IT feels good to know that People’s Tonight and Direct Hit, humbly, have supporters from as far as New York City. Would like to say thanks and keep on reading to Don Kite, a former barangay Ex-O and friendly fixture in Manila, who is now based in NYC.
Don Kite, I was told, is the better half of Luz, Senior Tourism Officer and Administrative Officer at the Philippine Department of Tourism in the Big Apple. Thank you for going as far as clipping my articles and believing in my guts and grit to fight tooth and nail for truth and justice.
I was told this by my editor, Madam Tess Lardizabal, adding that you had such nice and flattering words for me. I do appreciate them.
Cheers and may you and Ms. Luz always be safe. Keep reading and God bless!!!
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My profuse thanks too, to Civil Service Commission (CSC) Commissioner Atty. Aileen Lizada for being so gracious in entertaining questions though via cellphone only and even on a weekend.
Prior to her appointment by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018, Atty. Lizada served as Board Member of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Guess the President made the right choice. Kudos!!
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At the rate a lot of people are letting their guards down against COVID-19, authorities are right in fearing a possible upsurge with the onset of the holiday season.
This early, the social media is abuzz with activities showing people completely disregarding set minimum health protocols.
Some are seen holding parties here and there, having drinking sprees or karaoke sessions or attending reunions in huge numbers.
Notably too, they no longer wear masks or observe at least a meter of physical distancing.
I would not have shared the same fear that authorities have been raising, until I learned that a friend had been coughing for about a week already.
He had been ignoring his cough and body pains and totally ruled out the possibility that he could have been manifesting COVID symptoms. In short, he was ‘indie’ or in denial.
It took joint efforts from me and a common friend to convince him to finally get swabbed. That was last Friday. The result came out on Sunday. Unfortunately, he was found positive for COVID-19.
He was worried sick, not for himself but for his housemates, particularly his father who happens to be a senior citizen and the three children who lives with him. He said they were all crying and are so afraid for him and the rest of the household.
Come Monday, he had himself admitted to a hospital, hoping that he did not infect anyone else, not only within his home but also in the workplace, since he even reported to the office while already suffering from the symptoms.
This friend of mine, though constantly wearing face mask and face shield, admitted to us that he had been frequenting a massage clinic in a mall and a salon where he gets his nails cleaned from time to time. He said those are the only places where he possibly could have contracted the virus.
He also had been attending parties and other get-together activities, as if COVID is no longer around.
All of these, he had been doing despite warnings from well-meaning souls whom he even mocked for being ‘praning’ or paranoid. These are the very people who are now praying hard that he surmounts the sickness and that none of his household had been infected by him.
If some people who are extra careful still get infected not fully understanding how they did, the possibility is doubled if we let our guards down. COVID is no joke and it is still around.
Top US infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has repeatedly warned against holding gatherings with people not belonging to your own household, even if they are your family or closest relatives and friends as this is a recipe for possibly getting COVID.
In fact, he himself celebrated Thanksgiving with just his wife and advised his own children against taking a trip to join them, for their own and their children’s safety too. Instead, they went virtual.
Christmas and New Year are no reason to be reckless. Let us take the virus threat seriously or it never ends.
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Beauty tip — Foods rich in omega fatty acids help stimulate the production of collagen, so load up on salmon and tuna, as well as almonds, cashew nuts and even avocados. (Source: Dr Rosary May Canay-Diaz of Californian Bloom Aesthetic Institute and Medical Spa /168 Branch-09773726628/87010887/ Valezuela-09560895596/87010890/E. Rodriguez-09560895598/87010899/ Website: www.californianbloom.com.ph/Facebook:CALIFORNIAN BLOOM)
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Jokjok (from Connie Madrilejos of Sta. Rosa, Laguna)—HUSBAND: Why are you wasting all our money on beauty parlors?/WIFE: So that I will look beautiful to you. And what about you? Why do you spend so much money on drinking?/HUSBAND: Same reason. So that you will look beautiful to me!
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