Being-in-common and food relief networks in Metro Manila, the Philippines

Abstract Background The Philippines has been one of the most affected COVID-19 countries in the Western Pacific region, but there are limited data on COVID-19-related mortality and associated factors from this setting. We aimed to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics and associations with mortality among COVID-19-confirmed individuals admitted to an infectious diseases referral hospital in Metro Manila. Main text This was a single-centre retrospective analysis including the first 500 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 individuals admitted to San Lazaro Hospital, Metro Manila, Philippines, from January to October 2020. We extracted clinical data and examined epidemiological and clinical characteristics and factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Of the 500 individuals, 133 (26.6%) were healthcare workers (HCW) and 367 (73.4%) were non-HCW, with HCW more likely presenting with milder symptoms. Non-HCW admissions were more likely to have at least one underlying disease (51.6% vs. 40.0%; p = 0.002), with hypertension (35.4%), diabetes (17.4%), and tuberculosis (8.2%) being the most common. Sixty-one (12.2%) died, comprising 1 HCW and 60 non-HCW (0.7% vs. 16.3%; p < 0.001). Among the non-HCW, no death occurred for the 0–10 years age group, but deaths were recorded across all other age groups. Compared to those who recovered, individuals who died were more likely to be older (p < 0.001), male (p = 0.015), report difficulty of breathing (p < 0.001), be HIV positive (p = 0.008), be intubated (p < 0.001), categorised as severe or critical (p < 0.001), have a shorter mean hospital stay (p < 0.001), or have an additional diagnosis of pneumonia (p < 0.001) or ARDS (p < 0.001). Conclusion Our analysis reflected significant differences in characteristics, symptomatology, and outcomes between healthcare and non-healthcare workers. Despite the unique mix of cohorts, our results support the country’s national guideline on COVID-19 vaccination which prioritises healthcare workers, the elderly, and people with comorbidities and immunodeficiency states.

Download Full-text

Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, Philippines – a new 32 km sea crossing

IABSE Congress, Christchurch 2021: Resilient technologies for sustainable infrastructure ◽

10.2749/christchurch.2021.0029 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sammy Yip ◽

Steve Kite ◽

Paresh Vishnoi ◽

Vikas Venkatesha

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

The Philippines ◽

Preliminary Design ◽

The Road ◽

Metro Manila ◽

To Come ◽

Optimum Solution

<p>Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) in the Philippines is a proposed 32km sea-crossing which will connect Bataan to Cavite, to unlock opportunity for economic growth and expansion outside Metro Manila. A Feasibility Study was carried out to plan the road link, which would involve two major navigation bridges, long marine viaducts, and interchange connections. This paper outlines the Feasibility Study and the preliminary design of the crossing, and highlights how the bridge options were assessed in order to come up with an optimum solution.</p>

Download Full-text

Overcoming and Penalizing Precarity: Narratives of Drug Personalities Arrested in the Philippine War on Drugs

Critical Sociology ◽

10.1177/08969205211070236 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 089692052110702

Author(s):

Filomin C. Gutierrez

Keyword(s):

Drug Use ◽

Trade Liberalization ◽

War On Drugs ◽

The Philippines ◽

The State ◽

Individual Choice ◽

Drug Problem ◽

Productive Work ◽

Authoritarian Populism ◽

Metro Manila

The article problematizes state penality as a mechanism of repression of precarious workers through a war on drugs in the Philippines. The narratives of 27 arrested ‘drug personalities’ in Metro Manila tell of how methamphetamine energizes bodies and motivates minds for productive work. Bidding to be classified as willing and able workers and family men, the study’s participants orient to a moral stratification that pits the ‘moral versus immoral’ and the ‘hardworking versus lazy’. Qualifying their drug use as strategic and calculated, they uphold the neoliberal values of individual choice and accountability. Their support for the anti-drug campaign stems from their recognition of a drug problem and the socioemotional toll of the dysfunctions of living in the slums. While trade liberalization facilitates methamphetamine inflow, a war on drugs fuels an authoritarian populism. As the state reaffirms symbolic mission to protect its citizens, it blames precarity to a problem population.

Download Full-text

Reconstructing the Tropical Storm Ketsana flood event in Marikina River, Philippines

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-15-1283-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 1283-1289 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

C. C. Abon ◽

C. P. C. David ◽

N. E. B. Pellejera

Keyword(s):

Metropolitan Area ◽

Hydrologic Modeling ◽

Time Lag ◽

The Philippines ◽

Tropical Storm ◽

Flood Event ◽

Flood Peak ◽

Gauge Data ◽

Metro Manila ◽

Peak Runoff

Abstract. In September 2009, Tropical Storm Ketsana (local name: TS Ondoy) hit the Manila metropolitan area (Metro Manila) and brought an anomalous volume of rain that exceeded the Philippines' forty-year meteorological record. The storm caused exceptionally high and extensive flooding. Part of this study was a survey conducted along the stretch of the Marikina River, one of the major rivers that flooded. Post-event resident interviews were used to reconstruct the flooding in the absence of stream gauge data. Hydraulic and hydrologic modeling were carried out to understand the mechanism that brought the flood. Peak floods occurred at different hours along the river resulting from the transmission of water from the main watershed to the downstream areas. Modeled peak flood and flood timing coincided well with actual observations except for downstream stations where actual peak floods were observed to have occurred at a later time. Compounding factors such as other flood sources and stream backflow could have caused this discrepancy. Nevertheless, prediction of flood heights and the use of the known time lag between the peak rainfall and the peak runoff could be utilized to issue timely flood forecasts to allow people to prepare for future flooding.

Download Full-text

Mobility-Guided Modeling of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Metro Manila

10.1101/2020.05.26.20111617 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Bernhard Egwolf ◽

O.P. Nicanor Austriaco

Keyword(s):

The Philippines ◽

The Novel ◽

National Capital Region ◽

Viral Spread ◽

Mobility Data ◽

National Capital ◽

Metro Manila ◽

The Government ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

The City

ABSTRACTCOVID-19 is a novel respiratory disease first identified in Wuhan, China, that is caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. To better understand the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, we have used real-time mobility data to modify the DELPHI Epidemiological Model recently developed at M.I.T., and to simulate the pandemic in Metro Manila. We have chosen to focus on the National Capital Region, not only because it is the nation’s demographic heart where over a tenth of the country’s population live, but also because it has been the epidemiological epicenter of the Philippine pandemic. Our UST CoV-2 model suggests that the government-imposed enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) has successfully limited the spread of the pandemic. It is clear that the initial wave of the pandemic is flattening, though suppression of viral spread has been delayed by the local pandemics in the City of Manila and Quezon City. Our data also reveals that replacing the ECQ with a General Community Quarantine (GCQ) will increase the forecasted number of deaths in the nation’s capital unless rigorous tracing and testing can be implemented to prevent a second wave of the pandemic.

Download Full-text

Impact of ISO 9001 Certification on the Projects' Success of Large-scale (AAA) Construction Firms in the Philippines

10.31219/osf.io/tm3kb ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Behnam Neyestani

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Project Success ◽

The Philippines ◽

General Purpose ◽

Scale Construction ◽

Iso 9001 ◽

Survey Questionnaire ◽

Construction Firms ◽

Construction Companies ◽

Metro Manila

The general purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of ISO 9001 certification on project success, and its main criteria into large-scale construction companies in Metro Manila, Philippines. For this aim, the research was conducted an in-depth literature review for identifying the main variables first. Subsequently, a survey questionnaire was designed, and distributed randomly among 67 managers working in ISO 9001:2008- certified projects of large-scale construction firms. Then the descriptive and inferential statistics analysis employed, in order to find the results and conclusions. Finally, the findings revealed that ISO 9001 certification can significatly affect the construction project success and its main criteria, except time lenght of projects in Metro Manila, Philippines.

Download Full-text

Strength Properties and Microscopic Observations of Concrete with Plastic Wastes as Partial Aggregate Substitute

IABSE Conference, Kuala Lumpur 2018: Engineering the Developing World ◽

10.2749/kualalumpur.2018.0360 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Andres Winston C. Oreta ◽

Maejann E. Cuartero ◽

Nikko Paolo P. Villanueva

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

Construction Materials ◽

Strength Properties ◽

The Philippines ◽

Sustainable Construction ◽

Strength Performance ◽

Plastic Bags ◽

Plastic Wastes ◽

Metro Manila ◽

Performance Results

<p>Sustainable construction can be promoted by producing construction materials with recycled waste. This study aims to address the issue of recycling plastic wastes and providing a means of livelihood in a relocation site of typhoon victims and urban settlers in Metro Manila by exploring the production of quality concrete hollow blocks (CHB) mixed with waste plastic wastes. In the study, the strength properties of concrete with various types of plastic wastes (PW) such as plastic bags (PB) and noodle wrappers (NW) as substitute to fine aggregates were investigated. Different percent substitutions, specifically 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%, were considered for each mix. The behaviour and strength properties of the concrete with and without PW were analysed and compared Moreover, the microscopic structures of the various types of mixes were observed using a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and related to the failure mode and strength performance. Results show that concrete with PB outperformed the other concrete mixes with plastics due to the plastic bag’s high stretchable property, compared to the noodle wrappers. In addition, plastics, in general, provide additional ductility to the concrete enabling them to tolerate more deformation at lower loads. The final product of the study is a mix design for producing non-load bearing concrete hollow blocks (CHB) that can be used for low-cost housing in the Philippines.</p>

Download Full-text

Reclaiming On-Site Upgrading as a Viable Resilience Strategy-Viabilities and Scenarios through the Lens of Disaster-Prone Informal Settlements in Metro Manila

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su122410600 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (24) ◽

pp. 10600

Author(s):

Juan Du ◽

Stefan Greiving

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Informal Settlement ◽

National Level ◽

Informal Settlements ◽

Community Resilience ◽

The Philippines ◽

Disaster Mitigation ◽

City Development ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Metro Manila

The Philippines is argued as the only Southeast Asian country where informal settlers’ communities have been self-organized and produced discernible impacts on the country’s urban policies. As one of the high risk countries, fifty percent of the country’s informal settlements are located in danger and disaster-prone areas. However, informal settlement upgrading has not reached its significance in disaster mitigation and community resilience building. At the national level, on-site upgrading is not established in disaster risk management or climate change adaptation strategies, which explains the lack of strategic approaches for local implementation. Metro Manila serves as a suitable backdrop in this sense to study informal settlement upgrading under the condition of high risk and rapid urbanization with a high civil society engagement. This study investigates the underlined reasons why upgrading strategically falls short in addressing disaster mitigation and community resilience building. Theoretically, it questions what on-site upgrading is about. Empirically, two hazard-prone informal settlement communities within Metro Manila are examined with their different risk profiles, community development needs and resilience priorities. The core issues of upgrading are, therefore, differentiated at the settlement level with communities’ innate socio-economic and eco-spatial features over time. Meanwhile, the paper heightens the necessity of tackling on-site upgrading at the settlement level and articulating settlements’ spatial correlations with the city development, so as to sustain upgrading outcomes. In addition, this study attempts at setting up a range of scenarios conditioned with COVID pandemic fallout. It endeavors to provide another facet of how to deal with adaptation and resilience. This includes the urgent strategy shift in the housing sector and its financial sustainability, innovative mechanisms to manage uncertainty and risks, lessons for post-COVID planning, etc.

Download Full-text