Sinovac

 At long last, my husband Lucas and I were vaccinated with our first dose of Sinovac yesterday at the Norte Dame Village Elementary School. Two days before, and even few hours before we had our shots, we were so distraught because of confusing informations regarding vaccination sites and schedules. The night before, we were sleepless because of anxiety. and Lucas even had an accidental slip at the bathroom. It was a good thing nothing worse happened. We were supposed to go before three pm, but a friend called up Dominic to inform us, that the site was closing at two pm. We hurriedly ate lunch before noon and left early. The vaccination site was well coordinated though, it was clean and spacious and people administering the inoculation were kind and friendly. During that lunch time hour, the place was not crowded. The doctor who screened us, was Dr. Kirby Plando. He was my pupil at St. Martha School. He was thorough and good. Thank you God for providing us the shots. Thank you dear Lord. Thank you.

Healing Rosary from Fort del Pilar, Zamboanga City

Last night, my husband Lucas, our house helps and myself attended our more than a year healing rosary streamed online every Wednesday night. We have been doing this for more than a year now since last year March 19, 2020. Last night the prayers were done from the shrine of Fort del Pilar in Zamboanga city. I was particularly drawn to it because of Our Lady of Pillar. I wrote about our Lady of Pillar last May 20, 2020, when we were doing the rosary online from Cavite. This year I am confident, our Blessed Mother will intercede for us and help us from this pandemic, most specially our country the Philippines which is on the surge of the second wave. 

Blessed Mother, the people are all suffering. Please help us and intercede for us to your only son Jesus Christ. He will listen to you. Keep us under the mantle of your maternal protection where ever each member of the family maybe in different places. We pray and hope more vaccines will arrive. We are still waiting for our turn to be vaccinated here in Cotabato. 

Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.

Waiting........

Today is April 9, 2021. We are still waiting for the rollout of vaccines for senior citizens. Additional one million of sinovac arrived last week in the Philippines, but the department of health just very recently approved the use of sinovac for senior citizens; that is because the AstraZeneca is out of stock. My husband and I are amenable to use the sinovac. 50% protection is better than no protection at all. Infact the neurologist of my husband in Manila, cautioned him not to use AstraZeneca because of his muscle auto immune some kind of an ailment. 

Manila right now is scary because of the upsurge of new cases. It has been under lockdown for more than a week now but the cases are still going up. My cousin Henry Go Lim died from the covid. All his family members went through trying and traumatic experiences because other members got infected as well. We know of other people and their families in Metro Manila who tested positive too. Some had to be hospitalized, others went through isolations from family members at home. We heard of one person, the brother of an employee, who died in the hospital sitting on a monobloc plastic chair, although accordingly it was not covid related death but he had pneumonia. O God, we need help! Please help our country the Philippines!!! But the rollout of the sinovac vaccine is going too slow. As of present only 1% of the Philippine population has been vaccinated. O God, how and when are you going to help us out?!

Dear Lord, it is the Easter already. You have risen and is seated at the right hand of the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Please come to us, please reign over us and encompass us with your saving grace and healing power. Help us Lord, rescue us and save us all. O God, my Lord Jesus Christ, in you we trust. Come Lord Jesus come!!!

A Little Bit of Love

 I am 69 years old. I am a retired teacher, and has been confined at home since the pandemic. My husband is 80 years old. He goes to the store everyday. After work, he also stays at home. After a year, things did not get better. There are more new cases and more variants. The roll out of vaccines here in the Philippines has been sparse and slow. We are at our wit ends already. Things are not getting any better. I cried out with tears to the Lord for mercy during my prayers the other day. The count went down a little bit yesterday, but rises again today. Yet in my prayers, I reflected......the Lord has allowed this pandemic to happen, he must have a purpose........

What have I learned and gained from this pandemic?......I learn that the kingdom of God is with us and among us. It is with our families, our neighbors, our communities and the people around us. We love and suffer together, henceforth, we should care and love each other. 

What have I done to help others? In my own small ways, despite being cooped up at home, I try to give a little bit of love.....

1. I pray fervently everyday for my love ones as well as for others. I pray for those who are sick, also for those who have passed away from the covid 19 and from other diseases. It grieves me when I feel somebody is in deep grief.

2. I pray for all the people around me: our employers, employees, workers, co-workers, runners, drivers, housemates, household helps, neighbors and their families and love ones. We are all interconnected to each other. This dark time has made us realized that we need each other to survive this crisis.

3. I try keeping in touch with all my children, siblings and some friends through text, calls and online messages. I am forgetting and forgiving all petty squabbles.

4. I hate to broadcast any good deeds, but I try to help by contributing small amount through online donation to typhoon victims. Although I really get so stressed doing these online things because I am so not really a techie person.

5. I share food with my in-laws. I have since become closer with my sister-in-law Rosita. We communicate by phone.

6. My sister Jeannette and I have become closer too. We exchange food and other commodities frequently.

7. Even though I have not attended mass for a year now, yet I try to help in my own small ways, two of the churches here in Cotabato City. 

8. I try to control myself from getting mad as much as I can at my new (relatively) new house help. I am trying to appreciate her, because sometimes she is really trying her best.

9. I share food and snacks with my household and my in-laws helps like cakes, coffee, milk, biscuits, crackers etc, in appreciation of their chores and help. We also get to attend online mass together on Sunday and pray the rosary together on Wednesday evening.

10. During this pandemic, I have avoided calling friends to gossip about others. 

11. I try my best to be more patient with my husband. We are both growing old.

12. In my heart, I have forgiven everybody who has hurt me. We are all suffering, we need forgiveness to heal. May God forgive us all and end this pandemic.

On the other hand......I am a recipient of every bit of love from my family, my love ones and all the people around me. 

1. My husband has been most patient and understanding with all my outbursts and anxieties during this pandemic. He calms me down often and he prays for me.

2. I know my children are all praying for their father and me. They are all in my prayers too. O Lord, hear our prayers.

3. Thanks to friends and relatives who prayed for my sister Helen when she had the covid.

3. My appreciation to my sister Jeannette who supplies me bread. And she gives me many other things too.

4. My contacts grocery stores and drugstore personnel are very attentive and kind to my requests. Thank you!

5. My house helps are also very patient with me and my outburst of temperament. They try to help me in every way they can. Thank God for them.

6. My nephew in Manila, Benwin Yu, in my wildest dream, I never expected him to buy my Chinese medicinal herbs and sent them to me here in Cotabato City.

7. To the runners that buy my medicines and other needs. Many thanks to them. 

8. Thanks to Jean Valentino for giving me and replacing my old and torn Mother of Perpetual Help novena booklet.

9. And thanks to all who have been kind and attentive to my husband and my needs. Thanks a lot.

Thank you Lord for letting me live and learn about your kingdom here on earth. Yes, we must all love and care for one another. We hope to continue to live through this life lesson we learn from this pandemic and practice love and charity without hindrance, but please put an end to the spread of the covid virus and the pandemic very very soon. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Vaccines in the Philippines

The first vaccine to arrive Philippines was Sinovac, on February 28, 2021, donated by China. About 600 thousands of the vaccine arrived in the evening. The next day though, on Monday, a batch of 400 plus thousands of AstraZeneca vaccines were to come; to be donated by the United Nation Covax facility, but to everybody’s disappointment, it was delayed once more. The Philippines was one of the last countries in Asia to be given the vaccines by the United Nation. But, we so much need it since we are second highest in number of cases in South East Asia. 

Upon arrival, the Sinovac vaccine was distributed to different regions and hospitals in the Philippines. I was very happy that Cotabato City, part of the Muslim autonomous region BARMM was also given allocation but alas, many health care workers who are the first recipients of the vaccine were wary about the Chinese product. Oh, but please we so much need the roll out, the soonest the better, and as many inoculations as possible because of the rising new cases again. People here in our country do not seem to know how to follow safety protocols. After a week, Philippines finally received the so much anticipated 400 thousand plus AstraZeneca. Again after another week, another batch came to make it around 500 thousand plus of AstraZeneca vaccines. Thankfully AstraZeneca was also allocated to the autonomous region. But they are really not enough. Of the 6,0000 vials for Cotabato City, only 3,000 can be given because of the two doses requirement. As of yesterday, March 13, 2021, only 114 thousand healthcare workers were so far vaccinated in the whole country. If you must know, Philippines has more than 110 million people in this islands nation. 

O Lord, how can we weather the surging of the virus? We have been cooped up for almost a year now, and still the numbers are still going up. What is your plan O Divine Master? We are so weak and weary already. Please come to help us O Lord Jesus. O Lord. Please look down upon us with mercy. We need your divine intervention to end the spread of the virus and the pandemic very very soon. Only you can help us and rescue us. Lord, have mercy. Please look down upon us with mercy and love.

Vaccines

I have been following up the roll outs of vaccines. UK was the first country that gave the first Pfizer shot. USA followed suit, then other countries. Here in the Philippines, we still have to wait for until when? And how will it arrive Cotabato?! 

I have known people who got their shots already in other countries and I am happy for them. I am glad that they are protected. The first to get the Pfizer vaccine was nephew Maya, a doctor in Tennessee, USA. Next was my high school friend and classmate Rita and also her daughter who worked as nurses in Canada. My sister-in-law Lolita Lim and her husband, both senior citizens in LA, USA, got their Moderna shots two weeks ago. Roger Yu who had a frontliner daughter got his vaccine too in LA as well. Last week my retired brother in law, Dr. Domingo Tan and his wife Jackie in Virginia, USA got their Pfizer shots; so too with our friends Rev. Ronald Jones and his wife Karen in Yakima, Washington, USA. Ron Jones and Karen in Yakima got Moderna shots. Then Violet, the mother-in-law of my son Emil, who was in Singapore got her Pfizer shot two days ago. I sincerely hope and wait for vaccines to come soon to the Philippines. 

O Lord, when and how will you deliver us from this crisis? We will patiently wait for your rescue and help, but do not delay O Lord. Do not lose us this your family and your people. We hope and trust in you. Keep us always in your love and safe keeping O Lord. Let us feel your presence and your love, O my Lord Jesus Christ.

Happy New Year 2021

Happy New Year!!! I hope and pray that the year 2021 will be a better, safer, more peaceful and happier year for us!!! 

Prepared a spread to celebrate the new year 2021.

Made it festive for happiness and blessings to come this new year.

Tina, Luna, Lucas and Heddy

Getting ready for the online mass. This picture was actually taken during the Feast of the Epiphany. Hahaha.

My household angels. They go through the hardship of time with us. Thank God for them.   

Happy New Year 2021!!! God bless us all!!!