACCINES PREVENT DYING FROM COVID-19

14% of unvaccinated people believe the shots are minimally effective at preventing death from Covid-19 and 19% say they do nothing to prevent serious illness, hospitalization or becoming infected if exposed, according to polling by Kaiser. Only 2% of vaccinated adults hold similar opinions.

According to a recent U.K. study, vaccines drastically lower the odds of severe illness, hospitalization and death among the few vaccinated people infected with Covid-19.

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I am a London-based reporter for Forbes covering breaking news. Previously, I have worked as a reporter for a specialist legal publication covering big data and as a

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
By The Numbers: Who's Refusing Covid Vaccinations-And Why

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
O ver 100,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with Covid-19, and over 1,000 people are dying every day. These are people from all walks of life - rich and poor, white collar and blue collar, old and young.

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Several people from around the world don't believe in vaccines and have been refusing to get them. Why should people get vaccinated? How important is it to get vaccinated and what difference does it make?

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People should get vaccinated for COVID-19 and they need to know why. But since there have been many false accusations and misconceptions about vaccines nowadays, especially about COVID-19 vaccines, causing people to refuse getting vaccinated, they first need to educate themselves on the truth about vaccines.

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https://www.cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/Education/2021/9/8/remote-learning-parents.html

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Manila (CNN Philippines Life, September 8) - Ever since the pandemic started, schools around the country have entered the remote learning setup. But as other countries have decided to reopen schools a year after, the Philippines remains one of five countries around the world that still hasn't made that decision.

Parents, students, and teachers are appealing that the government reconsider the return to face-to-face classes, especially after the past year exposed difficulties for them - including increased expenses, mental health concerns, and dropout rates. One such group calling for this change is Aral Pilipinas.

Aral Pilipinas is a group of education practitioners, parents, students, and development workers who advocate for the continuity of education in times of crises. Their call: allow limited face-to-face classes in low-risk areas for school year 2021-2022.

Of the many organizations under Aral Pilipinas, one of them is the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid (SNPP), an association of parent leaders enrolled under the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, which provides conditional cash grants for health and education to the poorest of the poor. The country's most vulnerable families have been rendered even more vulnerable because of the changes in the education of their children.
A problem of access
One such parent is Novelardo Diacamos Jr. from Cebu. With two children still in school, he shared that remote learning has been difficult because of finances and technology needed.

"Pag kailangan ng online tapos wala load, [maghahanap] ka pa na pang load. Minsan hirap nga [maghanap] ng pang load, iisa lang ang cellphone na ginagamit," Diacamos says.

The amount that these parents are struggling to raise? ₱50 worth of load daily, from Monday to Friday. This is on top of the tuition fee, internet connection, electricity bills, and learning equipment needed (following the minimum specs set by the Department of Education (DepEd) would set you back by at least ₱20,000).

"Pwede na siguro ₱30-₱50 bawat araw o 1GB per day lang tapos mga three to four hours nila gagamitin. Walang load Saturday at Sunday; weekdays lang meron," Diacamos adds. "Dito sa Cebu, estimate ko lang 5,000 mahigit [na estudyante sa] whole district [ang dapat] bigyan ng load subsidy. Hindi pa sila lugi dyan, kahit pang CSR lang ng bawat negosyante."

Annabelle Luna, a parent from Manila, shares a similar struggle. She adds that the pandemic has affected her husband's employment, thus making it even more difficult to pay for the Wi-Fi vouchers and gadgets required for their children to attend online classes. They even had to sacrifice paying for food and utilities just to keep their three kids in school.

"Sa part ko [bilang] nanay, ang hirap din mag adjust ng budget kasi nga po walang maayos na pasok ang mister ko simula ng pandemya... Nagpahiram ng isang tablet si Yorme Isko [Manila Mayor Isko Moreno] pero 'di po sapat kaya no choice kundi gumawa ng paraan mabigyan sila ng cellphone for online classes po nila," Luna says. "So doon adjust ng budget, apektado yung para sa food at bills."

According to the Philippine Business for Education, a nonprofit formed by the country's top CEOs as a response to the need for education and economic alignment, these sentiments are reflected across the country as a problem of accessibility. PBEd Communications Manager Marie Adelle Banta cites the Pulse Asia 2021 survey on distance learning.

"Not all students have access to resources that will allow them to fully participate in class," Banta says. "Blended learning requires gadgets and internet connectivity. With the economy in recession and high unemployment rate, many households are still scrambling for resources to provide these learning requirements for their children. Yet, one out of four parents say that they think their children are not learning in the current setup."
"We aren't learning"
Many parents and children feel they aren't learning with the remote setup, affecting their confidence and mental health. Luna shares that her children, who used to take initiative in preparing for school, have altogether lost interest in their classes after the shift in system.

"Simula kasi ng remote learning ay maaga pa lang ay mga nakasimangot na sila habang nagko-connect, may time na stress na stress sila dahil di maunawaan ang sinasabi ng teacher kasi choppy," Luna says. "Yung behavior nila medyo apektado kasi nga po iritable sila."

This uncertainty in the setup of remote classes has led to students losing their interest in school. Unreliable internet connections, lack of teacher feedback on take-home modules, and the blurring of lines between home life and school life: these combined, have led to a frustrating school year for many.

For Diacamos, he shares that there are too many distractions at home, from house chores to neighbors popping in, leaving his children unfocused. For the Luna household on the other hand, the limited space at home has pushed her children to have online classes simultaneously, and this cacophony of voices was made even worse by noises coming from the neighborhood.
Parents cannot replace teachers
Parents are doing their best to co-teach their children alongside teachers. Many parents say they have already forgotten their school lessons, but this is an even more difficult task for parents who have not finished schooling in the first place.

"Ang pinaka-challenging para sa akin ay parang bumalik ka din sa pag aaral. Minsan hindi mo alam ang sagot, pikitmata na lang din," Dicamos says. "Tapos minsan, para lang masagutan yung module, ikaw na lang ang sasagot kahit mahirap ang pagintindi."

"Kahit na magshift sila sa module, mas lalong problematic kasi walang teacher na mag-guide para mas madaling sagutan," Luna says. "Once alam ko yung question, yun ipinapaliwanag ko. Pero mas maraming limot ko na rin yung mga dapat isagot."

Beyond tutoring, parents also find themselves having to fill the shoes of teachers admin-wise. This includes scheduling their children's classes, arranging for module pick-ups, and managing a classroom at home - tasks which they did not have to worry about pre-pandemic.

The current setup is difficult not only for parents, but for teachers as well.

"PBEd calls for the immediate and safe resumption of face-to-face classes, in consideration of public health standards," Banta says. "But foremost, we should prioritize teachers and teaching support staff in the vaccination programs of the government."
Pilot run around the corner?
There have been several attempts at pushing for a trial of face-to-face classes in the lead-up to the opening of classes this month, but President Rodrigo Duterte has denied all proposals so far because of the threat of COVID-19 transmission.

But DepEd, together with the Department of Health, is trying to propose anew, a few days before school starts on Sept. 13. Their joint issuance recommends a dry run of limited in-person classes in 120 schools, 20 of which have been added to accommodate private schools. The issuance follows Senate pressure on DepEd to strengthen lobbying for in-person classes, and it has so far been approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for COVID-19.

The proposal will be tackled at the next Cabinet meeting, and awaits President Duterte's verdict. And according to Presidential Spokesperson Roque, there is a likelihood that the President may approve the proposal.

"Now, ang initial reaction ng Presidente, kung talagang pilot at sa mga areas na mababa talaga ang kaso, he may allow it," Roque says. "Pero dapat pilot muna and areas na mababa talaga ang kaso."

DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan says that should President Duterte approve the pilot run, teachers who will be part of the chosen 120 schools will be vaccinated.

"May kasunduan with the Department of Health na 'yung mga nasa schools na kalahok dito sa pilot face-to-face ay kahit hindi nasa priority areas ay bibigyan ng consideration para sa vaccination," Malaluan said during a virtual briefing.

To further answer the fears regarding virus transmission, Banta shares that local studies have shown it's possible to reopen without endangering the students and the community at large.

"The Philippine Pediatric Society backed a global study that the reopening of schools has not been associated with an increase in COVID-19 infection rates in the community," Banta says. "When transmission in communities is low, we don't see spikes of cases in schools. Layers of risk mitigation activities can be implemented to further reduce school transmission."

These interventions include:

* at the home level: personal and household health monitoring;
* at the school level: water, sanitation, hygiene facilities, proper ventilation, universal wearing of face masks, safe distancing, assignment of response personnel;
* at the community level: contact tracing, safe transportation, and testing

"A safe return to face-to-face classes is possible but requires political will and strong follow through from the government. The individual, family, and societal costs of learning losses will be too difficult to carry and will impact the future generation," Banta says.

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Remote learning isn't working for Filipino families

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Manila (CNN Philippines Life, September 8) - Ever since the pandemic started, schools around the country have entered the remote learning setup. But as other countries have decided to reopen schools a year after, the Philippines remains one of five countries around the world that still hasn't made that decision.

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Are the risks of face-to-face classes really that dangerous that we are not able to return back to normal even though it has been over a year?

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Covid-19 has affected the lives of many. The dead, the alive, and one of the most overlooked, the students. I truly hope the president will make the right decisions and look past the risks and finally give us vaccines.