Phlllippines Duterte takes no shit as usual - get vaccinated or you're going to jail !!

[Nirish guy]

Philippines President Duterte takes no shit as usual - simple answer to Philippines citizens - get vaccinated or you're going to a dirty jail !!

While the human rights side of that is shocking ( as usual with him as he never gives a shit about such trivial matters of course) I have to say I'd nearly be all up for Boris Johnson saying the very same thing here in the UK as I am SICK of listening to wingers complaining about how their human rights cant be abused by forcing them to take a / ANY vaccine BUT then on the other hand also complaining about 'isn't it terrible that this thing is dragging on like this" and how it's "a DISGRACE that they cant get away to Benalmádena their two week annual get blocked drinking holiday'

Hold the buggers down and stick them and be done with it I say ! ;)

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-filipino-president-rodrigo-duterte-threatens-to-jail-people-if-they-dont-get-vaccinated-12339331

[goji]

I'm not keen on having restrictions extended in the UK, partly because of all the anti-vaxxers.

Next time they make decisions, the government ought to look at "adjusted" data for cases, hospitalizations and deaths, which removes the figures for those who refused vaccines. It that looks OK, there should be no extension of restrictions for the rest of us. It's inconsistent to allow freedom to refuse a vaccine, whilst not allowing complete freedom of movement for those who take vaccines.

Finally, why not have mandatory hotel quarantine for anyone traveling who refused the vaccine ? (Exemptions for those who cannot have the vaccine for genuine medical reasons)

[cdnmatt]

Yeah, I have a friend in Canada who has an online BF in the Phillippines.

They literally sent police around to village after village, forcing people to sign up for a vaccination. This was all months ago though.

[Nirish guy]

It's inconsistent to allow freedom to refuse a vaccine, whilst not allowing complete freedom of movement for those who take vaccines.

100% agree ! Bottom line should be - "you got vaccinated ? Ok, no worries then, you can travel but you'll need a Covid test on your return." With the opposing answer then being " Ohhh you're choosing / refusing to vaccinate ? Ok no problem too, but sorry then you just cant travel at all of course as you pose a much higher risk to everyone and to yourself." What ?? You dont like that, yeah,.....sorry.....but TOUGH !

It really should just be made that simple and clear to people now as personally I am just so done listening to their anti vaccine bullshit and them talking about THEIR rights while the rest of us have to pander to their neuroses.

[arsenal]

Yep. Get vaccinated or stay at home. Your choice. Sometimes dictatorial meglomaniacs are just what's needed.

[StevieWonders]

Yep. Get vaccinated or stay at home. Your choice. Sometimes dictatorial meglomaniacs are just what's needed.You’ll be sharing with us your personal journey to being fully vaccinated?

[Nirish guy]

Yep. Get vaccinated or stay at home. Your choice. Sometimes dictatorial meglomaniacs are just what's needed.

Well I'm glad we agree on that point as during a pandemic, yep, sometimes I think that IS exactly whats's needed and never mind this "me me me and I'll only do what "I" want and fuck everybody else" type !

[arsenal]

"You’ll be sharing with us your personal journey to being fully vaccinated?"

Oh I will will I.

[goji]

Fat chance of the UK government acting like that.

They even made wearing face coverings optional, by exempting people who "cannot wear one" and NOT REQUIRING ANY PROOF of medical reasons. Hence there are many more people just not bothering. Usually the riff raff, malcontents etc.

What we need is a long list of freedoms for those who have double vaccination and restrictions for those who refused a vaccination.

[Nirish guy]

by exempting people who "cannot wear one" and NOT REQUIRING ANY PROOF of medical reasons. .

Who also worked out that they can pop on to ebay, buy a yellow flower pin badge or lanyard for about £3 and then point to that shouting " I CANT get vaccinated, I have ASTHMA ! I have a BADGE !!" - usually followed up with "now get out of my way so that I can get into the shop to buy by 60 cigarettes for smoking today and hurry up and move as I need to lift my DLA and benefits money from the ATM machine so I can get to my bingo tonight for a damn good drink - and where I WONT be wearing a mask either as I'm EXEMPT and I can prove it cause I have a fucking BADGE you know !!"

I swear after all myself and others have been through this year work, money, stress wise etc I dont know how more of them haven't been found face down dead in a ditch, choked with their very own £3 fucking lanyard !

Ok, time for me to go on the decaf I think this morning before someone gets hurt ! :-)

[gerefan2]

Awesome rant Nirish!

[Nirish guy]

And that was me toning it down !! But i did feel better after it so best to get it out of ya I find ! lol

[GWMinUS]

Too bad this became rant about vaccinations in the UK. Rather than more information about what is happening in the Philippines.
My experience is that no one is getting vaccinated!!
My friend living in Dumaguete contracted the Covid-19 Virus.
He was in the hospital for 3 days and then at home for 14 days.
He said there had not been any effort to give Covid shots to anyone in his area just outside Dumaguete.
And my other good friend living Bogo City, at the north end of Cebu Island, says no one is giving Vaccine Shots there.
So I am very sad and worried about the lack of a Plan to get people in the PH vaccinated.
And I will not even start with my concerns about the Chinese Vaccines bought by the PH Govt.
Life is a gamble!!!

[cdnmatt]

I'm sorry, but come on, PH isn't going to care about its citizens. This is a country where its President publicly states, "if your neighbor is doing drugs, go ahead and murder them, don't worry, no reprecussions from the state".

As for pragmatic info, I know my friend's online BF was forced to signup for vaccination about 6 months ago. The police went around to the villages, and basically forced everyone to sign up. Still no actual vaccination yet though.

[StevieWonders]

Too bad this became rant about vaccinations in the UK. Rather than more information about what is happening in the Philippines.
My experience is that no one is getting vaccinated!!
My friend living in Dumaguete contracted the Covid-19 Virus.
He was in the hospital for 3 days and then at home for 14 days.
He said there had not been any effort to give Covid shots to anyone in his area just outside Dumaguete.
And my other good friend living Bogo City, at the north end of Cebu Island, says no one is giving Vaccine Shots there.
So I am very sad and worried about the lack of a Plan to get people in the PH vaccinated.
And I will not even start with my concerns about the Chinese Vaccines bought by the PH Govt.
Life is a gamble!!!
There’s this wonderful, wonderful tool called a “search engine” on the Interweb (I think that’s the name) and when I used it just now I found at least as much information as you’ll find asking a random bunch of complete strangers whose focus is (1) Thailand or (2) their country of residence - neither of which is The Philippines.

[NitNoi]

I live on Luzon, the main island in the Philippines. ALL senior citizens (including foreigners) have been encouraged to get vaccinated.
I had my Sinovac shots in April and May.

The medical system here is coping but many of my neighbors are doing it tough (like most of SE Asia) while the pandemic drags on.

[Nirish guy]

Too bad this became rant about vaccinations in the UK.

I know, how bad of me derailing my own thread, I should really have a word with the Op to apologise.......oh wait, it seems he doesn't actually mind at all as the point of the thread was only ever really meant to be just what the topic subject line said anyway and wasn't ever billed as an update on what's happening in the Philippines, so, that's all fine then it seems ;-)



.....Rather than more information about what is happening in the Philippines.

As above - and so I look forward to reading your new topic entitled "what is happening in the Philippines" with all / any info you may have discovered re that topic once you find it.

[GWMinUS]

Sure Nirish,
My two long time friends in the PH live in the South. One near Dumaguete and the other at the north end of Cebu Island.
Neither has seen any real effort to get people Vaccinated. Not even the elderly.
In fact several Cities, near and including Cebu City, had to suspend vaccinations due to a lack of the vaccine.
Cebu City reports they will receive 20,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Do not have the correct syringes to administer the shots.
So much for Life in the PH...

OH and my friend in Dumaguete contracted Covid-19. He was in the Hospital for 3 days and then sent home to "recover" for 14 days.
No help with the hospital bill or money for his medicines. Thankfully he is 35yo and in good health so he is recovering.
But it was a tough 3 days in the Hospital!!!

I had hoped there would be some members who also have good friends living in the PH. And could share reliable information.
INGAT

[Nirish guy]

For what its worth on my just asking my PH BF here "hows things there' ( as his wider family circle still in Davao / Cebu areas etc) he said something similar to you in that there was NOTHING much happening and that there certainly weren't police going round encouraging people to go get vaccinated or anything. In fact his ( and their) LACK of concern is very CONCERNING !!

When Covid first hit Davao they were very much on the ball, locking down and everyone playing ball. It seems that both covid weariness may have set in across the people in the general AND thats being matched with a lack of any real and meaningful vaccine programme ( either for lack of supply of money, Im not sure which). But either way Im a bad feeling about where the PH's could end up in this whole thing if things take a turn for the worse for them.

With the amount of older people living there, perhaps with no a lot of money to spare and CERTAINLY not enough money to pay for any medical bills I fear that one bad dose of the Delta plus variant could take out a lot of people in very short order ! Lets hope I'm wrong !

But hey it seems they'll be fine as my BF tells me some of his older relatives just go to church to offer prayers about it all - so, that'll all be FINE then eh ! :-(((((


* Edit - I actually just went and looked up the figures there and the Ph's just be the exception to the rule in being able to beat Covid by taking almost no action as it seems the numbers in Davao certainly have dropped from around 11.5k cases in mid April down to 6k cases now - so nearly a 50% reduction - with no active vaccines being giving out or anything much else happening......lucky them eh, lets hope they can keep that up ( or at least keep paying the guy who's massaging the reporting figures perhaps!))


*edit No 2 ! So all depends what site you read it seems and how you read the figures as other pages there I see are talking about 20k cases and 5k active last week etc - I'm not up or into the various way figures are collected so perhaps one of the board covid figure experts could look at their numbers in passing that then tell you now really fucked they might be ( or not ) - as I'm a betting man my money is on FUCKED.

[GWMinUS]

An update from Cebu City and adjoining areas...

In a phone interview on Monday, June 28, Cebu City Health Officer Dr. Jeffrey Ibones confirmed that all vaccination cites in Cebu City have currently halted operations because of supply shortage.

Ibones said that the rollout suspension began on June 23. Now almost a week later, he said they are still waiting on the Department of Health (DOH) for additional supplies.

Despite being a vaccine priority area, this is the third time Cebu City had to temporarily stop vaccinating its residents because of limited supplies. The city government had also opted out of procuring vaccines, saying the national government's supply should be enough.

Way to Go President Duterte!!

[christianpfc]

Fat chance of the UK government acting like that.

They even made wearing face coverings optional, by exempting people who "cannot wear one" ...
That would be me. A mask is highly inconvenient when you wear glasses and a beard. Either glasses or a beard should be sufficient reason not to have to wear a mask.

[francois]

That would be me. A mask is highly inconvenient when you wear glasses and a beard. Either glasses or a beard should be sufficient reason not to have to wear a mask.

Sorry Christian but those are not valid excuses to not wear a mask.

[StevieWonders]

Sorry Christian but those are not valid excuses to not wear a mask.As someone who wears glasses myself IMO it’s just a question of wearing the mask correctly although moving between air-conditioned indoors and the great outdoors has its own challenges (glasses fogging up). As for beards, my recollection is that Christian admitted in his blog a few years ago that he’d only just realised that many Asian boys detest them, so it’s interesting to read he still has one.

[francois]

I recall a recent photo of Christian, dated 5 July, was beardless.

[goji]

That would be me. A mask is highly inconvenient when you wear glasses and a beard. Either glasses or a beard should be sufficient reason not to have to wear a mask.

I regularly wear glasses or sunglasses and the condensation is mildly inconvenient, but it does not stop me wearing a mask. There are obvious solutions, like wearing a mask that fits more closely around the top, using an anti fog spray for the glasses or wearing contact lenses. A valved mask would also work, although reducing the benefit for others. I wore a valved FFP3 mask in early 2020 before everyone else was bothering to wear a mask.

A razor would modify the beard sufficiently to wear a mask.

Finally, the UK government specified "face coverings", which also includes those large transparent visors. These avoid both of your problems.
Of course they are much less effective, bordering on useless, however instead of an exemption, they should have reminded people of this option.

If people had the choice of a proper mask or a visor, we would find more people find they can wear the proper mask after all.

[christianpfc]

As for beards, my recollection is that Christian admitted in his blog a few years ago that he’d only just realised that many Asian boys detest them, so it’s interesting to read he still has one.
Your memory is right. Years ago, I had several boys in Thailand tell me they don't like beards, so I started to shave more often than twice per month. I don't wear a beard for fashion, I'm just to lazy to shave every day, or every week.

But then I had one Cambodian boy who told me he likes my beard, so I grew it before meeting him. We are both in Cambodia now and I saw him several times, so I grew my beard up to 3 months to set a personal record. During these three months I asked other boys, and to most it doesn't seem to make a difference, and similar numbers of positive or negative response.

Those several boys in Thailand years ago telling me they don't like beards seem to have been a statistical outlier. Or I projected my likes and dislikes (I have a strong dislike for body hair; beard would not be so much of a problem but is an indicator for body hair) on the boys.

[GWMinUS]

Very bad news from Cebu City, in the South of the Islands.
There is a spike in the Covid Virus, mainly from the Delta Variant.
Hospitals in Cebu City have no beds available.
People are parked in their cars outside several hospitals.
There are big oxygen tanks along the road and people are using them.
Not sure if the hospital provides these??
So looks like Duterte is not making things any better...

[GWMinUS]

11367

11368

[Nirish guy]

I should add that my "like" above was me looking to add a "sad" like emoji, but it seems that's not an option on this board ( I've been spending to much time on facebook it seems perhaps)- but that was my intention.

Sad to see those images, lets hope it's just a very temporary blip to get them over the crest of their peak.......but of course alas that's probably not the case just yet. :-(

[GWMinUS]

As someone who has not gotten Covid but instead came down with a difficult pneumonia, I know the difficulties of keeping my O2 Levels up above 90.
I am still recovering after 3 months of this shit!! And if I go off my oxygen tank, to go to the mail box, my level drops into the 80s or even the 70s.
That is when I am feeling very "short of breath"... And YES no SAD emojis here.

[Nirish guy]

I take you you've been checked for "other issues" there such as your lung function etc as well as just the recovery from pneumonia ?

The reason I ask is I've a friend who is now on oxygen bottles every day and fighting the same struggle as yourself re the slightest exertion ( even going to make a cup of coffee or going for a pee) causes her levels to drop sharply and she needs a "fix" FAST. They now have found after nearly a year of her struggling on with this that it's actually her lungs aren't working properly and aren't expelling the required amount of carbon dioxide / nonoxide (sorry I cant remember which she told me) ? from her body and so as her oxygen levels drop her other levels increase, dangerously and have now lead to her being hospitalised to allow them to get her levels stable again - until the next time it seems as this now seems to be a cycle that is just keeping on repeating ( due to the lung damage no doubt).

Hopefully that's not your situation as god love her she's "done" and can go no where now and life is restricted to living in her flat now it seems, but just thought I'd mention it in case some doc hadn't bothered to check that for you!

[vnman]

I take you you've been checked for "other issues" there such as your lung function etc as well as just the recovery from pneumonia ?

The reason I ask is I've a friend who is now on oxygen bottles every day and fighting the same struggle as yourself re the slightest exertion ( even going to make a cup of coffee or going for a pee) causes her levels to drop sharply and she needs a "fix" FAST. They now have found after nearly a year of her struggling on with this that it's actually her lungs aren't working properly and aren't expelling the required amount of carbon dioxide / nonoxide (sorry I cant remember which she told me) ? from her body and so as her oxygen levels drop her other levels increase, dangerously and have now lead to her being hospitalised to allow them to get her levels stable again - until the next time it seems as this now seems to be a cycle that is just keeping on repeating ( due to the lung damage no doubt).

Hopefully that's not your situation as god love her she's "done" and can go no where now and life is restricted to living in her flat now it seems, but just thought I'd mention it in case some doc hadn't bothered to check that for you!

I had 6 months of Physiotherapy after COVID. I'm much much better now, but sometimes I still find it harder to breathe and my heart beats faster than usual. For me, a complication from COVID was a pulmonary embolism. This has gotten better over time with medication. I got sick in March 2020 and it took until... I would say April 2021 to notice some major improvements.

I hope she will improve too.

[Nirish guy]

Wow, nearly a year later and you're still fighting off the effects of Covid - so much for the whole "sure it's just a bad cold and certainly no worse than flu" brigade eh ! :-(

Like they always say we never appreciate our good health until it's not there and THEN we realise how lucky we were before !

[GWMinUS]

To keep this a bit focused on the Philippines...
I have had lung problems for many many years. And had to be on oxygen 24/7.
But never this bad.
My last trip to the Philippines was in April & March of 2020.
I took my Oxygen Machine with me on the flight. And only had to use it limited times while in Cebu and Manila.
Lower Sea Level means More Oxygen and less need for Supplemental O2.
Now my lungs are much worse. My Doctor says they may improve over time. Will wait and see!!
But I would not be able to take O2 on a flight to the PH. The machine just does not generate enough O2.
So I am now stuck chatting with my sweet Pinoy Guys there and reading the PH News.
OH and watching many of the new Filipino BL Series that are now being posted online.
Hoping for a change, but like traveling to Thailand, it not happening...
INGAT!!

[Nirish guy]

To keep this a bit focused on the Philippines...!!

Just on that - I showed that pic of the oxygen tanks to my PH BF here, expecting him to be sad about that etc and he instantly replied "old news, sure you showed me that before - months ago" - and it seems he's right and once he said it I then remembered it myself, where that exact image / video had come up before and he'd actually tutted and mentioned "drama queens" or something as there was something about the video he felt wasn't quite right i.e it would have been almost useless giving the oxygen like that ( or something medical like that) - anyway my point is I wonder is that a current video or were the news channels regurgitating old footage for some ( lazy ?) reason perhaps - and if so that perhaps things aren't just quite so bad there ( hopefully)?

Edit on having just completed a quick google search alas it seems things aren't great there again and whilst this may be old footage it seems the whole "keeping people waiting in cars for treatment" thing IS happening again as per the last peak :-( So perhaps the TV company were just saving themselves the drive out to re record the same footage perhaps :-(

[christianpfc]

But I would not be able to take O2 on a flight to the PH. The machine just does not generate enough O2.
The air pressure inside a passenger airplane is about half of pressure at sea level, or corresponding to an elevation of 5000 m. That means there is only half the oxygen in the same volume of air. Same for pure oxygen, only half the amount compared to sea level. Not an issue for a healthy individual, but for someone with breathing problems it (flying or going to locations at high altitude) can be problematic or deadly.


INGAT!!
I had to look this up. For others' benefit:

If said as a parting word, it can mean "Take care!" Although, it's usually said more casually as "Ingat!" or "Ingat ka." It is a common farewell greeting in the Philippines.

[dinagam]

I thought they were referring to INGRATS.

[gerefan2]

The air pressure inside a passenger airplane is about half of pressure at sea level, or corresponding to an elevation of 5000 m.

:

5000 m is 16,400 feet! You would have severe hypoxia if that was the case!

Commercial aircraft are pressurised to a maximum of 8000 feet (2,400m), often less.

[goji]

The highest mountain I have walked up was 3776m & I was definitely noticing the lower oxygen near the summit.
I've never noticed any such issue on a commercial aircraft, although of course there is less exercise on the plane.

[Uranus]

Oxygen level when flying:
https://www.uofazcenteronaging.com/care-sheet/providers/fit-fly-older-adults-and-air-travel

Definitely more oxygen than at 5000 metres, which is about highest I’ve been to.

[christianpfc]

5000 m is 16,400 feet! You would have severe hypoxia if that was the case!

Commercial aircraft are pressurised to a maximum of 8000 feet (2,400m), often less.

I don't remember where I got the 5,000 m, you are right with 2,400 m:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabin_pressurization

As recent as last Summer (July 2020), I hiked from about 300 m elevation (Tramin) to Mount Roen 2,116 m in South Tyrol. Other than general exhaustion which is to be expected, I didn't notice an influence of the hight / reduced atmospheric pressure.

I don't remember if I hiked higher before (elevation above sea level and vertical meters hiked was not on my radar until a few years ago, when I planned trips by myself and had to calculate these - before I was with my parents or in groups and it was someone else's responsibility to make sure everyone can do the hike), the only I know for sure is Doi Inthanon, but there we drove up to the top.

When I make it to Mexico City (after the great success in Brazil last year, I plan to travel more in Latin America, when restrictions are lifted) I want to climb the volcanoes > 5,000 m.