Wearing of face shields in public transport in areas under alert levels 1, 2, and 3, no longer mandatory

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Wearing of face shields in all public transportation in areas under Alert Level 1, 2, and 3 will no longer be mandatory, following the approval of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on the recommended guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

In a memorandum from Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea dated 15 November 2021 on the protocols on the use of face shields, the Chairpersons and Members of the task force were informed that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte “has approved the recommendation of the IATF in its Resolution No. 148-D (s. 2021) issued on 11 November 2021.”

The IATF Resolution No. 148-D, signed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Secretary Karlo Alexi Nograles was unanimously approved and adopted in a regular meeting by the task force on 11 November 2021, stated in certification by Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary and IATF Head Secretariat Charade Mercado-Grande.

With the President’s approval of the IATF resolution, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies will implement in public transportation the following protocols:

1. For areas under Alert Level 5 and granular lockdowns, the use of face shields in community settings shall be mandatory;

2. For areas under Alert Level 4, local government units (LGUs) and private establishments are given discretion to mandate the use of face shields; and

3. For areas under Alert Levels 3, 2 and 1, the use of face shields shall be voluntary.

DOTr representative to the IATF-EID and Undersecretary for Administrative Services Artemio Tuazon Jr. said the Department will immediately enforce the protocols on the use of face shields.

“In line with the directive issued by the IATF, which was also approved by the Palace, wearing of face shields in areas, where Alerts Level 1, 2 and 3 are in place, is no longer mandatory. It will be voluntary.” Usec. Tuazon said.

To recall, all passengers in any mode of public transportation were required to wear face shields, aside from face masks, effective 15 August 2020.

Meanwhile, despite the lifting of the mandatory use of face shields, stringent preventive measures remain in effect to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in all public transport facilities. These include the mandatory wearing of face mask, strict enforcement of the social distancing measure, and frequent sanitation. Talking and eating are likewise discouraged inside all public transportation.

Marriott Business Council Philippines Makes Sustainability Sweet with Care Candies

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Marriott, Sheraton, and Courtyard takes actions to reduce waste through Care Candies

Marriott Business Council Philippines takes part in the global movement to minimize food waste with the launch of Care Candies available for sale and as guest room amenity on the following participating Marriott properties: Manila Marriott, Clark Marriott, Sheraton Manila Bay, Sheraton Manila, and Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo.

Care Candies are made of candied watermelon rinds compactly packaged on a rose gold tin can. It is available in 5 distinct flavors that are exclusive to each property. Guests may take home a pack for only Php 150 or enjoy it as an amenity when staying at any of the participating properties. In addition to its environmental objective, proceeds from the sale of the Care Candies shall be directed to raise funds to support the Save the Children Foundation.

For more information please message us at facebok.com/marriottbusinesscouncilPH

Lumad docu bags UNICEF prize in Japan

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A short documentary which puts the struggle of Lumad children in the spotlight won The UNICEF Prize at the recently concluded Japan Prize organized by public broadcaster NHK.

“Bullet-Laced Dreams,” co-directed and co-produced by award-winning independent filmmakers Kristoffer Brugada (“Elehiya sa Paglimot,” “Rekuwerdo”) and Cha Escala (“Nick and Chai”), got the prize for being “an excellent work that promotes understanding of the lives of children in difficult situations.”

The documentary shows the hardships that children of indigenous tribes in Mindanao face, as they fight for their right to education and the preservation of their way of life, amid armed conflicts between the government and communist rebels. It follows then 14-year-old Chricelyn Empong and her fellow Lumad children as they escape and are forced to move from one place to another to continue their schooling.

“This recognition is not just for the indigenous people in the Philippines, but in the whole world, whose struggles and challenges are rarely shown on mainstream media. This film is our way of giving them the platform to speak about their struggles and show their courage in facing everything that threatens their rights as humans,” Brugada, who is also a Palanca award-winning screenwriter (“Patikul”) and professional lecturer at De La Salle University, said in his acceptance speech.

The Japan Prize, which was established in 1965 as an international educational program competition, got 267 entries for audiovisual works and proposal pitches from 48 countries and regions around the world. The contest accepts “educational media of all types, including TV programs, websites, games, and cross-media projects” and aims “to improve the quality of educational contents and thereby to contribute to a better future for people around the world.”

Aside from thanking the organizers for the prize, Brugada also acknowledged the If/Then Short Documentary Program, In-Docs, Docs by the Sea, Tribeca Film Institute, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and Tokyo Docs Colors of Asia on behalf of Escala. He also shared the award with their camera crew, editors, their “courageous subject Chricelyn Empong for sharing her life to all of us, Save Our Schools Network, Rius Valle, Teacher Rose Hayahay, and to all those organizations and people who support the struggle of the indigenous children in Mindanao.”

The film was screened as part of the Daang Dokyu, a festival of Philippine documentaries, during the National Indigenous Peoples Month last year and had its world premiere at the Global Visions section of the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival in South Korea. It was awarded Best Documentary by the Mindanao Film Festival and Best Short Film by the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers.

“Bullet-Laced Dreams” previously received the Best Pitch Award at the Colors of Asia Tokyo Docs International Pitching Forum and the If/Then Southeast Asia Prize sponsored by the Tribeca Film Institute and In-Docs in the Docs by the Sea International Documentary Pitching Forum Bali, Indonesia.

“We grew up during the martial law of the Marcos regime, and as kids, we couldn’t do anything about it. We never saw the violence of dictatorship personally, but we learned about the oppression and human rights abuses when we were already in college. Knowing the atrocities of our former dictator, we knew that this would also happen to the people of Mindanao, and we now choose to take some action as filmmakers and use our film as a venue to give a voice to the voiceless,” the directors stressed.