Senator Legarda Appeals to the DOH to "Bombard People with right info on swine flu" — YES! — Start with Flight No. of First Confirmed H1N1 Case in RP

27 May 2009

While browsing the Senate website, I ran accross this press release by the office of Senator Loren Legarda.  Senator Legarda is Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography and what she says about the matter is important: 

Press Release
May 22, 2009

Loren asks DOH: Bombard people with right info on swine flu

Senator Loren Legarda yesterday said that Filipinos must take the first confirmed case of swine flu infection in the country calmly, while taking sanitary precautions like the frequent washing of hands and the use of face masks if applicable.

"The Department of Health must seek the help of media - radio, television and newspapers - to disseminate precautionary guidelines and on what should be done when swine flu infection is suspected," said Loren.

"This is one instance when the people wouldn't mind being bombarded with information by DOH. There's no such thing as information overload when it comes to swine flu. But the important thing is that our people are getting the right information."

The chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Loren added that Filipinos must also work to improve their immune system by exercising, having a balanced diet and getting plenty of rest.

"Being healthy certainly helps in view of reports that most of the 80 deaths worldwide associated with swine flu arose from complications with other ailments," she said.

As the symptoms of swine flu are very similar to common flu cases, Loren said that all Filipinos who feel feverish must immediately seek medical attention.

"The important thing is for us not to disregard symptoms as just a case of the common cold. It's better to err on the side of caution on this matter."

"But what are the symptoms? What should people do, step by step, if they suspect possible infection? The DOH must inform the people because false information can sow panic and complicate our efforts to contain the spread of the virus."

Loren said that the Philippines dealt well with the SARS and avian flu scare, but that health authorities must double their efforts against swine flu.

The senator said health officials must note how the virus quickly spread in Japan from just four confirmed cases to over 200 cases at present in at least three major cities.

Yesterday, before I learned about this press release, I called up the office of Senator Legarda to ask her help in asking the DOH to give the people more information on the H1N1 confirmed cases.  I was told by her staff that Senator Legarda is out of the country but they asked me to communicate with them formally so they can refer the matter to the Senator.

Just today, we have news telling us of Singapore's first confirmed case of H1N1.  What did the Singaporean health authorities do?  UNLIKE THE PHILIPPINES, they informed not just the Singaporean public but the entire world IMMEDIATELY about the flight which brought the patient from New York to Singapore  - the flight is Singapore Airlines SQ 25 which arrived from New York on May 26.  

Dito po sa Pilipinas, hanggang ngayon MYSTERY FLIGHT NO. 1 and MYSTERY FLIGHT NO. 2 for the first two confirmed H1N1 cases.

The DOH wants us to be VIGILANT using GUESSWORK and CONJECTURE.  Hindi po tama ito at dapat tigilan na ng DOH ang pagtrato sa ating mga Pilipino na para tayong mga TANGA! 

Even Tamiflu itself or Oseltamivir, which, in the absence of a vaccine, is the anti-viral drug of choice in combating the effects of H1N1 flu, does not appear to be widely available even now when we already have two confirmed H1N1 cases in the Philippines. I asked a large branch of Mercury Drug yesterday, May 26, in Caloocan City and Tamiflu still costs P150.50 per capsule but they did not have it, referring me instead to their flagship branch in the MCU area. 

Full-course treatment with Tamiflu requires taking ten pills which will cost the patient P1,505.00, something beyond the reach of the vast majority of Filipinos. By now, the DOH should have its stockpile distributed to DOH hospitals at least in key city centers so that people who might need them will have them available for free. The DOH by now should have fully informed us of their plans in this regard.  Tamiflu is most effective against influenza A, which is the type of influenza under which H1N1 falls, if taken during the first two days of the flu. Beyond that, its effectiveness diminishes. The DOH should also have instructed all of us Filipinos about it by now.    

We expect Senator Loren Legarda to speak out publicly, preferably in person, over this vital issue involving public interest as soon as she can! The same goes true for our other Senators, they are welcome to show and express their concern! 

Habang abala po tayo sa pagsubaybay sa Hayden Kho - Katrina Halili scandal, hindi po natin dapat kalimutan ang ibang mahahalagang usapin katulad ng pag-iingat sa H1N1, tuition fee increase moratorium (NA MUKHANG KINALIMUTAN NA NG LAHAT), Pre-Need Scandal hindi lang sa Legacy kundi sa CAP, Permanent Plans, CHA-CHA, VFA, ang mapanganib na bantang pagbubukas ng Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, atbp. 

Gising mga kababayan!  

Lalaban tayo!  

Ganito kami sa Makati!

Ayoko ng may inaabuso! Tulungan natin sila!

Ang KABATAAN dapat aasahan na ng bayan!

Ano pa ba mga slogan natin?!

Mabilis na AKSYON po at SOLUSYON ang kailangan mula sa ating mga opisyal lalo na 'yung magsisitakbo ng Presidente, Bise-Presidente at Senador sa 2010 at hindi slogan lang!

HUWAG N'YONG BIGKASIN LANG KUNDI TUPARIN N'YO PO ANG SINASABI NG SLOGAN NINYO PARA MANIWALA KAMI AT BAKA (PERHAPS, MAYBE, PROBABLY) MAIBOTO PA NAMIN KAYO!

NGAYON NA PONG 2009 DAHIL MATAGAL PA ANG 2010!

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The DepEd, the CHED and Tuition Fees, Part 1 - Hanggang Pakiusapan Na Lang Ba?

22 February 2009

Today's headline in the Manila Bulletin reads: Tuition hike moratorium urged  The sub-head reads: DepEd chief says new burden untimely in crisis 

The article quotes DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus as saying:

"Lapus said it would also be for the good of private schools if they would enforce a moratorium on tuition increase as such would prevent the exodus of their students to public schools."

At first glance, it seems like good news, and it is! After all, it is not everyday that the Secretary of Education urges private elementary and high schools to refrain from raising tuition fees.  However, if you look at the news article more closely, some problems start to surface.

This is what the article reports the Secretary to have said:

1.  "Lapus, however, said that if private schools really find it necessary to impose higher tuition, they must ensure that the increase is reasonable and that the parents are properly consulted."
2.  "Lapus also admitted that the government hands are actually tied on the issue considering that tuition increase is already deregulated."
3. "All that the government can do is to make an appeal and make sure that the increases are reasonable."

In short, what Secretary Lapus is saying is that tuition fees have been deregulated and all that government can do is to make an appeal or request, or "pakiusap."

The bottom line?  At least for now:

1. We should all support Secretary Lapus and see to it that he does not backtrack from his minimal call for a moratorium but instead improve on it.  My own reading is that it is not exactly true that tuition fees have been "deregulated."  The Secretary of Education can do a lot more than simply make an appeal or pakiusap to private schools when it comes to the issue of tuition fee increases. 
2. As parents, students and stakeholders in the educational system, we should stop thinking that we cannot do anything on the issue of rampaging tuition fee hikes.  There is always something that we can do.  Learning more about the process of raising tuition fees and how to oppose it is a good start.  Practising what we've learned is even better.  (More on this later.)
   
3. If you have time, look up Republic Act No. 6728, "An Act Providing Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education,  And Appropriating Funds Therefor." It says in Section 10 thereof, "Consultation. In any proposed increase in the rate of tuition fee, there shall be appropriate consultations conducted by the school administration with the duly organized parents and teachers associations and teachers associations and faculty associations with respect to secondary schools, and with students governments or councils, alumni and faculty associations with respect to colleges. For this purpose, audited financial statements shall be made available to authorized representatives of these sectors."  
4. The questions at this point, 1) how many of us know that this law even exists, especially this particular provision wherein it says that schools are supposed to make available audited financial statements to the various sectors with whom they hold consultation?; 2) As parents, or students, how many of us have attended these consultation meetings or have shown an interest to do so?; 3) How many schools have faithfully complied with the requirement to call these consultation meetings and conduct them properly? 4)  How many among us can recognize a financial statement let alone understand how to read it so that we can intelligently participate in the discussion in the remote event that we are afforded a chance to sit down in a tuition fee consultation meeting?  
5. Have you ever heard the DepEd inviting parents and students to a seminar where they teach us about  the process of raising tuition fees so that we can better protect our own interests?  The DepEd spends considerable amounts training its own personnel in expensive locales but there's not even a pittance for parents.  Parents who send their children to private schools help shoulder a burden which belongs to government but this government seems unmindful of that fact.  In this country, parents in private schools are parents without rights! Tragic but true so we need to join hands and do something about it if we want to win back our rights and gain some respect!     
6. Again, if you have the opportunity, check out the Supreme Court's 1993 decision in Lina vs. Cariño (the pertinent links do not appear to be working at the moment).  That ruling had much to say about the power of the DECS (the then Department of Education, Culture and Sports) regarding tuition fee increases, power which carries over to the DepEd and the CHED today.
7. We should press our local authorities (as in City Mayor, Councilors, etc.) to provide greater funding for health and education. Unless funds are allocated in the budget for public health and public education, taxpayers' money will simply go to corruption and wasteful spending.  I know that this is easier said than done but this is something that we simply have to do.  Without competition from well-funded, well-run public schools, private schools will always have a heyday imposing their will to all of us on the issue of tuition fees. 

This issue is broad and deep and there is much to discuss.  Much of what there is to say about the DepEd also applies to the CHED (Commission on Higher Education).  Tuition fees and other school fees that are charged by these private schools are part of the bigger issue of consumerism.  If they're not, they should be!  

The paradigm needs to change.  It's not only private schools that are private!  The pockets of parents in private schools are private pockets!  Can you pick a private pocket without committing a crime? 

How about picking millions of private pockets of parents in private schools every semester or trimester?  How big and terrible a crime is that?!!!

From now on, this government should look at it that way. It has to be fair in protecting private property no matter how big or how little those involved.     

We're only skimming the surface at this point. As we shall see later, this is an issue that reaches all the way up to the United Nations.   

See you in the succeeding installments.  In the meantime, I'll appreciate hearing about your own thoughts and experiences on this matter which veritably affects the future of millions of young Filipinos.  

 

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