Philippine health system
Duterte administration’s shift to MECQ meaningless without urgent COVID-19 steps
August 20, 2021
The government has announced the easing of community quarantines. But new cases are still rising and there are no signs of government taking additional measures to fix the health system during the last two weeks of stricter lockdowns. If the health system is as weak as ever, what’s our way out of the pandemic?
Helped Filipinos? Too few helped, too little given
July 25, 2021
The people’s and nation’s needs amid a public health emergency and economic crisis are huge, but government help stayed stingy while spending big on infrastructure, the military and debt-servicing.
The TRIPS waiver on Covid-19 pharmaceuticals and the Big Pharma
June 2, 2021
There is a raging debate about whether or not the WTO should temporarily waive some intellectual property rights of Covid-19 pharmaceuticals. Developed countries oppose the proposal, but recently the US has announced its limited support, while the EU continues to wrangle over its necessity. For proponents, the waiver would speed up and scale up vaccine production and contribute to a faster vaccination process in poorer countries.
Greater Manila ECQ/MECQ shallow without aggressive COVID response – IBON
May 5, 2021
Repeated quarantines to slow the spread of COVID-19 will be futile if it is not coupled with sufficient health and economic measures so that citizens can return to work safely, have more purchasing power, and spur economic activity.
Mass vaccination PH: Throwing away our shots (Part Two)
April 15, 2021
The Philippines is not expected to be ahead of the vaccine race being a poor, non-industrial and import-dependent country. But despite our underdevelopment, we still deserve better and more efficient government handling of our predicament.
Mass vaccination PH: Throwing away our shots (Part One)
April 15, 2021
A number of Asian countries are seeing an increase in COVID with surges particularly large in South Asia and, in Southeast Asia, the Philippines. The Duterte administration has been telling us since last year that the arrival of vaccines is its ultimate solution but, dismally, these are coming in trickles.
Late rollout, slow vaccination
April 7, 2021
The number of COVID cases in the country has surpassed 800,000 and is projected to reach 1 million by end-April. Yet vaccine rollout remains slow and chaotic.
Where do we go from here?
December 13, 2020
BIRD FEED | Thinking how so many other families may not have the choice how to go about all the health protocols, much less put food on the table with their meager and uncertain incomes, is troubling.
Surviving surgery in the middle of COVID-19
December 13, 2020
BIRD FEED | COVID-19 has overloaded the country’s healthcare system in a major way. But the government has been touting that the country’s active COVID cases are going down and that the healthcare system is unloading. But what was it like having a family member who needed minor life-changing surgery amid this pandemic?
