Former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Jojo Garcia said Tuesday he was already planning to retire from public service, but he still filed for candidacy as San Mateo, Rizal's congressional representative anyway. Garcia, who resigned from his MMDA post effective Oct.
Published May 7, 2021, 2:20 PM
A 68-year-old mother who was chosen to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Pasay City’s Giga vaccination center said that getting her first dose of Sinovac vaccine from Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque was the best Mother’s Day gift she could ever ask for.
Pasay City’s VACC to the Future Vaccination simulation at the Giga Vaccination Center at The Galleon, SM Mall of Asia with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano. (Ali Vicoy / MANILA BULLETIN)
Dolly Superable said she was excited when she learned that no less than Health Secretary Duque would administer the vaccine to her.
(Photo screengrab from Zoom)
“This is not the right time to put blame on others. We need to help each other,” Garcia said in a virtual news forum hosted by the Department of Health (DOH).
“Si [DOH] Usec. Bong Vega ang may hawak ng One Hospital Command and I think he’s really doing good. Why? Ngayon kasi napuno eh. Before this surge nasa 60, 70, or 50 calls lang per day yan. Umabot ng more than 300 (Usec. Bong Vega is the one managing One Hospital Command and I think he’s really doing good. Why? It’s been fully loaded with calls. Before this surge there were only 60, 70, or 50 calls per day. It has reached over 300),” he said.
Published April 8, 2021, 1:00 PM
“Very good news.”
That’s how Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Jojo Garcia described on Thursday, April 8 the government’s decision to allow the use of China-made CoronaVac brand vaccines on senior citizens.
(Photo by Ali Vicoy / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Garcia, in a virtual news forum, said the development would hasten the inoculation of Filipinos against the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
CoronaVac is manufactured by Sinovac Biotech. It is one of only two vaccine brands being used by the Philippines, the other one being the British-Swedish vaccine AstraZeneca.
“Napakaganda ng balita kahapon galing sa FDA [Food and Drug Administration] na inapprove na ang Sinovac sa senior. Pwede na tayong magtuloy-tuloy ng pagbabakuna (It was very good to learn from FDA yesterday that Sinovac has been approved for seniors. We can now continously perform vaccinations),” Garcia said.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Jojo Garcia
This, despite “Hearts’ Day” being arguably Filipinos’ second most cherished and commercialized occasion, next to Christmas.
Garcia, speaking in an impromptu press briefing with reporters via Zoom Tuesday night, said Valentine’s Day celebrations usually involve couples and not big groups of friends or relatives.
“Majority naman ng nagse-celebrate ng Valentine’s Day, couple yan. Magdi-dinner yan…hindi ganun kadami ang mass gathering, yung barkada magsasama-sama kayo, yung mag-anak magsasama-sama kayo, unlike Christmas. (The majority of those who celebrate Valentine’s Day are couples. They will have dinner…there are not much mass gatherings, friends and family don’t meet together, unlike Christmas),” he said.