Taiwan offers knowledge in combating Covid-19 through smart solutions and effective communications

New Covid 19 info drive website offers information for stakeholders, local and foreign expertise

There is no doubt that the best and most effective way of combating the Covid-19 virus and prevent its further spread, aside from an effective vaccine, is for the public to be well informed.

Taiwan is among the more than 200 countries around the world affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) said there are 18,354,342 confirmed cases globally, with deaths amounting to 696,147. Despite these alarming numbers, Taiwan met the challenge with effective contact tracing measures, smart products and solutions, advanced preparations, swift action, and enough forward-thinking vision. Thus, the country became one of the most successful when it came to early containment and prevention to minimize the virus’ impact.

To date, Taiwan is largely considered as among the global “gold” standards in fighting the dreaded Covid-19. The Global Covid-19 Index (GCI), which compiles and analyzes daily data from 184 countries around the world, in its July 25, 2020 report, ranked Taiwan as among the Top 5 countries that can best recover from Covid-19.

Taiwan believes effective communication should be at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 so it recently launched https://www.anticovid19tw.org, a website where Taiwan shares its experience in fighting Covid-19 to affected countries around the world, including the Philippines. The website provides information to various stakeholders and also features some of Taiwan’s most advanced and state-of-the-art epidemic prevention measures and smart technologies in fighting the virus.

Equipping the Public with Information

For the general public, the website effectively and comprehensively answers common questions and other information the public needs to know regarding the virus, such as the virus transmission, risks and complications that affect various age and gender demographics, even mental health concerns, the usual symptoms, and also what to do immediately in case of suspected infection and where to go for medical assistance.

Measures that the government can consider

In the Philippines, Local Government Units (LGUs), mostly the densely populated ones, may also benefit from the website since they can learn how the Taiwanese government conducts its own “Contact-Information-Based Measures” or “Contact Tracing” as it is called locally. It also shows how the Taiwanese government responds in terms of providing assistance to foreigners in Taiwan who may have Covid-19 related concerns, and how the Taiwanese government implements health and safety regulations and other important protocols to help prevent the spread of the virus upon initial reporting. It even shows how foreign governments can enter into collaborative and cooperative agreements with Taiwan and seek its knowledge in combating the virus.

Empowering the medical industry

Finally, by browsing the website, the Philippine medical community can also discover various Covid-19 diagnostic and treatment modes employed in Taiwan for confirmed cases that can be adopted locally. Medical professionals are also presented with different scenarios on how patients with special needs can be treated in case they are infected.

Enabling the business community to cope

To help them cope with the pandemic, the Philippine business community may also browse through the website and learn how to keep their businesses afloat in such a difficult time. Information on smart supply management solutions, plus measures on how companies can help protect their employees through face masks and other protective equipment, may be found on the website. There are also actual experiences by Taiwanese businesses that enabled them to mitigate the devastating impact of the Covid-19 contagion.

Over the past few years, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) has been a reliable partner of Filipino businesses in connecting and doing business with quality Taiwan suppliers, products and services. TAITRA continues to introduce Taiwan companies to its Philippine counterparts through frequent dialogues and business familiarization tours even prior to Covid-19. The contagion did not stop TAITRA in its endeavors as it organized various online events for the benefit of stakeholders amid the pandemic, such as “Taiwan’s Medical Services and Epidemic Prevention Experience Sharing” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ndgzjkjUqU&feature=youtu.be) held last July, and even the online product presentation via YouTube of “Taiwan Biomedical Solution to Covid-19 and Genetic Analysis,” organized by Hsinchu Science Park and TAITRA, and featured some of the top biomedical companies in Taiwan.

Taiwan believes that the fight against the virus continues and there should be no letup to control it. Its model of excellence in fighting the disease has become a hallmark, and the Taiwanese government is more than willing to share to other affected countries in the world its best practices to help finally end this debilitating pandemic.

Life Update and Covid19

7 / 26 / 207 / 28 / 20

I finally had the chance to give a personal update here… I don’t know, I just don’t find that ‘spark’ I used to have whenever something happens to me and so always excited to blog about it. But I was actually doing some sort of microblogging via Instagram, you can follow me @Dezruol if you want. The last personal update here was way back October last year. It was about my My First BPO Experience and quitting after 3 years. I decided to switch jobs as a Data and Admin Representative. No more taking in calls and paying a lot more than talking. Haha!

So many things happened then in between, it was a smooth and less stressful time…or so I thought. Until the year 2020 came.

January 1, 2020
Last photo taken with my mom (far left), also the last time I was able to talk to her.

January 12, 2020. The Taal Volcano erupted and spewed ashes across Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and some parts of Central Luzon. I was able to take a snap of the Ash fall in our terrace the next day. Classes and work were suspended and most are advised to wear a mask.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-1.png — Ashfall have reached NCR and all were advised to wear masks.

The shortage of masks started upon the Taal Volcano eruption, I was able to buy one online with the help of my co-worker for a washable mask with filter. little did we know that it will be part of our ‘new normal’ now.

Come January 15, dear daughter is having an on-off high fever so we decided to rush her to the ER and was admitted due to a cellulitis in her elbow. She had to stay for about 3 days.

And on January 22, 2020 I had to urgently seek help on where to get blood for my mom who had to undergo toe amputation. So grateful to my FB friends who helped out and to the immediate action of Philippine Red Cross.

They immediately got the details of the blood we needed and contacted the nearest blood bank.

January 25,2020. We had our annual childhood friends reunion and asked some long ‘lost friends’ to join and were happy they came… Only to miss Joseph here in this group… Was it a sort of premonition?!

It was January 26, when rumours of a suspected Covid19 ( Coronavirus) case spread over the internet. A Male Chinese was rushed to a Manila based (Binondo) hospital with suspected coronavirus symptoms.

February 9, 2020. I received a call from my niece crying and said ‘wala na si Nanay’. I was so surprised because as per their last update, the operation for toe amputation was successful. She was just out of the hospital in less than a week and then the phone call… My niece said Nanay has not eaten a lot the past few days and is supposed to go back for a follow up check up… which did not happen anymore…

February 11,2020. One of the saddest birthday I ever had. As I’ve said, how can you celebrate your birthday when the life of the person who gave birth to you just lost hers? How ironic life is really… Mom were finally laid to her rest on the 15 of February 2020.

February 18, 2020. We were able to push through with our Davao trip that was booked late last year. DH and I with his nephew and sisters with their husbands. See photo below with the captions. These photos were uploaded and taken on my Facebook timeline..

Maayong Buntag Davao! First order of the day, buy a Loperamide 😂 and an early morning walk around the city.

Love the complimentary cake and comfy bed. Staff were all polite and helpful

Day1. Malagos Garden Resort Philippine Eagle Ctr, Malagos Chocolate Museum, Davao Hilltop view.

Day2. Samal Island. Paradise Island Park &Beach Resort, Hagimit Falls… more 🌊 #samalisland #parkisland #hagimitfalls #davao

Day3. Overview Bukidnon. Bemwa Farm. Stopover at Reel Place to have breakfast. We didn’t make it to Hillsview Sea of clouds due to rough road but the Overview Bukidnon is also a sight to behold. Thank you Davao for the wonderful opportunity to see your beauty! #davao #overviewbukidnon #bemwafarm @ Overview Nature and Culture Park – Kipolot, Palacapao, Quezon, Bukidnon

A quick meet up with Davao based blogger friends Tere & Chikai! Thank you for your time Ladies!

It was just a 3 days short trip but was enough for me to recharge and really feels good to connect with nature. We would really love to go back. So grateful we had this trip. Little did we know it would be our last travel before the pandemic. So I thought everything will now turn back to normal after getting the much needed break from all the chaos. OR so it seems. When I came back to work and did the usual routine until the news about the virus was getting extreme already. On the second week of March, there are rumours going around of the lockdown in certain areas. Panic buying started and a lot of people were frightened of course. The President announced the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to take effect on March 16, 2020.

Our client was compassionate enough to let us work from home. However, after a few days, we were advised that the company can no longer cope up due to the Pandemic and they need to terminate our service as data and admin representative. We were given a chance to work until the 3rd week of April. The company is no longer generating any sales/ income as there are also restrictions imposed in their country. It was really saddening.

How did we cope up during the Quarantine period? Prayers, keeping ourselves busy, me still working online, DH does the cooking, bake goodies and fed us with delightful dishes. The kids just stayed home ( they were not able to finish the last term in school as the government also decided to suspend classes until further notice. Kids keep them busy with phones, games, etc. Play with our Aimee.

Both of our kids had their Birthday in Quarantine edition

One of the things that keeps me sane was doing urban gardening and potted plants. Feels good seeing how you were able to nurture these babies and watch them grow under your care.

From Enhanced Community Quarantine, it was lifted to a more relaxed restriction of General Community Quarantine last 1st June 2020. This is where the movement of all persons shall be limited to accessing essential goods and services, and for work in the offices or industries permitted to operate. Movement for leisure is not allowed. You can read here the ECQ and GCQ Guidelines. From this day, I felt the effect of being in quarantine for months. When people around us are getting back on track, I have felt being left out as I lost my job during the quarantine and no more work to go back to. With a zero income and a lot of bills that piled up during the lockdown period, I got scared and a bit depressed on how to move on from everything.

With millions of people who lost their jobs and businesses, finding one was really hard. I have to fully utilise time and resources to find one. I have revisited my online job hunting accounts and sent numerous applications. Working from home of course is the best option in this case as working onsite is still very risky in catching the virtus.

The very first thing I did upon the lift of the ECQ is to accomplish paperworks in securing the unemployment benefits and filing of calamity loan (which was done via online). So i have funds to use to cope up with the many bills (electricity, water, postpaid plans , etc) including daily essentials expenses that piled up.

I was also able to find a part time job online doing data admin tasks. We were able to set up a new PC for my kids online learning system as part of the ‘new normal” because going back to school ‘physically’ is on hold for as long as there is no cure or vaccine as per the government. So our 2 kids need to have their own PC for themselves as sharing I believe is not possible if they have the same class schedule and I need to have one for myself for my online work.

Specs: Intel Core I5 9th Gen Processor, MSI B05MPR-VH Motherboard, Kingstons 8GB Furry Black, 1TB HD, Crucial BX500 240GB SSD, Aerocool GT500wCasing, AVR.

Setting up my kids online learning nook. Hopefully I can set up my own workstation too.

I am using the new PC set for now since their online class will begin by last week of August next month.

I was finally offered a full time job. I started part-time during training and then my client finally decided to offer it full time for me. The job itself is very easy although quite overwhelming when there’s a huge upload feed but still manageable enough for me. The good thing is that I can still have another work contract as long as I meet the deliverables on them.

I started this blogpost on the 5th June and it is already 26th July today and decided to have this published. It ook more that a month to finish this off as there are a lot of offline activities that caught me in between. We are still under the GCQ and there are still rising cases of Covid19. Total cases as of 24 July 2020 is 76,444.

It is still a long journey ahead to fight the Covid19 and Christmas is fast approaching. Despite all the challenge, I am still grateful and thankful for a lot of things… safety, good health, food to eat, a roof under our head. Most important of all. The gift of LIFE and we are still ALIVE amidst the chaos and pandemic. We all hope to survive and keeping our Faith!

Cagayan de Oro: Living the Life of Adventures in Mindanao

7 / 22 / 207 / 22 / 20

BellaVita developments cater to starting families, civil servants, private workers, entrepreneurs and OFWs, who are either seeking to own their first home, looking for rental income opportunities, want to live near their place of work or want to ensure that their hard-earned money is well spent.

If you’re a true adventurer by heart, then Cagayan de Oro ─ or commonly known as CDO ─ is the best place for you.

You won’t only get to fulfill your adventures but you can also live them in this Metro area in Northern Mindanao. It’s a city by all means, yet it still keeps the laid-back ambiance that you get with living in the province. All urban areas like malls, shops, and businesses are within reach, but so are the beaches and mountains!

CDO is one of the few places where you can get the best of both worlds, making a great reason to relocate to the city.

Growing business and education opportunities

If you relocate to CDO, you can take advantage of the growing business and education opportunities. The city is known to be a breeding ground for creatives; many of whom found success in the industry. This can be attributed to the quality of education that you can get in the city.

Academy for International Education, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, and Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan all call CDO home. It’s no wonder why Kagay-anons are some of the brightest in the country.

Better urban planning make for a more secured city

CDO may not be as big as Manila – but that may be for the better. Since the city has a more comprehensive urban planning, the city has less traffic and a better transportation system, making almost any point one ride away.

The city also ranks as the eighth safest in Southeast Asia. They achieved this by being more inclusive, taking pride in improving the life of those financially challenged.

BellaVita Cagayan De Oro is within Barangay Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City. Cagayan de Oro City is the gateway to Northern Mindanao.
Floor Area: 22 sqm.
Lot Area: 36 sqm.
Unit: Poli-inner

Adventures await no matter where you look at

The deal-maker of living in CDO is its proximity to the best adventure spots in the country. As it’s located along the Cagayan River, you can enjoy rafting and other water sports. If you want a serene experience, then you can always hop to the countless white-sand beaches lining the city.

If you don’t fancy the water, then head to the mountains of nearby Bukidnon. You can even go extreme with rappelling and rock climbing!

Affordable of housing and essentials

The best reason to relocate to CDO is its affordability! Although it’s a bustling Metro area, prices for essentials and housing are still affordable. It’s ideal since you don’t only go nearer to adventures but you save costs too.

If you’re looking for cheap and quality houses to start anew in CDO, BellaVita is a good option for you. They’ve built their homes with great consideration in location, price, security, amenities, and other relevant factors that make for better living.

For more information about the location of their homes and their pricing, visit BellaVita website or Facebook page.

Shaping Up

7 / 6 / 207 / 6 / 20

These times have given us a chance to take care and look after ourselves more. Most of us are just at home and are looking for ways to kill free time. A smart option is to work out, do yoga, or mainly any activity that could help our bodies fight a sedentary lifestyle. Working out sure has a lot of benefits, but it takes time. You won’t see immediate results after only a couple of workout sessions.

Nevertheless, there are thousands of solutions out there made for losing weight faster. Even so, not all of them are healthy or even effective. It’s very important to prioritize our safety and well-being over everything else. A safe tool for losing excess fat are waist trainers, also known as shapewear. They’re safe, easy to use, and surprisingly cheap. Waist trainer for women have proven to be not only for weight loss, but also for the improvement of posture.

Shapellx Plus Size Latex Double Belts Vest Shaper

Shapellx is an online store that sells high quality waist trainers for a low price. They feature products that help firm waist control, flatten your stomach, and provide workout motivation. Most of Shapellx’s items are currently on sale for up to 40%!

Wearing waist trainers or shapewear aren’t just made for working out. You can wear them while sitting at home, or doing work. These items are designed to make your body sweat, resulting in an increase of blood circulation and release more toxins.

Their products have a wide variety in terms of sizes and designs, so you shouldn’t worry about looking for the best plus-size shapewear because they already have them.

Shapellx Adjustable Crotch Hooks Tight Bodyshort Shapewear

With these wearable tools that will help you on your journey to lose weight, you won’t need to consider trying unhealthy and risky methods. Investing on shapewear and waist trainers will be worth it for the reason that you will gain effectiveness and fast results that it will give you in the near future.

Shapellx’s mission is to make women confident with their bodies. These products will help them achieve their dream body, all while helping them learn to appreciate their own body type.

You are SAFE at The Manila Hotel

7 / 2 / 20

Just a day before the historic hotel’s founding anniversary, The Manila Hotel plans to partially open its doors to its valued guests, with the famed Café Ilang Ilang, the Lobby Lounge, and the Delicatessen resuming operations on July 3, 2020. A rebirth of sorts after months of following the government’s quarantine protocols, the hotel has adjusted along with the rest of the world in navigating the “new normal,” and puts a high premium on the well-being of guests.

*The Grand Lobby of the historic Manila Hotel will light up again soon as the hotel partially reopens to accept guests beginning July 3, 2020*

With the lobby shining bright anew signifying eternal hope, The Manila Hotel commemorates its 108^th founding anniversary on July 4 by welcoming guests with an enduring brand of service that is now focused on enhanced health, hygiene, and sanitation protocols in line with DOH guidelines.

As the hotel prepares for the reopening, Atty Joey Lina, the president of The Manila Hotel, assures the public, “You are safe here. We have taken every precaution to heart so you and your loved ones can have peace of mind when you visit or stay with us.”

To its valued guests who are waiting for Café Ilang Ilang to open, The Manila Hotel offers its 108^th Anniversary Promo that gives the first 108 customers for the first 108 days of its reopening (including Saturdays and Sundays) a special dining rate of only Php1,250 for lunch, and only Php1,550 for dinner. Café Ilang Ilang likewise returns with a new system for dining where guests can “order and eat all you can,” meaning they can order as much food as they want from the selection of dishes at a fixed price.

Both Café Ilang Ilang and the Lobby Lounge will be open with limited seating capacity. Thorough sanitation procedures will be implemented, and guests can order using disposable menu, eat using cutlery in sealed containers, and even use tables with acrylic dividers. Front-facing personnel communicating with guests like Guest Services Officers (GSOs) and waiters will don masks, gloves, and face shields. To limit contact with guests, Café Ilang Ilang is also fine-tuning its contactless ordering and payment system.

Adopting best practices, the hotel launches a comprehensive initiative to assure its patrons they are safe at The Manila Hotel. High-traffic public areas will have hygiene reminder signages and distance indicators, and guests will be asked to undergo mandatory temperature checks, and health declaration procedure. Limited capacity will also be implemented in elevators, while several hotel facilities will remain closed including the spa, swimming pool, gym, and other areas.

High-touch points like door handles, elevator buttons, public area furniture, and others will be sanitized multiple times per day using UV technology. Tests reveal that UV sanitation greatly reduces the bacteria count on surfaces, as demonstrated by lower RLU readings—whose value is used as a measure of surface cleanliness—after the procedure.

Barring announcements from the government to the contrary, the hotel also plans to start accepting room bookings by August 2020. The public will be assured of rooms thoroughly cleaned first with UV-C light technology to eliminate germs, bacteria, and viruses; followed by medical-grade sterilizing and disinfecting solution. A change of fresh and sanitized linens; sanitation of touch points in the room including remote controls, lamps, etc.; and thorough bathroom disinfection are also art of the procedure. Guests will also receive personal wellness kits, issued a UV-sanitized keycard, and arrive to guestrooms with a seal of assurance that they are the first to enter the sanitized environment.

Because taking care of its own people means they can take better care of guests, The Manila Hotel has invested on testing its staff upon return to work to ensure they are healthy. The culinary team strictly adheres to stringent protocols on proper hygiene, hand washing, and food handling. Staff will be required to wear PPEs as needed, and a strict implementation of distancing measures will be done in the offices, front desk, and other areas frequent by guests.

The Manila Hotel looks forward to welcoming both loyal and new guests with the kind of service it is known for, with the assurance that “YOU ARE SAFE HERE” is not just a tagline but a commitment it truly means to uphold.