DEALING WITH COVID-19: FIGHT AGAINST SCIENCE OR BE HERD IMMUNITY OR BOTH IN ORDER TO TURN R NAUGHT TO LESS THAN 1

Baguio will try to turn the R naught to less than 1 (R0<1) against COVID-19.

The basic reproduction number (R0 or R naught) of COVID-19 is between 2 and 3 which means 2 or 3 persons can be infected by 1 COVID-19 positive. Ways to turn the R naught to less than 1 are primarily:

1. The herd immunity. It is a sacrificial mitigation tool to control this disease (COVID-19) while the vaccine or medical cure is still a year away, a place may try not to succumb to COVID-19 by boosting the many's immune systems and then them all become shields of others against the COVID-19 virus. With the herd immunity able to produce antibodies against the virus, the former may also cause benign mutation of the latter for its containment.

2. Quarantine. Applying quarantine may control the spread of the virus by locking down a specific area where COVID-19 is positive. Inside the locked-down area, a lot of protocols, rules, and policies must be implemented such as social distancing, wearing of facemask / PPE's, washing hands with soap and/or applying disinfectant from time to time, isolation, targeted mass testing, contact tracing, and etc. in view of containing the spread of the virus.

3. The combination of the two. Both building herd immunity and quarantine can be applied at a time with some reservations of factors to make measures workable or more effective and efficient.

MARCH 25, 2020 | FIRST DAY OF CITY PUBLIC MARKET WINDOW HOUR IMPLEMENTATION FOR MIDDLE QUIRINO HILL

Before anyone could go out to buy essential needs from the city public market, he/she should avail Home Quarantine Pass (HQP) from the Barangay Hall to serve as entry pass to the city market. The Barangay Hall will issue one form for every household, thus, there is only one person who may go out to buy essential needs from the city market. Worker's Home Quarantine Pass is also available for those who are going out to work especially the informal worker who does not have employee I.D. card and/or company certification.

After securing their quarantine passes from the Barangay Hall, the residents must queue at the staging area where two PUJ's would transport them to the public market and vice-versa. The residents, while being outside, must always observe one meter distance from the other persons, always wear facemasks, and practice good hygiene.

MARCH 25, 2020 | THE MIDDLE QUIRINO HILL BPOC RELEASES UPDATE ON BARANGAY RESPONSE AGAINST COVID-19

> 24 hours pong bawal ang palakad-lakad sa labas ng bahay na wala naman pong hustong pupuntahan, this will cause an arrest po kaya manatili po lang sa loob ng bahay kung kinakailangan.

> Yun pong nangangailangan ng emergency medical care, meron pong established na special taxi service na pwedeng asahan, ang hotline po ay 09236207038, tawagan lang po ito para makakuha kayo ng taxi during medical emergency, exception po ay kung extreme o grabe na pong kailangan ang pagdala sa ospital ang isang pasyente, kailangan na pong gumamit ng mahahagilap nyong sasakyan, ang rationale po ay kontrolado lang po sana ang mga taxi na dumadaan sa kalsada.

> Motorcycles and bicycles ay pwede pong gamitin para pumunta sa importanteng pupuntahan, bawal lang po ang angkas.

> Sa mga PUJ's po na binigyan ng travel permit ng barangay para makapag transport ng mga commuters sa sinasakupang brgy, meron din po sanang issued special permits ng bcpo kung saan merong validity dates na naka indicate, at ang signed banner ng city mayor na nakalagay sa harap or hood ng bawat sasakyan allowing the vehicle to travel within the city as special service ay nakakabit po sana para kita kaagad.

> Ang sunday po ay lockdown day, close ang city public market, wala din pong lalabas ng bahay, yun lang pong may medical emergencies ang pinapayagang lumabas, at ang vital establishments such as grocery stores and drugstores po sa labas ng city public market ay nananatiling open para sa mga kailangan ng medical emergencies at mga taong nasa malapit, sa mga residential brgys ay pwede pong magbukas ang mga sari sari stores kaya yung bibili lang po sana ang lumalabas ng bahay.

> Yung mga inuman, uulitin nanaman po natin na panahon po ngayon ng crisis, maraming nahihirapan na sa sitwasyon ngayon, itigil po muna yan at magnilay-nilay. Kung hindi po gagawin ng gobyerno ang ginagawa ngayon ay tatamaan po tayo ng plague na kagaya ng black death na nangyari sa europa ilang siglo na ang nakakaraan..or baka po mas higit pa ang mangyayari, kaya wag pong katigasan ng ulo ang pairalin kundi ang kaligtasan po ng pamilya, ng ibang malapit na tao ating buhay, at ng buong community.

- Maraming salamat po and remain covid-19 free always.

MARCH 24, 2020 | HOME QUARANTINE PASS (HQP) OR EMERGENCY HOME QUARANTINE PASS (EHQP) AND OTHER ECQ / GCQ PASSES

The HQP / EHQP will be used to buy essential needs from the Baguio City Public Market. The barangay hall will issue this form per household only, thus, as much as possible there should only be one person to go out to the market during the window hour schedule of the barangay. For Middle Quirino Hill, the window hour is 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This form will be effective throughout the period of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), in this case, from its effectivity (March 24, 2020) to April 30, 2020.

OTHER REQUIRED FORMS PEOPLE's MOVEMENT:

TRAVEL PERMIT. It is required by the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) for every person to travel (with or wihtout vehicle) within the city of Baguio with the purpose/s to: buy foods/groceries, transact at the bank/financial institution, pay bills/laundry, avail medical needs, access health care facilities, and/or to go to work. Available from the Barangay Hall.

PUBLIC UTILITY VEHICLE-JITNEY BARANGAY PASSAGE and TRAVEL NOTIFICATION is given to only 2 PUJ's per barangay to transport those who will buy essential needs from the City Public Market and those who will go to work such as the frontliners, skeletal force members, force multipliers, etc. Available from the Barangay Hall.

SPECIAL TRAVEL CLEARANCE is a document required by BHERT (Barangay Health Emergency Response Team) for those who will use private vehicles going out of Baguio City. This will certify that the any of the passengers is not a PUM (Person Under Monitoring) or PUI (Person Under Investigation). It is also a condition for every passenger to conform with the policies, rules, and the protocols issued by the national government and the local government unit of their destination. Available from the Barangay Hall.

HEALTH DECLARATION FORM. It is a travel clearance from the health office to travel within the city of Baguio. This will specify the destination of the bearer, it also declares that the bearer has no symptom of COVID-19, and did not just came from abroad or any area outside Baguio.

MARCH 23, 2020 | BPOC RELEASES UPDATE ON BARANGAY RESPONSE IN PREVENTING COVID-19 OUTBREAK

The BPOC, BDRRMC and BHERT joined in information dissemination within the barangay regarding community response against COVID-19 by using the megaphone and posting of IEC materials in front of sari-sari stores: 

"Magandang Araw Po Sa Ating Lahat, Mga Kabarangay!"

- Bawal po ngayon ang mag inuman ng alak sa labas ng bahay, hinuhuli po ng pulis at ng barangay ang ma-aktuhang umiinom ng alak sa labas ng bahay as per our City Mayor Benjamin Magalong. Hindi rin po tino-tolerate o pinapayagan ang paglalabas ng bahay ng hindi naman kinakailangan at ang pagkumpol-kumpol ng mga tao sa mga tindahan, kanto at iba pang public places sa barangay."

- Ang schedule po natin sa Baguio City Public Market ay status quo, yung dati pa rin po, di pa po nagbago.

- Ang mga sari-sari stores po ay kailangang open na lamang from 5 A.M. to 8 P.M. po.

- Para po sa mga displaced workers pero hindi napasama sa listahan na nauna nang naisubmit sa DSWD, paki-approach po ang barangay kagawad na sumsakop sa inyong purok para sabihin na kayo ay displaced workers para kung may next na intake/submission of names for food packs ay kasali na po kayo.

- For motorcycles, bawal angkas na daw po ngayon dahil sa daming nag-aangkas ay grossly violated na daw po ang social distancing na isang protocol ng ECQ. Bawal ang angkas na daw po ngayon.

- Reiterating that everyone must always observe social distancing of at least 1 meter from each other and kung kayo naman po ay lalabas gamit ang sasakyan ay panatilihin ang 1 seat apart inside the vehicle, always wear facemask and always use disinfectant especially before and after touching gadgets or things na madalas hinahawakan din ng ibang tao gaya ng ATM keypad, door knobs, railings, atbp.

- Reiterating also na 24 hours curfew po para sa mga bata, naka home quarantine po dapat sila hangga't maaari, Sa mga adults naman po, ang paglabas lang po sana ay upang bumili ng basic needs, magtrabaho, o kung merong medical emergency. Mas lalo lang po tayong mai-istriktohan kung di natin sundin ang mga rules, guidelines, and protocols ng enhanced community quarantine, Luzon lockdown, at ng national state of calamity.

- Marami pong nagtatanong kung may facemask sa brgy hall for distribution, wala po, yung wala pong facemask, pwede pong pantakip sa bibig at ilong ang scarf, panyo, at ibang cloth na nilagyan ng cord o tali upang hindi madaling matanggal.

- Ngayong sunday po ay open ang ating brgy hall for transaction and monitoring with regards to the enhanced community quarantine and the national calamity status ng bansa, kung may transaction po kayo sa barangay hall ay pwede po kayong pumunta duon provided po na sundin nyo ang ECQ protocols at kung maaari ay isang tao lang per household ang pumunta duon.

- Kung mananatili pong matigas ang ating ulo at hindi sinusunod ang mga inilalatag na panuntunan ay baka po mas lalong tatagal ang lockdown at quarantine ng community, at baka po mas lalong maghihigpit ito o kaya ay ma-lockdown ang  buong barangay, kaya sumunod na lang po tayo and police your own family, kins and friends po.

- Salamat and stay COVID-19 free always."

PHOTOS: BPOC-CRPOS-BDRRMC announcing ECQ protocols and updates, posting of IEC materials at the different establishments in the barangay, the BHERT in action, and registration of residents going outside the community or city:

MARCH 21, 2020 | BPOC RELEASES UPDATES ON ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE RULES, AND GOVERNMENT AID PROVISIONS

BPOC Social Media Post on MArch 21, 2020: 

"- Iwasan po muna natin ang mga labis na pag-iinom ng alak with barkadas sa loob ng bahay, sa araw at gabi, sa gitna ng kalamidad, ipinagbabawal na din po ang ganyan, show your symphaty po for those who are greatly affected, marami pong hindi na sapat ang kinakain dahil sa problema sa COVID-19. Kung maaari, kung gusto nyo po, ay ibigay na lang po natin sa mga nangangailangan ang cash na ating ibinibili ng alak, bukas naman po ang barangay hall na tumanggap ng donations para sa mga mas grabe pang nasalanta ng kalamidad na ito sa ating kumunidad, mas mabuti na po ito kesa sa mabote 😀 At, marami din naman pong diversion na pwedeng gawin habang naka home or community quarantine - imbis na uminum ng alak ay maglinis, magbasa ng mga librong matagal ng hindi binubuklat, i-repair ang sirang furnitures, atbp."

- Sa mga sari-sari stores naman po sa barangay, for your own good and other people po ay sana mag-lagay din po ng signage sa harap ng establisyemento nyo na: "Observe Social Distancing" at kung maaari pati na rin po ang: "No Facemask (abungot), No entrance/transaction", hindi po ito over-reactive, ito po ay hustong measures lang para maiwasan ang maaaring transmission of disease lalo na ang COVID-19.

- Pati nga rin po mga pets like dogs, cats, etc. ay i-quarantine o ikulong na lang sa loob ng bahay dahil sa zoonotic characteristic ng virus na sanhi ng COVID-19.

- Para po sa tulong xng gobyerno for displaced workers, not all will be given daw po, hindi po kasi qualified displaced workers ang na-intake na iba dahil maaari din silang naka work at home, at meron ding hindi na-intake ang pangalan na totoong displaced workers dahil wala siya nuong panahon ng pag-intake, we're given limited but sapat na oras na rin po nu'ng tayo ay nag-intake ng displaced workers pero wala po talaga kayo nuon kaya ang recommended po sa inyo ay magtungo po sa barangay hall kung naniniwala kayong qualified kayo as displaced workers."

PHOTOS: Kag. Pedro Dasing doing a house-to-house activity to intake displaced workers due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

THE WORLD WILL PRAY AGAINST COVID-19

In your love, Lord, we bring the world..
In your love, the world will be alright -
You watch us when the sun rises,
Like admiring the fresh lushful morning..
You watch us at the end of the day
When we rest ourselves in your abode night..
What more if we stand up to the adversary
For your glory and grace?