TACLOBAN CITY – Catbalogan City Mayor Dexter Uy confirms that he is positive of the corona virus (COVID-19), making him the first elected official from the region to get the infection.
In his video message evening August 20, Uy,26, said that now that he was tested positive of the dreaded virus, he asked to be placed at their isolation facility.
The Catbalogan city mayor is among the 53 fresh cases of the city of which 36 were health care workers at the Samar Provincial Hospital while 17 were close contacts of previous confirmed case.
Uy narrated that he experienced symptoms such as fever, tiredness, colds and cough then loss of taste and smell which made him decide to undergo swabbing.
Mayor Uy reiterated for the public to take seriously the health protocols being imposed by the government in order to contain further spread of the dreaded virus.
He added that in his effort to lessen the effects of COVID-19 in the city by going out and reminding his residents, he did not expect to get the infection.
“I don’t want other Catbaloganons to experience what I have experienced. Don’t do the things that I did,” Uy said.
“I am appealing to please stay at home, always wear face masks, wear face shield, practice social distancing, and wash your hands. Again, I am appealing for us to work together to stop the spread of this virus. Stay at home, that is your greatest contribution in this fight against COVID-19,” he added.
A total of 97 fresh cases of Covid-19 were announced by the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) Thursday evening, August 20. This brings the region’s total COVID-19 cases to 1, 918 cases.
The confirmatory test was conducted at the Eastern Visayas Regional Covid-19 Testing Center at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center-Magsaysay and at the Divine Word Hospital Virology Laboratory.
The 97 new cases is the highest record of positive case in a single day in the region.
These cases were from Samar with 67; Leyte with 25 and Northern Samar with five.
Of the 97 new cases, 41 were health care workers, 27 were close contacts of previous COVID-19 confirmed patients while the rest were locally stranded individuals.
With the increasing number of health care workers at Samar Provincial Hospital who have acquired the infection, the DOH is mulling the idea of sending augmentation personnel at the said hospital, John Paul Roca, DOH-8 information officer.
Active COVID-19 cases in the region is now at 685. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY –Eastern Visayas is now experiencing the second wave of COVID-19 infection.
Thus said Dr. Minerva Molon, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH), who based her disclosure on the ballooning of coronavirus disease cases of the region for the past weeks now.
“Base sa datos ng ating mga kumpirmadong kaso ng COVID-19, masasabi natin na sa sitwasyong ito ay nasa second wave na po tayo. Ibig sabihin, narating na natin ang peak ng first wave during May 31 – June 20, muling bumaba naman sa mga sumunod na morbidity week, at muli namang tumaas during July 12-18,” Molon said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday(August 19).
“Sa first wave ng ating COVID-19, naitala natin na more than 70% ay mga locally stranded individuals (LSIs) at ngayon sa second wave infection, there is evidence of a more infectious strain and it is noted that majority of infections for the past three weeks are LSIs at local cases kung saan may mga panibagong healthcare workers tayo na na-infect,” she added.
As of August 18, there were 53 healthcare workers infected by the COVID-19 of which 28 of them are confined in the hospital.
Eastern Visayas has now a total of 1, 819 confirmed cases since March when the first patient was reported in the region. Of these 633 are active cases.
Of the six provinces, Leyte recorded the highest cases at 766 followed by Samar with 495; Southern Leyte, 191; Biliran,63; Northern Samar,54; and Eastern Samar with 37.
In the advisory of DOH-8 released August 19, 58 new cases were added to the increasing list of COVID-19 infected individuals.
Majority of the new cases are frontliners and close contacts of earlier confirmed COVID-19 infected individuals while others are LSIs and health care workers.
The DOH regional office also announced areas where there are clustering cases of COVID-19 infection.
These areas are the villages of Holy Child 1 in Alangalang; Barayong in Palo; Cabuynan in Tanauan; and Linao in Ormoc City, all in Leyte province.
In Samar, these are in Villa Aurora in Basey; Igot in Villareal, and villages of Mercedes, Canlapwas, Poblacion 9 and Poblacion 13, all in Catbalogan City.
These areas has two or more cases from different households and in workplace.
Based on the data of the DOH, Villa Aurora has the most number of COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks with 27, followed by Mercedes with 14 cases.
Catbalogan City Mayor Dexter Uy, responding to the announcement of the DOH, issued an executive order for the implementation of zoning containment in the city.
Three villages (Mercedes, Canlapwas, and Poblacion 13) were placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine; 19 barangays were placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine; four villages under General Community Quarantine and another four areas under Modified General Community Quarantine.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY – Amid increasing cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) here in the city, Mayor Alfred Romualdez would not impose a city-wide lockdown but would just close the areas where there are high cases of infection.
Mayor Romualdez made this declaration as COVID-19 cases in the city saw a sharp increase this week which involved several health workers and frontliners.
The city has about 140 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
In a press conference on Wednesday (August 19), Mayor Romualdez said that despite of some calls for him to impose a lockdown in the entire city, he would rather enforce a zoning containment strategy.
Under the zoning containment strategy, areas are classified into four zones based on set parameters: the Critical Zone (CrZ) which refers to the areas where the initial number of cases or several clustering of cases have been identified within the past 7 days; the Containment Zone (CZ) or areas without new cases but are adjacent to a geographic unit categorized as Critical Zone (CrZ);the Buffer Zone (BZ) which refers to the areas without new cases but are adjacent to areas categorized as Containment Zone (CZ).
With the use of zoning containment, local government units will be able to design and implement interventions that do not cause enormous strain to economies, compromising people’s goodwill and emotional well-being, and undermining people’s resilience.
According to the city mayor, placing the entire city under lockdown would not only hurt its economy but even the rest of the region.
“We are not going to lockdown Tacloban because mapa-paralyze ang economy ng buong region. If based sa report ng City Health and Department of Health may explosion of positive cases sa isang lugar, then I will lockdown that area only,” Romualdez said.
He added that he already made a strict order to all enforcers to apprehend those who are not wearing face masks and closure of business establishments that do not practice health protocols like physical distancing.
“I can assure you that we are on top of the situation. But my advice to the public is to remain vigilant. Wear mask, implement social distancing, practice proper hygiene, and avoid going to other towns,” Romualdez said.
Instead of waiting for the vaccine, Romualdez said that people should instead follow all mitigating measures that are being imposed by the health department to limit getting infected and spread of the virus.
He also urged the residents of Tacloban help the city government and its law enforcers by reporting those who do not follow the health protocols in public transportation and other public places.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
The issue where the country’s First Mass was held is now settled as the National Historical Commission of the Philippines affirmed its earlier ruling that the historical event took place in Limasawa, Southern Leyte. Photo show the Limasawa Shrine where life-size statues depicting the First Mass could be seen. (LEMUEL PALEJARO/DOT-8)
The issue where the country’s First Mass was held is now settled as the National Historical Commission of the Philippines affirmed its earlier ruling that the historical event took place in Limasawa, Southern Leyte. Photo show the Limasawa Shrine where life-size statues depicting the First Mass could be seen. (LEMUEL PALEJARO/DOT-8)
BY: RONALD O. REYES/JOEY A. GABIETA
TACLOBAN CITY- It is in Limasawa.
Thus said the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) as it reaffirmed its earlier ruling that the country’s First Mass held 499 years ago was in Limasawa, Southern Leyte and not in Butuan.
The NHCP released its ruling on Wednesday (August 19) though its board commissioners made the decision on July 15, 2020.
Limasawa Mayor Melchor Petracorta said that this latest decision of the NHCP would finally bury to rest the dispute as to where the First Mass in the country was really held.
And what makes the decision more significant is that, it came at a time as their town will be celebrating its founding anniversary on August 27, he said.
“We are jubilant with this decision of the NHCP.And we hope this settles the issue with finality and the decision came at a right time as we are to celebrate our 37th founding anniversary. It’s a really a gift for us the people of Limasawa,” Petracorta said in a phone interview.
Mayor Petracorta said that the decision of the NHCP ‘is not only a victory of Limasawa but for the entire Eastern Visayas region.’
This decision was also welcome by the Diocese of Maasin saying they were right on their claim that Limasawa, which is part of the diocese, was the site of the first Mass.
Fr. Johnrey Sibi, head of the Limasawa Commission of the diocese, said that they were ‘very happy’ on this NHCP ruling.
“The reaffirmation of the NHCP inspires us to work hard for the celebration that will not only echo in our place but nationally as it has a national heritage,” Sibi, in a phone interview, said, adding that the decision was a ‘concrete affirmation’ where the Christianity in the country actually started.
Monsignor Oscar Cadayona also expressed his elation over the official government declaration, saying: “We are so happy that our proofs – of the veracity of our claims that our Limasawa is really the site – were not dismantled by those who supported other sites.”
“It really inspires us, the Bishop, clergy and the lay faithful to work hard to promote the site as a sacred place of encounter between God and man. With this development, we are optimistic that the Filipino people will rally behind us as we build structures there as concrete signs of gratitude to the Almighty for the gift of faith received in Limasawa,” he said.
The town officials of Limasawa, together with the Diocese of Maasin, has been busy preparing for the 500th year anniversary of the historical event next year.
For local historian Rolando Borrinaga, the decision was a ‘sweet vindication’ as he, among others, claimed that the country’s first Mass held on March 21,1521 was held in Limasawa and not in Butuan.
The commission also agreed with Borrinaga that the rightful place of the first Mass was in Barangay Triana and not in Brgy. Magallanes, where the annual celebration is being held.
“The decision of the NHCP provides sweet vindication for my research and advocacy that the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass was held in the vicinity of Triana in western Limasawa, Southern Leyte and not in Butuan in Mindanao,” he said.
Borrinaga said that pro-Butuan group, while insisting that the historic event was held on their place, did not presented any new arguments in ‘terms of period documentation.’
The NHCP, on its report on the dispute, said that based on the evidences presented and the research they have conducted, the first Mass was in Limasawa and not in Butuan.
“The panel has concluded that, based on the evidence presented and the research it has conducted in aid of the evaluation, the evidence and arguments presented by the pro-Butuan proponents, while commendably serious and substantial, are not sufficiently conclusive to demand a repeal or reversal of the current government ruling on the case of the First Easter Sunday Mass. The panel therefore recommends that Limasawa Island, (Southern) Leyte, be sustained as the site of the First Easter Sunday Mass of 1521,” it said.
It, however, said that despite of their adverse finding, Butuan should still be recognized as a ‘precolonial trading center and base of the Christianization of Mindanao.’
Dr. Rene Escalante, chairman of NHCP and executive director of the National Quincentennial Committee, said they revisited the issue surrounding the site of the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass in the Philippines as part of its mandate to resolve historical controversies.
He cited Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler of the Magellan-Elcano expedition, who wrote that the first mass happened on March 31, 1521 in a place he identified as Mazaua.
In a seven-page statement, Escalante disclosed that the issue as to the exact location of the First Catholic Mass was resolved by the forerunner of the NHCP, the National Historical Institute (NHI), through two panels of experts: the first headed by former Supreme Court Justice Emilio Gancayco (1995) and the second by historian Dr. Benito J. Legarda (2008).
Both panels ruled that the site of the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass was in Limasawa Island, now a municipality in Southern Leyte, he said.
However, the reopening of the historical controversy happened in 2018 when NHCP “received a number of requests from various institutions, including the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, to reexamine the earlier decisions of the NHI.”
“These requests were made in the light of some claims that there were new primary sources and evidences that surfaced recently which were not taken into consideration by the previous panels. NHCP also saw the necessity of reopening a new inquiry because of the forthcoming commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021,” the commission added.
In November 2018, the commission created a new panel of experts “who reexamined the historical controversy and reviewed the findings of the previous panels for a year.”
The Mojares panel includes national and globally-recognized historians, paleographers, and translators, and CBCP representative: Dr. Danilo Gerona (Partido State University), Dr. Francis Navarro (Ateneo de Manila University), Dr. Carlos Madrid Álvarez-Piñer (University of Guam), and Fr. Antonio Francisco de Castro, SJ (Loyola School of Theology, representing CBCP), with historian Dr. Jose Victor Torres (De La Salle University) as the panel’s Secretary-General.
Aside from Fr. de Castro, CBCP was also represented by other church historians as observers of the panel’s proceedings like Fr. Milan Ted Torralba (CBCP Episcopal Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church); Fr. Emil Quilatan, OAR (Archivist, Augustinian Recollect Archives); Fr. Amado Tumbali, SJ (Archivist, Archives of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus); Fr. Antolin Uy, SVD (historian), and Fr. Albert Flores (Archivist, Manila Archdiocesan Archives and Museum).
According to the commission, no one in the panel came from either Agusan del Norte or Southern Leyte “so that their decision would be based primarily on evidence and sound analysis, and not on regional or territorial biases.”
The panel used primary and secondary sources, including high-resolution digital copy of the extant Pigafetta manuscripts from foreign institutions, to back its research.
They traveled to the actual contested areas in Butuan and Limawasa and listened to the two proponents as they presented their evidences and arguments to support their claims.
However, in its conclusion, the panel unanimously agreed that the evidences and arguments presented by the pro- Butuan advocates led by Dr. Potenciano Malvar and Gabriel Atega are not sufficient and convincing enough to warrant the repeal or reversal of the ruling on the case by the NHI.
Hence, the panel recommended that Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte, be sustained as the site of the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass, according to the commission, citing the official panel report.
