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Fri, Oct 06, 2006 page9
Same world, yet worlds apart for giving birth
For mothers in Niger, giving birth to a child is a leap of faith, as they get precious little support from husbands or the healthcare system. The contrast with what's going on in Sweden couldn't be starker
By Joanna Moorhead / THE GUARDIAN
It's 10am on a stiflingly hot Monday morning and I am in a delivery room with one of the unluckiest mothers on the planet.
She is Dahara Laouali, and at the moment she is lying on a narrow, dusty hospital trolley pushing her baby into the world. Although the birth is imminent -- Insa, the midwife, says that with the next contraction the head will be out -- Dahara is making no noise at all.
This is Niger, where the tradition is that mothers labour in silence. It is hard keeping quiet in the throes of childbirth: but almost everything is hard for mothers in Niger.
Dahara pushes, pain creasing her sweating face, and then pushes again -- and suddenly between her legs there is a little boy with the walnut features of newborns everywhere, and a mop of damp, dark hair. Insa gives a delighted squeal, but Dahara is still silent: as her baby is wrapped in a cloth, she turns her face to the wall and sobs quietly.
Maybe she is tired after the labor. maybe she wants to be alone. Maybe she is not ready quite yet to welcome the baby into her heart. But maybe, too, she is remembering other births, and other babies. Because this boy is the fifth child Dahara has pushed into the world and of the others, only one is still alive.
This, then, is Dahara's misfortune: and it is not just a personal tragedy, but one she shares with every other mother in her country. Niger is officially the most dangerous place on earth to have a baby: in May, a Save the Children report found that of the 125 countries it surveyed, Niger was where childbirth was most likely to end badly.
Statistically, Dahara, who is 26, has a one-in-seven chance of dying during her reproductive years as a result of a pregnancy-related complication or infection, or childbirth injury. Her baby son, lying here on the table, has a 15 percent chance of not reaching his first birthday and a one-in-six chance of not making it to the age of five. And Dahara is fortunate to have had the skills of a midwife like the cheerful Insa: across the country, only 16 percent of deliveries are attended by anyone with any training at all.
Dahara lives in a village called Bande, about two hours' drive from Zinder, the rundown former French colonial capital. To call the birth center here basic is an understatement: to the Western eye, from the outside, it resembles a neglected public lavatory. Inside are two small, grubby rooms -- the delivery room, with its trolley and rickety desk, and the recovery room, which boasts a mattress-less bed and a graying cot.
Here, Dahara and her new son -- whose name is to be Mohammed -- will stay for a couple of hours. Then, Dahara will tie Mohammed to her back and walk the kilometer or so to her village. There is no aftercare, Insa explains: no midwife will check up on mother or baby, so Dahara will have to use her own judgment if there are any post-natal problems and seek help if and where she can.
Dahara's husband has not been involved in the birth and is unlikely to play a big role in the early weeks with the baby: in Niger, birth is considered to be women's work and fathers keep their distance.
Ten days later, I am in another maternity unit. This one is in the University Hospital at Uppsala, north of Stockholm. Bande is 5,150km away, although I feel as if I have traveled from the middle ages to the middle of the 21st century. In almost every way, giving birth in Sweden is light years away from giving birth in Niger. And yet, of course, it is all ultimately about the same thing: a mother and a baby.
The mother and baby I meet in Uppsala are Carmen Helwig and her new daughter. Carmen paints a strikingly different picture of new motherhood. She is older -- 38 -- but Tess is her first baby. She was born by cesarean section because of worries over a uterine scar, the result of previous surgery. It might have been fine, the doctors told her, but there was a risk it might rupture.
"Why take that risk?" Carmen says, smiling.
Tess was born three weeks early and is slightly underweight, but she is being carefully monitored at Uppsala, and Carmen knows she will soon be taking her daughter home. Until then, she, her partner Tommy Svedberg, 41 -- who was at the birth and is now taking paternity leave to be involved in his daughter's first weeks -- and Tess are staying at the hospital, in a large, hotel-like double room.
"Once I'm home, I'll be able to phone the hospital with any worries and the midwives will come out to see me every day if I need them," she says.
Carmen is Dahara's mirror-image, one of the luckiest mothers in the world. The Save the Children report found that while risk can never be entirely removed from the business of becoming a parent, the dangers for Swedish women are minuscule in comparison to the risks for mothers in Niger. Carmen's chance of dying as a result of childbirth over her lifetime is one in 29,800 (Dahara's, remember, was just one in seven).
In Sweden, 100 percent of births are attended by a skilled, trained midwife. Overall, it is the safest place in the world to become a mother.
More than 99 percent of births in Sweden take place in hospital, but it would be a vast oversimplification to attribute the gulf between the two countries' statistics to this fact alone.
Layer upon layer of disadvantage and deprivation, and advantage and blessing, have meshed together to create the circumstances that divide Dahara and Mohammed from Carmen and Tess.
Niger is rated the world's poorest country by the UN. Around 14 percent of its under-fives are significantly malnourished (and in the aftermath of last year's crop shortage and in the face of another shortfall this year, that figure could soon be much worse). Less than half its population has access to safe water.
In Niger, women are more than materially disadvantaged -- they are educationally and physically disadvantaged too. Fewer than one in 10 is literate. Most girls marry early and have many children: the fertility rate, at 7.5, is among the highest in the world. Most of the mothers I talked to had had their first baby at 15 or 16 -- one had had 11 babies before she was 25.
Only 4 percent use modern contraception, and not for cultural or religious reasons -- many of the women I asked said they would welcome advice on spacing their children.
Sweden, by contrast, is one of the wealthiest economies on earth. Its people are healthy and well-fed, its shops well-stocked, its communications excellent and its women well-educated, with virtually 100 percent female literacy. More than 72 percent use modern contraception and the average age for a first birth is 29. The fertility rate is 1.7. It is, in every way, a happier and healthier place to be a woman.
And its maternity service is second-to-none. Antenatal care in Sweden is free. Women have a legal right to take time out of the working day to attend appointments and take-up is almost 100 percent. Mothers in labor are looked after with every high-tech advantage possible; the fetal monitoring system here is among the most advanced and sensitive in the world.
Dr Pia Axemo, the senior obstetrician at Uppsala, explains how pethidine -- still used in the UK as a form of pain relief during labour -- is deemed obsolete in Sweden.
"Around 31 percent of mothers have epidurals but these are mobile epidurals and they can still walk around," she says. "But we feel strongly about women being supported in labor and we encourage them to try other sorts of pain relief -- massage, a shower, acupuncture -- before opting for an epidural."
The impression you get as you chat to mothers in Uppsala is that they feel remarkably well looked after, cared for, listened to and supported.
It is not just about technology and machines. in a confident, well-developed, successful maternity unit such as this one, there is a generosity of resources that makes the mother-to-be feel individually cared for. It is something Gunilla Hallberg, the doctor who heads the unit, is particularly proud of.
"What makes us successful is that we put women at the center of what we're doing," she says. "We have everything technology can offer but, even more importantly, we treat mothers as individuals."
Individual care isn't a phrase you feel gets bandied about much at the main regional maternity hospital in Zinder -- the Maternite Centrale, a blue-and-white painted building in the centre of the city.
This is what passes for high-grade care in Niger, but it is pitiful in its privations. Where Uppsala's hospital is white, clean, spacious and calm, Zinder's is dirty, cramped and chaotic. The corridors are crammed with dusty, ancient-looking equipment.
There are open bins and swarms of flies in the quadrangle, and cats roam free. The paint is peeling, there is no air conditioning despite temperatures of 40oC and more, and everywhere you look there are people.
Because, it transpires, when you come into hospital to have a baby in Niger, your relatives come too: they sleep on the floor by your bed, they help look after you and your baby, and they are here, too, to donate blood if you have a postpartum hemorrhage -- you only get blood if you bring your own donors.
It is hard to imagine the hell into which Zinder's mothers-to-be descend if they end up giving birth here: but if your imagination isn't up to the job, a tour of the delivery facilities brings sound effects to ram the point home. It may be the tradition in Niger to bite your tongue through contractions, but the women whose complicated labors have forced them to seek help here are clearly past caring about niceties such as protecting their honour. They scream, they shriek, they moan, they writhe: and they do it two to a room because there is no such thing as private delivery space.
Nor, for the most part, is there any such thing as pain relief -- a trip around the dispensary reveals empty shelves. Only women who have a cesarean are given anesthetics.
Mariama Bashir, the general manager of Zinder's maternity hospital, is a strikingly beautiful young woman in traditional African dress who sits behind a desk in a cramped office with a whirling fan. In between a constant stream of interruptions from harassed-looking midwives, she delivers the statistics with an air of weariness. Of 2,600 babies born here last year, approximately one in six was dead at delivery or died soon afterwards. In addition, a total of 61 mothers lost their lives.
This is shocking stuff: in Uppsala, where there are 4,000 births a year, two to three babies will die annually and one woman will die, on average, every seven years.
But there is more to the horrors of Zinder. Many of the women who come here will have travelled long distances, often in agony, to reach the hospital: some, Bashir says, come from villages as far as 50km away.
The commonest problems that bring them here are pre-eclampsia, eclampsia itself (which causes fits) and women whose pelvises are too narrow to allow the baby out (especially common in teenage mothers). For the many women who need instrumental deliveries, the hospital has two sets of forceps and one ventouse.
"But the ventouse is not in good condition," Bashir says. "We need a new ventouse. But then, we need many things."
Bad and costly
More shocking still is the fact that unlike Sweden, where excellent maternity care comes free of charge, Niger's women have to pay for the privilege of their substandard, inadequate services (while healthcare fees have been abolished in principle, they are still enforced in practice). And although the sums are paltry by Western standards -- an antenatal check-up is 1,000 CFA (US$1.89); a new-baby check-up is 5,000 CFA; a cesarean is 17,000 CFA -- the amounts are impossibly large for impoverished families in a country where the average per capita income is 127,000 CFA a year.
In the village of Yawouri, outside Zinder, nurse Abdulaye Hachiou explains that women often fail to seek help in labor because they -- or their husbands -- fear the expense.
"You get husbands who say their wives can't be brought to the clinic because they don't want to pay the bill. And then the wife gets worse and they say, well there's no point in taking her now, she's going to die anyway," Hachiou says.
Removing healthcare fees, says Save the Children, would save women's and babies' lives in Niger.
But that is far from the whole solution. The country needs more trained midwives, well-equipped antenatal clinics (one I visited shared its only blood pressure monitor with the district nurse -- if she was using it, the blood pressure of mothers-to-be went unchecked), more obstetricians and a modern maternity unit in every town.
In a perfect world, Niger would also have a vigilant system of postnatal care and beyond that -- but equally important -- clean water, a decent standard of living and good healthcare.
But that would be in a perfect world. So must childbirth continue to kill women and babies, on the sort of scale it did 200 years ago in the West?
Not necessarily, says Save the Children. Anne Tinker, the Washington-based author of the report, says she believes seven out of 10 of the lives currently lost could be saved if a few low-cost measures were put into place. Education, she says, is key.
"If we could raise awareness of some of the health issues, we could save many lives," she says. "Women need to know about the danger signs in pregnancy. They need to know when to seek medical help. They need to know how important it is to get help in labour if things aren't progressing, rather than leaving it too late. And they need to know how to look after their newborns and when to take them to the health center."
In Zinder, Dr Antoinette Awaya, of Save the Children, is putting some of these measures into practice. She runs a health education program, running training courses for volunteer health workers. The volunteers learn basic information about healthcare, hygiene and feeding babies, and pass it on to other mothers in their village.
"Saving mothers' and babies' lives here needn't be expensive," she says. "There's so much that can be done through education."
"Breastfeeding, for example, saves many babies: but the tradition here is that mothers don't give colostrum, the first milk, because it looks yellow and they think it's bad," Awaya says.
"Once you get the message across that this is the best milk, that it can protect their babies from disease, they get on with it and give it: it's not that mothers are resistant to the things that could make a difference, it's that the messages aren't getting through,"she says.
Beyond education, there are other ways of using limited amounts of money to the best possible advantage. Immunizing pregnant women against tetanus, for example, protects both mothers and babies and is one of the most effective and least expensive vaccines on the planet. Treating pregnant women for malaria, which is endemic in most parts of Niger, can reduce the risk of prematurity and low birthweight by 40 percent.
Providing postnatal support costs about half the amount of providing care during birth itself, but has the potential to reduce newborn mortality by between 20 and 40 percent.
So, while there is much to be done, there are clearly cost-effective priorities. Until now, says Save the Children, child survival programs in places such as Niger have tended to concentrate on diarrhea and other vaccine-preventable diseases. What is needed now is an emphasis on preventing deaths in babies, especially those in the early days and weeks of life.
On my final day in Zinder I am at a rural health clinic. Suddenly, there is a flurry of noise and commotion: a woman is running towards us, a baby in her arms. Even from a distance you can see that this is a child in trouble.
The nurse gets up, runs over, takes the baby and disappears into a dark little consulting room. He shouts to the mother, a bit roughly, to stay out of the way. She stands at the door moaning, craning her neck, trying to look into the room to see her baby, to find out what the nurse is doing to him.
But her baby is not all right. The nurse says he is tres grave: his only hope is the Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital 20km away. The mother is lucky, as there is a Save the Children car here. She and the child are bundled in, her face contorted in panic, the baby's contorted in pain.
This, then, is what infant mortality in Africa looks like when you get close up. This is how it happens. This is how it ends.
And it does end, for this baby, about an hour later. He makes it to the hospital, but dies soon after being admitted. He had an infection. He was just four months old.
Not a chance, says the driver from Save the Children later when he returns to break the news.
"C'est la vie," he says, sadly. "C'est la vie, ici." It is life, here.
China is threatening Asia's future
In November last year, a man struck a woman with a steel bar and killed her outside a hospital in China's Fujian Province. Later, he justified his actions to the police by saying that he attacked her because she was small and alone, and he was venting his anger after a dispute with a colleague. To the casual observer, it could be seen as another case of an angry man gone mad for a moment, but on closer inspection, it reflects the sad side of a society long brutalized by violent political struggles triggered by crude Leninism and Maoism. Starting
By Palden Sonam
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The year 2020 will go down in history. Certainly, if for nothing else, it will be remembered as the year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuing impact it has had on the world. All nations have had to deal with it; none escaped. As a virus, COVID-19 has known no bounds. It has no agenda or ideology; it champions no cause. There is no way to bully it, gaslight it or bargain with it. Impervious to any hype, posturing, propaganda or commands, it ignores such and simply attacks. All nations, big or small, are on a level playing field
By Jerome Keating
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The US last week took action to remove most of the diplomatic red tape around US-Taiwan relations. While there have been adjustments in State Department "Guidelines on Relations with Taiwan" and other guidance before, no administration has ever so thoroughly dispensed with them. It is a step in the right direction. Of course, when there is a policy of formally recognizing one government (the People's Republic of China or PRC) and not another (the Republic of China or ROC), officials from the top of government down need a systematic way of operationalizing the distinction. They cannot just make it up as
Pompeo secures close Taiwan ties
Like a thunderbolt out of the blue, with only 11 days remaining of US President Donald Trump's term, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday last week announced that the US Department of State had, effective immediately, lifted all "self-imposed" restrictions on how US diplomats and other government officials engage with their Taiwanese counterparts. Pompeo's announcement immediately triggered a backlash. Criticisms leveled by former US National Security Council director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia affairs Evan Medeiros, who served in the administration of former US president Barack Obama, were representative of the disapproving reaction. "The administration is over in two weeks…
By Chin Heng-wei 金恒煒


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As most corporate training professionals know, it takes considerable effort to ensure that employees are consistently on an appropriate learning path. Learning and Development (L&D) teams are often under considerable strain to meet development targets, handle training requests and track and measure learning impact. Fortunately, the emergence of workflow automation and e-learning have led to learning management systems becoming a vital part of corporate learning, especially in large organizations.
Training large workforces using paper-based systems has stopped becoming a viable option for many years, and this was the clear conclusion reached in 2015 by a well-established bank of 5,000 employees. Operating in a crowded market with players seeking competitive advantage through talent quality, the bank's decentralized Learning & Development function was struggling to meet its learning objectives.
It needed to train different employee segments throughout the year on a range of soft skills, industry topics, and specialized banking systems. It also needed to comply with training requirements by financial regulators, and ensure the availability of quick and up-to-date training data.
The bank tasked Mentor Global Consultants with implementing an online learning management system to manage all training activities for the organization. MENTOR was responsible for a thorough situation and needs analysis, the deployment of a customized version of its LUMEO learning management system, and providing ongoing technical support. The project was implemented over one year in 4 phases, to ensure a smooth shift away from the traditional paper-based training system that had been in place for two decades.
The project began in 2016 with the introduction of LUMEO's E-learning platform, for learners and the training department. Employees were able to learn at their own convenience in a time-efficient manner, while L&D was able to upload learning courses on the SCORM compatible platform, track participation, and reduce workshop sessions and training costs. As a result, the bank was able to quickly roll out mandatory courses for its entire workforce and deliver 5,000 e-learning courses in 2017, surpassing workshops and constituting 67% of total training sessions.
Work in the next phase focused on workshop nomination and registration, enabling the L&D team to upload information on workshops, managers to nominate employees for them, and employees to register. Bringing managers on board led to more active involvement and accountability in their teams development. The system has managed 6,000 workshops since its launch, and processes roughly 300 workshop/e-learning requests daily. The bank is now able to provide more workshops faster and with less effort, and meet its annual employee training quota of 5 training man-days.
This was followed by LUMEO's training vendor management module, allowing collaboration with in-house trainers & external vendors. The L&D team was able to approve vendors online and assign trainers for workshops, while trainers were able to upload course material, provide workshop feedback and submit trainee reports. This reduced admin work for all parties, ensured consistency in working with vendors and enabled easy sharing of course material and workshop updates.
MENTOR finally implemented an assessment module that enabled employees to undergo online assessment on a variety of skills and knowledge depending on the role. Using assessment results, L&D teams can now more accurately assess training needs and measure learning impact.
Through a carefully phased plan, deep understanding of the banks business, and its customized learning management solution, MENTOR was able to help its client transform learning, improve training processes, reduce training expenses, and comply with regulatory requirements.
Training now operates in a more streamlined manner, with automated workflows, better process continuity, and higher consistency and accuracy. This has enabled the team to focus more on training impact, while employees have become more engaged in learning due to convenient mobile access, positive training experiences and a strong learning culture.
Read more about our talent & learning management system or speak to our digital solutions team to discuss learning management at your organization.
Talk to a learning consultant to discuss ways to improve learning management in your organization.


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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (ToskanaINC / Shutterstock.com)
Pandemic impact: the case of the Middle East
The pandemic is likely to accelerate changes in the Middle Eastthat were already beginning to happen, or were inherent in existing conditions.
The Covid-19 pandemic springs from globalisation and has global effects. Rightly, the perspective of much analysis is the over-arching competition between East Asian nations and Western ones. Which will emerge stronger from the crisis? What will have changed? Africa too receives attention, for its size and demography, as well as for being the place where much of this competition is already being played out. Those taking a global view can be forgiven for passing over what the effects might be in the Middle East, an area so divided and conflicted that it tends to present more confusion than clarity. Here I shall try nonetheless to tease out some observations of wider relevance.
Crises accelerate changes that were already beginning to happen, or were inherent in existing tensions and contradictions. There is no shortage of these in the Middle East. The public health crisis and its devastating economic impact have been augmented by the collapse of the oil price. Global demand has contracted not only for oil but for trade in general. Migrant remittances have fallen, and migrant jobs are disappearing, throwing a further burden on the poorer sending countries such as Pakistan and Egypt. Tourism and travel, including potentially for the Hajj to Mecca, have been suspended for the duration of the lockdown. In common with other Emerging Markets, the region has seen a rapid exodus of capital.
Changes of this scale cannot fail to impose changes of behaviour, starting with political strategies. The most visible example comes from Saudi Arabia, where the flagship policy of the Crown Prince based on Vision 2030 had already been exposed as misconceived. The key notion of the policy was to create non-oil sector jobs, to meet the needs of the growing young population. This was not happening, and has to be re-thought and applied more realistically. The formula of building mega-projects, supposedly to serve a knowledge economy that does not in fact exist, will have to be reviewed. Perhaps the most important consequence will come in the matter of trust: young Saudis have bought the promises of a better future, promises which cannot be delivered in the economic circumstances which lie ahead. Their willingness to put up with a strictly autocratic system of government, in which power has been tightly centralised and individual freedoms harshly repressed, will be tested. Meanwhile, on the upside, the pandemic has given Saudi Arabia the pretext to offer a unilateral cease-fire in its disastrous war in Yemen, an exit it had been searching for.
Political strategies will also have to change in relations between countries. Withdrawal of American protective cover for allies in the region was already in progress, and is likely now to speed up. Arab states that had been encouraged by the US and Israel to confront Iran will increasingly seek accommodation instead. The UAE, always a step ahead of the game diplomatically, has been pursuing that course since September. Let us hope it now reconsiders its military intervention in Libya, where it can instead play the crucial peace-making role. The UAE has also been improving relations with Damascus, in response to a growing sense of competition with Turkey, opposing the Islamist agenda long attributed to President Erdoğan's ambitions. Israel meanwhile remains paralysed politically, despite the recent agreement on the premiership, in a way which has nothing to do with the pandemic. Iran faces hard choices as it confronts further economic hardship, and is likely to see the Revolutionary Guard tightening its grip at home, and yielding none of the gains made over recent decades in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. But Iran too should be open to regional détente.
Some of the region's countries will manage better than others, despite sharing in the economic pain. The Gulf States, scarred by the earlier MERS epidemic, have moved swiftly to impose lockdowns and quarantines. Egypt, the only regional country predicted by the IMF not to go into recession this year, will find effective measures more of a challenge. But its competent technocratic government, backed by the all-powerful military, will probably manage the crisis as well as can be expected. Jordan's government has earned wide public support for its highly effective handling of the pandemic: Jordan does best in a crisis. But others are highly vulnerable: Iraq's fragmented polity will come under acute further pressure as oil revenues fall far below the levels needed to employ the vast public sector, and factional conflict risks emerging more openly. In Iraq as in Algeria and Lebanon, the public health crisis has removed from the streets the mass movements demanding accountability and sweeping political change. For now. The pressures which created those movements will double, and one day will shatter the inadequate and corrupt political structures that currently hold sway. Hunger riots have already broken out in the north of Lebanon.
A few oil-exporting states have substantial reserves, in the form of the global investments of their Sovereign Wealth Funds. With that comes considerable borrowing power as well. They should be able to cushion the blow to their spending. That after all is the underlying purpose. Abu Dhabi stands out as having by far the largest resources of this kind. The funds are already hunting for bargains as the world's capitalist economy reels from the impact of the pandemic. And this may not feel like the moment to sell assets. It will be a test, though, for policy leaders in those countries to change from an acquisitive mindset abroad to one that invests more in social capital at home, with all that implies for structures of power and privilege.
To read commentary on the global impact of the crisis is to be struck by the big thinking it has inspired: on world trade, social equity, resilience, sustainability, the environment, a new Bretton Woods. The chance can be grasped to put so many things right, and set a better course. Thinkers in the Middle East are no less keen to seize the opportunity, and be part of a global project. Their governments though in recent times have torn up patterns of co-operation that once existed. They will have to start by relearning them, and acquiring a new mindset. That in turn calls for more inclusive politics at home, and the chance for new voices to be heard. Autocracies may instinctively hang on all the harder to the present model of power, which most would agree would be to increase the social pressures on them. Meanwhile, in the short term, uncertainty prevails over the outcome of the US Presidential elections in November. A Democrat victory could see a return of US moral leadership, and a less sheltered environment for blinkered, reform-resistant autocracies. The other competing superpower, China, likewise has no time for leaders who make war and who wreak chaos on their societies. The Middle East will have to be a full-hearted participant in the global renewal, and not the self-indulgent exception.
This article has been republished with permission from The Ambassador Partnership.
A game of Snakes & Ladders: Blinken takes US back to square one in Israel
by Roxane Farmanfarmaian
Several complex strategies are in play and the Secretary of State knows this — much to the disadvantage of the 'pawns' on the ground.
Ethiopia is dangerously adrift after Tigray war
by Alex de Waal
The US and other donors should avoid bailing out the country in ways that bolster Abiy's personal political agenda.
Hell in the shadows: Congo and the ultimate endless war of all time
by Daniel Larison
Jason Stearns argues why war here has become self-perpetuating, as 120 armed groups feed off each other and millions have died.
China is sending interesting signals to the US. Is anyone listening?
by Joergen Oerstroem Moeller
The key is whether the White House can lose the baggage and take Beijing's leadership shuffles and recent posturing seriously.
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Just a Game
There's this game I play with my students on the first day of school, where I ask them near the end of the class to write down something they think they know about me.
It's a task I assign for several purposes, most of which are self-serving. I want to take my students' temperature, see how they're receiving my Vaudeville act.
Most of the time I get responses like "you seem chill" and "you're a dork who likes to read books." Coming from 14-year-olds, these are about as high up the compliment chain as you get. There's always a couple of smartasses who criticize my clothes or my receding hairline, but I'm self-confident enough to let digs like that roll off my back.
But this year, I had one student whose stab cut to the bone.
"Let's see what Adam wrote," I said, pulling his index card from the stack. "You pretend to like sports, but you really don't."
The comment drew a couple of titters from the class. I looked up, not knowing which of the foreign faces belonged to this 9th grade assassin.
"Who's Adam?" I said. A timid boy in the third row raised his hand. "Talk to me about this, Adam. What makes you believe I don't actually care about sports?"
This poor kid. His first day as a freshman, the first period of his high school career, and the teacher is already digging into him.
"I mean…" Adam looked around the room and tried to gather his courage. "You have a couple of sports decorations, but they look fake. I think you just pretend to like sports so students will think you're cool."
In Adam's defense, I once knew a guy who pretended to like sports so people would like him more. His name was Charles, and he was a guitar salesman at the music shop I used to work at. Charles was one of our top salesmen, frequently taking home the biggest commission check each month. He pretended to be an Indianapolis Colts fan when he talked to customers, always talking about Peyton Manning and Pierre Garçon and Dwight Freeney with this bright-eyed enthusiasm. For awhile, I bought it. After all, Charles grew up in Terre Haute, a town my Hoosier-born mother once described as smelling "like bad pussy." So of course he had an affinity for his home team.
But one day right before pre-season, I heard Charles yukking it up with a couple of regulars over by the guitar counter. "I'm just looking forward to my guy Peyton coming back strong after his injury," he said, chuckling and jabbing the customers with exaggerated elbows. "I think this is going to be the Colts' year."
"You know Peyton signed with the Broncos, right?" I said.
Charles shot me a look like I'd just cock blocked him with the hottest girl in the room. "No way, not my Peyton," he said, clutching his chest. "When did that happen?"
"I don't know," I said. "Five months ago? March?"
It was clear from that moment on everything Charles knew about the Colts was a sound byte, fodder for small talk with customers. It was part of his chop catalogue, an act to make him appear like a loyal Colts homer displaced by Fate, now slaving away amongst racks of Gibsons and Fenders.
Charles' fraudulent affinity for sports aside, I could see why Adam might believe the same thing about me. I'm kind of nerdy looking; I wear glasses and plaid shirts and carry a notebook in my breast pocket. I get weirdly excited and pace like a jungle cat when I'm in the throes of analyzing a short story's theme.
But unfortunately for Adam — and me — his hypothesis was patently false.
If anything, I'm the type of person who is too wrapped up in sports. I don't just enjoy the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat; my heart beats according to wins and losses.
On the playground, they call this particular sect of humans poor sports. When I lose, I take it personally, and then I take it out on the people around me. It's one of the many character flaws I admit to freely.
There's home movie footage of me during my 6th birthday party pouting in time out because I didn't win Pin The Tail On The Donkey. I'd lose friends in elementary school over recess football games. The last time I played Monopoly was in college, when I flipped the board after my roommate Ryan called his dad to verify a made up rule he was trying to enforce.
I've learned to cope with this personality blemish over the years by recusing myself whenever a competition arises. I'll beg off a game of beer pong by claiming an elbow injury, or feign ambivalence when my English department doesn't win the school spirit trophy during Homecoming week. But deep down, I care. Oh boy, do I care.
This defect is never more apparent than on Sunday afternoons in the fall, when I kneel at the altar of the mighty football gods.
Now, middle-aged suburban dudes screaming at the television on Sunday afternoons is as cliche as the Mighty Ducks beating Iceland. But I also happen to be a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, a fan base notorious for its irrational passion. After all, my brethren are the ones who threw snowballs at Santa Claus; the ones who booed Jayson Werth in Washington for nearly a decade; the ones who necessitated the greasing of light poles in Center City with Crisco so we wouldn't climb them in victory.
Philly fans get a bad rep for being mean. I've heard some horror stories about opposing fans barely escaping South Philly with their lives. As Philly fans go, I'm not much of a shit talker, and I'm certainly not a fighter, but dear Lord, do I live and die by those Birds.
Each Sunday, I sit in the living room and turn on the game, but really, there might as well not be a couch. For three hours, I stand inches from the television, yelling and clapping like I'm on the sidelines. I give praise where appropriate, but I'm never afraid to offer a little constructive criticism.
"You gonna catch a ball today, you fuckin' scrub?" I'll yell when yet another Eagles wide receiver alligator arms a pass over the middle. "That one had a fucking bow on it!"
"You know they can't hear you, right?" Melinda will yell from the kitchen.
"Oh, they can hear me," I'll yell back. "The whole city of Philadelphia is letting them know how much they're shitting the bed."
Usually, that's where my wife will cease her intervention. She knows it's not worth it, that I'll just continue in a browned out state of rage for the next two hours whether she says anything or not.
It took her awhile to acclimate to my insanity, to understand the raving lunatic screaming the F-bomb into the liquid crystals of the television was the man she professed to love and care for 'til death do us part. The first time we watched a football game together, she sat there in a state of mild shock, like she'd just seen her priest hoover three rails of coke. As I recall, the Eagles won that game, so when time expired and I returned to my normal self, I looked over at her confused.
"Is everything okay?" I said.
"Yeah, I just…yeah," she said.
She later told me she had pegged me as a laid back guy who never got worked up about anything, so to see me in such a lather, yelling and cursing like a man possessed at a meaningless game, was a shock.
I think she felt better when she witnessed the spectacle of my father and me watching a game together, both of us yelling and cursing in unison.
"Big stop here, D! Big stop!"
"So he's been like this forever then?" Melinda asked my mom as they watched me pace the living room of my childhood home.
"Oh absolutely," my mother replied. "When he was younger, he'd cry when the Eagles lost."
I can be a real bummer to be around when the Birds are losing. But when they're winning, there's not a thing on this planet that can dampen my spirits. When Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey missed a game-winning field goal during the 2018 playoffs and sealed an Eagles victory, I jumped onto the couch like Tom Cruise on Oprah. The win sank in and my pulse slackened, and I looked down and realized I was not wearing a shirt.
"Why am I not wearing a shirt?" I said to Melinda, who had, like usual, passively watched my one-man performance from the kitchen.
"You're joking, right?" she said.
"No, I'm not. "What happened?"
"You don't remember taking off your shirt and whipping it around your head? It was only like 30 seconds ago."
"Huh," I said. "I must've blacked out."
Naturally, the Birds' victory over the Patriots at Super Bowl XXII was a new level of emotion. As the seconds ticked down and I saw that victory was imminent, I grabbed my wife and hugged her harder than I did on our wedding day. We were at my friend Brandon's house watching the game, and I managed to keep the lump in my throat from erupting at least until I got to the car, but once on the road, listening to the post-game press conferences on the radio, I lost it.
"What's wrong?" Melinda said, squeezing my hitching shoulder.
"I'm…just…so…happy," I said. Fat, ugly tears rolled down my cheeks.
"Are you crying?" she asked.
"Oh honey," she said. "It's just a game."
But it's not just a game. To me, it's my childhood. It's throwing the football to myself in the backyard when I was five, listening to Merrill Reese give the play-by-play. It's me in my plastic helmet and shoulder pads, sitting inches from the television in the living room, willing Ricky Watters to break one to the end zone. It's me silently cursing Rodney Peete or Bubby Brister or Ty Detmer or Bobby Hoying or whatever dogshit quarterback the team tried to sell me that season. And when I remembered how many years I had waited for this moment, I began to sob.
These are all the things I thought of when my buddy Adam, darling little freshman that he was, posited I wasn't a real sports fan. I didn't say any of this to Adam. After all, it was only the first day of school.
Instead, I laughed.
"Oh buddy," I said. "You have no idea."
Categories: Essays•Tags: cry, crying, family, fan, football, high school, humor, nfl, nostalgia, philadelphia eagles, poor sport, sports, superfan, teacher, Teaching, wife•
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Tag: Delta coronavirus variant (B1617)
COVID-19 Crisis: Omicron-related fear and panic cause several governments to enact mandatory vaccinations
December 9, 2021 December 7, 2021 carlocarrasco
The fear and panic over Omicron is still strong and already several government units reacted heading towards the enactment of mandatory vaccinations, according to a recent CBN News report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the statement published by CBN News. Some parts in boldface…
The World Health Organization admits there has yet to be a single death from the Omicron variant, but that hasn't stopped some governments–especially in Europe–from using it as another reason to enact mandatory vaccinations.
Here in the U.S., Omicron cases are now confirmed in at least 17 states.
"We have several dozen cases and we're following them closely. And we are, every day, hearing about more and more probable cases," said CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
But so far, Omicron does not seem to be dangerous. Initial studies show it has a similar genetic structure to the common cold, making it more transmissible. But in South Africa, where Omicron first emerged, hospitalizations have not increased significantly.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said, "We really need to be careful before we make any determinations, but thus far the signals are a bit encouraging regarding the severity."
Peter McGinn of Minnesota tested positive for Omicron after a visit to New York City.
He had been fully vaccinated and received a booster.
"I felt kinda tired. I felt bad for about a day. I did my absolute best to follow the guidelines, I had my mask on the entire time," McGinn said.
COVID guidelines and restrictions have become a significant issue in Europe, where some nations are requiring citizens to be vaccinated. And that has sparked massive and sometimes violent demonstrations across the continent.
At a protest in Brussels, a Belgian woman said, "I don't agree with the mandatory vaccinations because these vaccines, I don't think they're great yet. "
A Spanish protestor in Barcelona said, "The dead from COVID-19 are mostly vaccinated people instead of non-vaccinated. That's in all hospitals." Another said, "We don't want the COVID-19 passport. We want freedom. It's a human right. We don't want vaccines, neither for us or our children. This is a genocide."
Austria has announced it plans to become the first country in Europe to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory. Germany plans on making vaccinations compulsory for some jobs.
European Union leader Ursula von der Leyen says it's time for the E.U. to discuss a Europe-wide vaccine mandate.
Posted below is the related news video of CBN News…
Omicron also a factor as mentioned by New York City's outgoing mayor
In the City of New York, the exiting Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his own vaccine mandate for private employers and vaccine passports on the people (including children) according to a separate CBN News report. De Blasio mentioned the Omicron variant as a new factor as well as the cold weather creating additional challenges on dealing with the Delta variant in the city.
The weird thing about the NYC mandate is that the federal private employer mandate has been put on hold. Kathryn Wylde, the head of the business group Partnership for NYC, questioned the mayor's authority to impose the local mandate on private employers. The United States Representative of Long Island Lee Zeldin called the mandate a "job-killing, small business-suppressing mandate."
"When you dangerously combine a far-left, lame-duck politician, who is anti-business, one-dimensional, unaccountable, not bright and has a perpetual 'I always know best' attitude,' you get Bill de Blasio, the Worst Mayor in America," Zeldin further said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about these newest developments overseas related to the Omicron variant? Do you think that the government units from New York City to Europe panicked or overreacted? If you are physically in New York City or Europe right now, did you witness any protests or riots related to the vaccination mandates? Do you believe that the secular, Left-leaning and liberal news outlets magnified the Omicron variant too much and distorted the details to spread fear and panic?
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/
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COVID-19 Crisis: Over 33 million fully vaccinated people around the Philippines
November 23, 2021 November 22, 2021 carlocarrasco
According to a report by GMA Network, the total number of fully vaccinated people here in the Philippines surpassed 33 million. On face value, the number looks big but in reality, it is only a fraction of the target number of people who are eligible to be vaccinated. Also it should be remembered that the Philippines has an overall population of more than 100 million.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA News report. Some parts in boldface…
About 33.3 million individuals or 39% of the eligible population in the country are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.
In a radio interview, Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said the 39% is based on the population who are allowed to get vaccinated, which is around 84 million.
This figure is still far from the government's target of vaccinating 80% of its 109 million population by May 9, 2022.
The DOH is, however, ramping up the inoculation drive by conducting a three-day national vaccination campaign dubbed as "Bayanihan, Bakunahan" which seeks to administer five million doses daily or a total of 1 million jabs.
Vergeire emphasized that this shall prioritize the unvaccinated individuals, but the DOH has yet to decide if the boosters will be included in this inoculation drive from November 29 to December 1.
"Kaya natin ito ginagawa para maitaas pa ho natin ang fully vaccinated sa ating bansa bago man lang mag-Pasko, bago mag-holiday season. So, that's our real target–those who are not yet vaccinated," she said.
(We are doing this to increase the number of fully vaccinated individuals in our country before the Christmas season. Our real target is those who are not yet vaccinated.)
"Ito po ang pinaguusapan sa ngayon ano, if we are going to also have booster shots during this National Vaccination Day. Magbibigay po tayo ng anunsyo kung itutuloy po natin itong booster vaccination during these three days po."
(We are still discussing if we would include the booster shots during the National Vaccination Day, and if so, we will announce it soon.)
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about this new development? If you are a fully vaccinated person, are you anticipating already the eventual booster shot/3rd shot?
Blog 3rd dose, 3rd shot, 3rd vaccine shot, Carlo Carrasco, COVID-19, COVID-19 booster, COVID-19 Crisis, COVID-19 vaccine, Delta coronavirus variant (B1617), Delta variant, Department of Health (DOH), disease, free COVID-19 vaccines, free vaccines, fully vaccinated, GMA Network, GMA News, health, journalism, Lambda variant, news, vaccination, vaccine, vaccine booster, vaccine hubs, vaccine production, vaccine registration, vaccines, virus Leave a comment
COVID-19 Crisis: More than 100% of target population of NCR vaccinated with at least one dose
The national authorities recently announced than more than 100% of the target population of the National Capital Region (NCR) here in the Philippines got vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine according to the report of the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Keep in mind that Metro Manila is home to many millions of people and is the hot spot of nation's economy as it is also home of many corporations and employers.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Philippine News Agency report. Some parts in boldface…
Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday said about 102.86 percent of the National Capital Region (NCR)'s target population have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
Galvez, who is also the chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19, said more than 8.8 million individuals or 90.75 percent of the Metro Manila's target population are now fully vaccinated against the dreaded disease.
He expressed confidence that the 17 local government units (LGUs) in NCR will be able to fully vaccinate their respective target populations, including children ages 12 to 17, by the end of the year.
Galvez said Metro Manila is among the priority regions that receive the bulk of vaccine supply, with more than 20 million doses were deployed to its local governments as of Nov. 8.
"These deliveries are directly proportional to the current vaccination output of the region, which has already inoculated 102.86 percent of its target population with at least one dose," he added.
He lauded the Metro Manila mayors for "this another milestone" in the country's vaccination program.
"This proves that we remain on track with our vaccination targets. Truly, nothing is impossible if we all work together. A better Christmas is now at hand," he said.
Galvez also noted that the increasing throughput of the vaccination program has contributed to the continuous decline of Covid-19 cases in all areas nationwide.
He added the vaccination drive has helped in the growth rebound of the country's economy up to 7.1 percent during the third quarter, despite the six weeks strict lockdowns.
"Our next goal is to start and sustain the opening up of our classes to protect our children's future and development. We need to vaccinate our students and teachers before the end of this year," he said.
The government remains firm in its goal to complete the vaccination of at least 54 million Filipinos before end-December.
As of Thursday, the country has administered a total of 66,816,976 doses of coronavirus vaccines with 30,478,899 Filipinos are now fully vaccinated.
Based on the latest data from the National Covid-19 vaccination dashboard, the country's average daily vaccination rate in the last seven days has increased to 780,290 doses, compared to 647,580 doses in the previous week.
Galvez earlier said the government is now scaling up the vaccination program with the steady arrival of bigger vaccine deliveries.
While the above is positive news, there is still the challenge for the national, the regional and local authorities to vaccinate the real population (more than the target population) based on the latest census statistics per region and locality. That means not only vaccinating the minors aged 12 to 17 but also the younger ones in due time. How the authorities will be able to achieve greater vaccination numbers without causing blunders or controversy remains to be seen. Overseas in the United States, the imposed vaccine mandate by the Biden administration is clearly an act of tyranny (read: Democrats and the Satanic Left love power, terror and fascism) against the people and the employers.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Does this latest news about make you feel hopeful about having a more joyful Christmas season with friends and family? Don't you think that the 3rd quarter growth would have been much higher had there been no enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila this past August? Do you believe that your local government unit and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) can be trusted when it comes to vaccinating as many people as possible?
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
Blog 2019 Novel Coronavirus (NCoV), Carlito Galvez, Carlo Carrasco, Communism, Communist, COVID-19, COVID-19 Crisis, COVID-19 vaccine, Delta coronavirus variant (B1617), Democrats, disease, Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), free COVID-19 vaccines, free vaccines, fully vaccinated, government tyranny, health, Joe Biden, Lambda variant, liberal, liberals, Marxism, Marxist, Metro Manila, Metro Manila Council (MMC), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), National Capital Region (NCR), NCR Plus, news, Philippine News Agency (PNA), Philippines, PNA.gov.ph, politics, Satanic Left, socialist, socialists, target population, tyranny, vaccination, vaccination cards, vaccine, vaccine hubs, vaccine registration, vaccines, virus Leave a comment
COVID-19 Crisis: More than 300,000 fully vaccinated in Muntinlupa City
Recently the Manila Bulletin reported that more than three hundred thousand people in Muntinlupa City have been fully vaccinated. Mathematically, that translates to 80% of the target population of the city.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
More than 310,000 people in Muntinlupa are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
According to the Muntinlupa City Health Office, as of Nov. 2, 310,011 individuals have received their full dose of the vaccine consisting of 304,537 vaccinated by the city government and 5,474 in private companies in the city.
The total represents 80.37 percent of Muntinlupa's target population of 385,725, or 70 percent of the estimated total population of 551,036. There are 75,714 people remaining to be vaccinated to achieve the target.
In addition, 344,518 individuals have received their first dose of the vaccine, or 93.3 percent of Muntinlupa's target population. The total consists of 344,518 vaccinated by the city government and 15,394 in private companies in Muntinlupa.
Of the 310,011 individuals who are fully vaccinated, 12,189 belongs to the A1 priority group (health workers); 27,751 are A2 (senior citizens); 77,042 are A3 (persons with comorbidities); 125,808 are A4 (essential workers); 67,212 are A5 (indigent population), and nine to the rest of the adult population (ROAP).
Included in the 344,518 individuals who got the first dose are 723 minors aged 12 to 17 years old.
Residents of Muntinlupa City who remain unregistered and unvaccinated should make a move to get registered by learning the ways to do it. Those who are prepared (with personal information available) and willing to go through online registration for the free vaccines in Muntinlupa are encouraged to click https://vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac/
Muntinlupa minors may register online through the city's COVID-19 vaccination registration system at www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac and choose category "C – Rest of Population."
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what can you say about this latest local development? Do you feel confident about life in the city now that more than 300,000 have been fully vaccinated?
Blog, South Metro Manila Communities Alabang, Carlo Carrasco, City Government of Muntinlupa, City of Muntinlupa, COVID-19, COVID-19 booster, COVID-19 Crisis, COVID-19 vaccine, Delta coronavirus variant (B1617), Delta variant, disease, free COVID-19 vaccines, free vaccines, health, journalism, Lambda variant, Manila Bulletin, Metro Manila, Muntinlupa, Muntinlupa City, Muntinlupa news, Muntinlupa registration, Muntinlupa vaccine registration, news, Philippines, South Metro Manila, Southies, vaccination, vaccination cards, vaccine, vaccine hubs, vaccine registration, vaccines, virus Leave a comment
COVID-19 Crisis: Vaccination of general pediatric population in Las Piñas City begins today
Based on the recent news report by the Manila Bulletin, the City Government of Las Piñas and its personnel will official begin the vaccination for its general pediatric population (minors population aged 12 to 17) today. This follows the recent inoculation count of the local adult population plus some minors (with comorbidities who got vaccinated early) which totaled around 875,000 according to the City Government's latest COVID-19 vaccination statistics.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin's news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Las Pinas City government will start its vaccination roll out for the general pediatric population on Nov. 3.
Mayor Imelda Aguilar encouraged parents or guardians of children aged 12 to 17 years old to register them at https://bit.ly/e-covid19reg.
Aguilar also said they can also visit their barangay for assisted barangay registration.
The mayor and mother of the city, who celebrated her birthday on Oct. 30, said her wish is for the city's general pediatric population to register and be part of the "Bakunahan sa Kabataan."
Aguilar said the city government is preparing for the opening of four mall vaccination sites for the general pediatric population.
She said the city government will continue to conduct the vaccination of children belonging to the A3 category or those with comorbidities, at the covered gym of the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta.
Any Las Piñas resident who has yet to get registered for the free COVID-19 vaccines can learn the ways (4 methods) by clicking here. Anyone who is ready and willing to register online can click bit.ly/LasPiñasVaccination
Meanwhile, the City Government recently launched the online registration process for COVID-19 vaccination for local minors (aged 12 to 17) which can be done at http://laspinascityonline.laspinascity.gov.ph/eCVRS/
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction about this recent move by the City Government?
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COVID-19 Crisis: Alert Level 3 extension on Metro Manila takes effect today
November 1, 2021 October 29, 2021 carlocarrasco
In case you missed the news, the extension of Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila takes effect today and will last until November 14, 2021. This is the result of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) recent decision which was announced this past Friday and subsequently reported by varied news organizations. Prior to the announcement, there was anticipation that the community control and restrictions on businesses and people will be eased to Alert Level 2. The local stock market saw shares drop by over a hundred points last Friday in response to the extension of Alert Level 3 for Metro Manila.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin's news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has decided to maintain the alert level classification of the National Capital Region (NCR) to alert level 3 for the first two weeks of November.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque revealed in a virtual press conference Friday, Oct. 29 that the decision was reached during the IATF's meeting Thursday via Resolution No. 146-A.
This came about despite high expectations from the private sector and even the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)–which touches base with the different local government units (LGUs) of the country–that the alert level in Metro Manila would be downgraded to alert level 2.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you think the IATF made the right decision to extend Alert Level 3 all over Metro Manila? If you own or managed a food/beverage business here in Metro Manila, was there an increase on your sales during the recent Alert Level 3?
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COVID-19 Crisis: Around 200 hundred minors with comorbidities vaccinated in Muntinlupa City in the first two days
October 29, 2021 October 27, 2021 carlocarrasco
Following the launch of vaccinating local minors (aged 12-17) for COVID-19 in Muntinlupa City, the Manila Bulletin reported recently that almost two hundred minors with comorbidities got vaccinated locally based on the latest statistics.
The Muntinlupa City government has vaccinated 198 minors aged 12 to 17 years old with comorbidities.
According to Dr. Edwin Dimatatac, medical director of Ospital ng Muntinlupa (OsMun) which has been designated by the government as one of the pilot hospitals for the vaccination of minors with comorbidities, 72 minors were vaccinated on the first day last Oct. 25 followed by 126 on Oct. 26 for a total of 198.
The first 72 minors did not experience any reaction to the vaccine, Dimatatac said. Details on any reactions from the 126 minors were unavailable as of this writing.
As of Oct. 25, 14,896 12-to-17-year-olds have registered with the Muntinlupa City COVID-19 Vaccination program, equivalent to 27 percent of the estimated total population of 55,391 for the age group in the city.
Minors, classified by the Department of Health (DOH) as Pediatric A3 group, are currently being vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, one of two vaccines approved by the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in people 12 years old and above. The other vaccine approved for minors is Moderna.
Under the DOH guidelines, the parent or legal guardian and the minor should sign the consent and assent forms before vaccination.
A medical certificate for the minor is also needed while the parents or guardians need to present a valid ID and proof of filiation such as birth certificate.
Muntinlupa residents may register for vaccination at vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac.
The comorbidities allowed for the vaccination of minors are: medical complexity, genetic conditions, neurologic conditions, metabolic/endocrine diseases, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, HIV infection, tuberculosis, chronic respiratory diseases, renal disorders, hepatobiliary diseases and immunocompromised state due to disease or treatment.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what can you say about this latest local development? If you are a Muntinlupa City resident with a child aged 12 to 17-years-old, are you comfortable about the idea of having your child vaccinated for COVID-19?
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COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City Government claims herd immunity achieved (based on target population statistics) as total citywide inoculation count surpasses 860,000
Recently it was reported by the Manila Bulletin that City of Las Piñas achieved herd immunity based on statements made by Mayor Imelda Aguilar. This past Monday, the City Government's official Facebook page published the latest vaccination statistics showing that the citywide inoculation count for COVID-19 has exceeded more than eight hundred sixty thousand as of October 23, 2021.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the very short Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Mayor Imelda Aguilar announced that barely 61 days before Christmas, her wish to achieve herd immunity for the city was granted with 99.9 percent Las Pineros given their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines and 90.6 percent who are fully vaccinated.
Aguilar said the two key factors in achieving herd immunity were the discipline shown by residents and their eagerness to get the jab against the disease.
She also thanked city residents for not being choosy with the brand of vaccines administered to them.
The mayor said the city achieved 99.9 percent for those given the first dose and 90.6 percent for those given the second dose from the total 447,086 target population.
"Hindi naman po tayo titigil na magbakuna kahit na naabot na natin ang halos 100 porsiyento na nabakunahan. Itutuloy-tuloy pa rin natin ito upang makabalik na tayo sa ating normal na pamumuhay,"(We are not going to stop with our vaccination even if we have almost achieved 100 percent. We are going to continue with the vaccination so we can all go back to our normal lives) Aguilar said.
She said the CIty Health Office (CHO) recorded that senior citizens under the A2 category represent the highest number of vaccinated individuals with 95 percent followed by the economic frontliners under the A4 category with 93.4 percent.
The above report ended stating that Mayor Aguilar appealed to the city residents to continue their local vaccination program locally referred to as "Ligtas na Las Pineros, Lahat Bakunado". It should be noted that previously the Mayor mentioned that herd immunity was within reach. To be clear this is based on target population statistics.
As for the official city vaccination statistics, posted below is the image that was published by the City Government's official Facebook page. Take note that the numbers below are slightly different from what Manila Bulletin's report.
Meanwhile, the City Government is already handling the online registration process for COVID-19 vaccination for local minors (aged 12 to 17) which can be done at http://laspinascityonline.laspinascity.gov.ph/eCVRS/
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Are you satisfied with the reported herd immunity achieved that was based on the target population count? Have you fully been vaccinated?
Blog, South Metro Manila Communities #fullyvaccinated, #herdimmunity, #LasPiñas, Carlo Carrasco, Christmas, City Government of Las Piñas, City of Las Piñas, COVID-19, COVID-19 Crisis, COVID-19 vaccine, Delta coronavirus variant (B1617), Delta variant, disease, free COVID-19 vaccines, free vaccines, fully vaccinated, health, herd immunity, Imelda Aguilar, inoculation, journalism, kabataan, Lambda variant, Las Piñas, Las Piñas City, Las Piñas City registration, Las Piñas City vaccine registration, Manila Bulletin, Metro Manila, minors, news, on-site assisted registration, online registration, Philippines, registration, South Metro Manila, South Snippets, Southies, teens, vaccine registration, virus, youth 1 Comment
COVID-19 Crisis: 3rd vaccine shots for health workers and vulnerable sector members planned by government
Is there a health worker or a member of the vulnerable sector among the members of your local community right now? You might want to inform them that the national authorities are planning to administer to each of them a third shot (or 3rd dose) of the COVID-19 vaccine according to a recent news report published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). It could happen sooner than later. This particular development should make you think about how long the immunity you gained from the COVID-19 vaccine – specifically when you have been vaccinated with two doses most brands of COVID-19 vaccines – would last before you need to be vaccinated again.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…
Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday said the government is planning to begin administering a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine for the healthcare workers and the country's vulnerable sector by November or early December.
"Ito po pineprepare na namin ni (Health Secretary Francisco) Duque, dahil nagbigay na po ng inclination ang WHO (World Health Organization), na 'yung ating vaccination for third dosing, considering na maglalapse na po 'yung immunity (Duque and I are already preparing [revaccination] since the WHO has already given its inclination for the vaccination for third dosing, considering that the immunity will lapse," Galvez reported to President Rodrigo Duterte during the taped Talk to the People.
"Maybe we can start by November or early December," he added.
The Department of Health (DOH) is awaiting the WHO's official recommendation to give additional doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to immunocompromised persons, senior citizens, and healthcare workers.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the WHO is expected to release its final recommendation by November.
Vergeire clarified that booster shots and additional doses are different and the WHO has yet to recommend a third shot for the general population.
According to experts, a booster shot is an additional dose after the protection of the original shot(s) has decreased over time, while a third shot is for those with certain health conditions to help further protect them from severe Covid-19 case or death.
Following a four-day meeting, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization on Oct. 11 said those with weakened immunity should receive an additional shot.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this latest development? If you were fully vaccinated, how long has it been since your 2nd dose? Do you fully trust the WHO?
Blog, South Metro Manila Communities #fullyvaccinated, #Philippines, #vaccine, 3rd vaccine shot, booster shots, Carlito Galvez, Carlo Carrasco, COVID-19, COVID-19 booster, COVID-19 Crisis, COVID-19 vaccine, Delta coronavirus variant (B1617), Delta variant, Department of Health (DOH), disease, free COVID-19 vaccines, free vaccines, fully vaccinated, health, health care, health workers, healthcare, Lambda variant, news, Philippine News Agency (PNA), Philippines, PNA.gov.ph, Southies, vaccination, vaccine, vaccine booster, vaccine hubs, vaccine production, vaccine registration, vaccines, virus, World Health Organization (WHO) Leave a comment
COVID-19 Crisis: 288,291 fully vaccinated in Muntinlupa City
Recently MunCoVac, the team dedicated on COVID-19 vaccination under the City Government of Muntinlupa, announced that more than 288,000 individuals in the city have been fully vaccinated as they published the latest city vaccination statistics showing that over 625,000 vaccines were administered as of October 15, 2021. Check out the official image below…
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from MunCoVac's Facebook post. Some parts in boldface…
Muntinlupa City has administered a total of 625,205 vaccines as of October 15.
88.5% of the target population of Muntinlupeños have been vaccinated with at least one dose while 74.7% have been fully vaccinated.
As always, please make your vaccination schedule a priority. It takes a lot of people, planning, and logistics to make sure you get vaccinated.
With roughly 75% of the target population fully vaccinated, things are looking promising for social and economic recovery in Muntinlupa City. The next challenge, of course, is to fully vaccinate even more people in accordance to the overall population of the city. Already a lot of minors in Muntinlupa City got registered for COVID-19 vaccines. For those of you who missed out on the news, the whole of Metro Manila is now under Alert Level 3 of quarantine control and that means a lot of businesses – including cinemas – were allowed to reopen which is key to economic recovery. Having a large number of fully vaccinated residents is key to ensuring economic recovery will happen.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what do you think about this latest local development?
Blog, South Metro Manila Communities #COVID19, #fullyvaccinated, #health, #Muntinlupa, #Philippines, #vaccine, 2019 Novel Coronavirus (NCoV), business, businesses, Carlo Carrasco, City Government of Muntinlupa, City of Muntinlupa, COVID-19, COVID-19 Crisis, COVID-19 vaccine, Delta coronavirus variant (B1617), Delta variant, disease, economic recovery, economics, free COVID-19 vaccines, free vaccines, fully vaccinated, health, jobs, Lambda variant, Metro Manila, MunCoVac, Muntinlupa, Muntinlupa City, Muntinlupa news, Muntinlupa registration, Muntinlupa vaccine registration, news, Philippines, South Metro Manila, South Snippets, Southies, vaccination, vaccination cards, vaccine, vaccine registration, vaccines, virus 1 Comment


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TFGaming is developed by a team that specializes in esports development and gaming company experts. Their main goal is to provide a convenient and unique esports gaming platform for all, covering esports events from all over the world.
TFGaming – Top Esports Betting Bookmaker
TFGaming is regarded as the leading platform provider of esports in Asia. It is certified by gaming labs. The company is developed by teams of vastly experienced bookmakers and dedicated Esports developers. Their goal is to provide a convenient and unique Esports platform for users, that will cover both minor and major Esports events all around the world.
The company primarily focuses on offering speedy settlement and unbeatable odds where the clients may expect a transparent and immediate cash-out process. The clients can place wagers and watch games with TFgaming on the in-play events that are live on their favorite Esports games of them. The strength lies in the extensive choices of the markets of Esports, vastly skilled and experienced Esports traders, double betting speed, stable and fast system, supports tablets, mobile phones, and PCs, and industry-leading betting experience. The popular multiplayer Esports games that are massively famous include StarCraft, league of legends, rocket league, the arena of valor, counterstrike, Dota 2, overwatch, call of duty, and so on.
A total of 10 games are under the starcraft series. The first one was released in the year 1998 and was called starcraft: retribution, brood war, and insurrection 1998. In 2000, there was starcraft 64. Starcraft 2 was released in 2010 & the subparts were continued till 2016. The variant named starcraft remastered was released in 2017. Another variant named starcraft ghost was also there.
This game redefined the genre of real-time strategy. Protoss, zerg, or Terran, the galaxy will be yours to conquer. The gameplay is simple and you can play it just the way you want. Through a campaign of an epic story, collaborative co-op missions, and best-in-class multiplayer competition, try experiencing intergalactic warfare.
This falls under the genre of team-based strategy games. Here, 2 teams of 5 powerful champions war against each other to destroy the base of the other team. Choose from the champions of more than 140 to make secure kills, Epic plays & take down towers while battling the way of yours to victory.
The heart of the bases of both teams is the Nexus. The players will need to destroy the Nexus of the enemy first for winning the game. The Nexus is a place where minions spawn. There is the fountain behind your Nexus of yours. Here you can quickly and swiftly replenish Mana and health & access the shop. The Nexus of the enemy looks just like yours. It is located in the base of the enemy team. Destroying the Nexus of the enemy can make your team win the game.
This is a video game franchise in a first-person shooter that is published by Activision. It started first in 2003 & it focused on games that are set in the Era of the second World war. Over time, this series has seen various games that are set in the backdrop of outer space, futuristic worlds, and the cold war. The games were 1st developed by the company named infinity ward. Next, it was taken over by Treyarch & sledgehammer games.
Numerous handheld and spin-off games were developed by other makers. The most recent name that is Vanguard, was released the previous year, on November 5. Modern warfare II, which is the next title, is going to be released this year itself, on October 28.
The version named finest hour is the console installment of the real game. It was released on devices like Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Gamecube. The Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions of this game include a mode called online multiplayer that supports up to almost 32 players. This also includes new game modes.
This is a soccer video game that was published and developed by Psyonix. This game was 1st released for PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows in the year 2015, in July. Later it released another version where there were ports for Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. In the year 2016 in June, 505 games started distributing a version of the game that was physical retail for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Warner Bros entertainment took over those duties in the latter part of the year 2017. In the year 2016, versions of Linux and macOS were also released. But support for their online services of them dropped in the year 2020. In September of the same year, the game became free to play.
Described as soccer with rocket-powered cars, this game of rocket league has got up to 8 players who are assigned to each of the 2 teams that are formed. Rocket-powered vehicles are used for hitting a ball into the goal of their opponent & score points in the match. This game includes multiplayer and single-player modes. It can be played online and locally, including cross-platform play among all versions. New updates to the game introduced the ability for adding new game modes and modifying core rules. Basketball and ice hockey are the two options on which the new game modes are based.
This is an epic 5v5 multiplayer game in the online mode that was developed by the company called timi studio group. Here you can master powerful and unique heroes like Batman as you team up with friends.
The game was formerly called the strike of kings. It is regarded as an international adaptation of the game called honor of kings. The game was published by the company called level infinite for Nintendo Switch, IOS, and Android for markets that are outside mainland China. The game earned more than 140 million US dollars outside China in the year 2018 in September. It was one of the 6 Esports video games that were featured at the Southeast Asian games in 2019, the Asian games of 2018, the Asian Indoor & martial arts games of 2021 & sea games of 2021 as part of a competitive sport. The game was published by Actor SG, DeNA, and Garena in other regions.
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There are two adult programs in Adult Learn to Sail: Dinghy Sailing and Yacht Sailing as described below. These programs are designed primarily for adults with no prior sailing experience.
You will learn the basics of how to sail and experience first-hand the pleasures of sailing.
Participants will enjoy complimentary Yacht Club privileges until the end of July and Learn-to-sail registration fees may be credited towards membership. For more information on membership, Click here.
This program is open to adults and their family. The program is held on Monday evenings at 6:00pm from the end of April through to the end of June.
Starts Monday April 29, 2019 at 6pm and continues each Monday evening for 9 weeks.Two evenings of in-class instruction are followed by up to seven evenings on the water.
Participants will sail with experienced club skippers on a variety of 24' to 34' cruising and racing sailboats. Participants may also have the option to choose an introduction to dinghy sailing on a 14' single-person dinghy.
Each sailing session is followed by a social time and light dinner with the skippers and Club members.
A good hat (that will stay on!) and quality sunscreen.
Sunglasses, if they are secured with a strap.
Old running shoes for sailing. Going barefoot in a boat is very dangerous!
Layered clothing, and extra clothing/shoes to change into after a wet sail.
Wind proof jacket and pants if it's a cool day.


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Annual UCR Retail as Art Competition Inspires Student's International Photography Career
Photography competition helps hone high school photographer's talent behind the lens
by Silver Hogue
When 17-year-old Abby Chang entered her first student photography contest on a whim in 2012, she never thought that two years later she would be shooting natural disaster footage as a field photographer for an international aid organization. Chang, currently a junior at The Einstein School of Plano, first entered the 2012 UCR Retail as Art photography competition, which awards thousands of dollars in scholarships each year to area high school students, at the behest of her North Dallas High School art teacher Brian McClure. "I didn't realize there was an actual career aspect to photography until after I explored it in depth. Before I had just thought it was a hobby. [The contest] definitely opened me up to other opportunities in photography. I was able to find out that photography is a career path that a lot of people pursue and it made me realize it's an option for me as well."
Chang initially began taking pictures on her cell phone while commuting to and from school in South Korea. "I was a dormitory student and didn't really see my parents until the weekend," said Chang. "I had a lot of time to myself and being a foreigner and not really having a lot of people to connect with, I started to take a lot of pictures on my phone. That's what started it." McClure said Chang's cultural background and experiences make her photography work stand apart from the average student. Under McClure's guidance, Chang won third place in the 2012 Retail as Art competition and went on to win second place the following year. She said the experience gave her the confidence to explore photography as a career.
Chang's family, who founded the nonprofit aid organization Linking The World in 1996, opened a Dallas-based American branch in 2012 that is run by Chang's sister, Mina Chang. Chang recently returned from a month-and-a-half-long assignment in the Philippines where she photographed the aftermath of the typhoon Haiyan. Prior to that, she shot photos in Haiti and the Dominican Republic for the organization. "It's not just taking the photo, it's about the things involved in it," said Chang. "Traveling has really opened me up to things. Everywhere I go my perspective is always changing and I get to see the perspectives of other people. As a photographer it's really important to understand that."
All DFW-area high school students are eligible to participate in the annual Retail as Art contest. The winners will be announced on April 9th at an event at the Winspear Opera House. Visit retailasart.com for more information.
Labels: Abby Chang , Art and Culture , Mina Chang , Retail As Art , Silver Hogue


Bach & friends: two hour documentary on Johann Sebastian Bach, with Bobby McFerrin, Philip Glass, Béla Fleck, Hilary Hahn, the Emerson String Quartet, Edgar Meyer, Manuel Barrueco, Chris Thile, Jake Shimabukuto, the Swingle Singers, John Bayless, Peter Schickele, Richard Stoltzman, Zuill Bailey, Sid Meier, João Carlos Martins, Felix Hell, Mike Hawley, Uri Caine, Tim Page, Charles J. Limb, M.D., Hilda Huang, Anatoly Larkin, John Q. Walker, Harlan Brothers, Andrew Talle, & Christoph Wolff; Michael Lawrence Films,mlfilms.com, 120 minutes, $39.95 + $4 USPS First Class.
The documentary is weighty with adulation of J.S.B. and some astonishing performances of many masterpieces. The most jaw-dropping for me was organist Felix Hell's performance of the Fugue in D, S.532. You can hardly watch this guy's pedal work without falling out of your chair. Simone Dinnerstein's performance of the opening theme of the Goldberg Variations left me overwhelmed and breathless. The adulation and the performances are great. Even the stuff that flirts with kitsch (Bayless, McFerrin, the Swingle Singers) does not diminish the point of this film — Bach's music is great, and our lives are enriched by it from whatever direction it comes to us.
Bach penned everything he wrote in an unassuming consciousness that the God of his understanding was actually listening. Even the so-called secular pieces were sacred to him. It is in the solo works: the organ works, The Well-Tempered Clavier, the Goldberg Variations, the violin sonatas and partitas, and the cello suites that we meet Bach intimately and personally. Here we have one musician and one instrument communicating, first of all, with each other and then conveying meaning and aspiration to others who may be in the same space.
Bach's music was not separate from the man himself. Therefore when he and Maria Barbara lost both of their twins less than a month after they were born, all of the emotion of that monumental grief had to have found its way into his music. When Bach got down on the floor in rough and tumble play with his children, that too was expressed in his music. His passionate love life, his concerns about providing for his family, his conflicts with civil authorities, his taste for good German beer, his delight at the excellence of a new organ, his satisfaction in the accomplishments of his students — all of this had to find its way somehow into his music and especially in these solo pieces.
Of course Bach was an acclaimed organist, but he also was an accomplished player of the violin, the viola, the cello, the flute and more. One gets the impression in all the solo works that Bach was not "composing" but was instead writing down the instrument's part of the conversation as he worked out the meaning of human existence for himself.
In Bach & friends, there are a few insights into the character of Bach and how his personal makeup fit into and influenced the music he composed. This is not a documentary about Bach's life but rather a documentary about Bach's music and as such it provides an appreciable sampling of the music that is the foundation on which most of what we call music today is based.
The second DVD in the set is comprised of complete performances of the sample works without commentary or interruption. The sound and picture quality are superb. The editing flows comfortably. There is enough pure joy in this set to make it worth having on your shelf. It is in standard DVD format, not available in Blu-Ray or HD. The only purchase source at this point in time seems to be the website listed at the top of this review. If you are interested, there are several trailer clips on YouTube. Just go to the site above and it will lead you there.


Alan Bonner was laid to rest this afternoon, following a service in his home town of Stamullen that drew incredible numbers. After being flanked by hundreds of bikes on his return journey from the Isle of Man on Sunday, Alan was again surrounded by many saddened family members, friends, fellow racers and fans alike for the funeral mass that saw the #122 image all over the village and surrounding areas.
People traveled great distances to celebrate Alan's life and that included large numbers from both the North and South of the country. Fellow TT and BSB racer Joshua Brooks was spotted in the huge numbers that couldn't fit into the church and instead filled the surrounds and nearby Main Street.
Perhaps the most humbling tributes to Alan came from daughter Nicole, fiancée Gemma and devoted parents Una and Noel, who described the loving and caring times spent with ever smiling Alan. Something we could all relate to. Thanks were extended to the many people that contributed to Alan's racing career over the years and the support received since the passing of Alan.
The service was heard, hands were shaken, stories were shared and tears fell.
Finally, when all was said, Alan's remains, draped in a #122 TT flag, left for the nearby cemetery and he was graciously laid down in glorious sunshine in the company of the many that adored him.
Alan Bonner was an extremely talented motorcycle racer and a devoted family man whose absence in the near and distant future will be felt by many far and wide.
Rest easy and Godspeed Bono.


Kazmeir Allen is the nation's unofficial leader in touchdowns with 70 total.
Allen is the nation's unofficial leader in scoring touchdowns with 70 total.
Growing up, Tulare Union senior running back idolized those former Oregon Ducks running backs who were groomed under then-head coach Chip Kelly. All three would go on to play in the NFL.
Allen enjoyed watching those aforementioned players so much, that he emulated their running style and nifty moves on the football field.
Now, Allen may be next in line to follow that tradition under Kelly.
Allen, the nation's unofficial leader in scoring touchdowns with 70 total, verbally committed to play college football for Kelly at UCLA on Tuesday night. The Tribe star running back made his announcement via Twitter Wednesday morning.
Oral commitments are non-binding, but Allen can make his decision official on National Signing Day in February. He previously committed to Boise State in June, but de-committed in August.
UCLA running backs coach DeShaun Foster visited Allen and the Tulare Union campus Tuesday and extended a scholarship offer.
Later that night, Kelly, who was introduced as the new UCLA head coach on Monday, made it official with a phone call and Allen gave his oral commitment.
At Oregon, Kelly operated a no-huddle, uptempo spread offense that attacked defenses with speedy running backs. Kelly was the Ducks' head coach from 2009-12, leading them to four straight BCS games and three Pac-12 titles.
Under Kelly, the Ducks were annually one of the highest scoring teams in the nation before he departed for the NFL to coach the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
Allen will play running back at UCLA.
"That was the main reason why," Allen said. "His offense, it's just a great fit for me. I like spread a lot."
Allen became one of most prized recruits on the West Coast after he placed sixth overall in the 100-meters final, clocking in at 10.48 seconds, at the 99th annual CIF State Track and Field Championships in June.
With home-run hitting speed, Allen has enjoyed a historic senior season.
Through Central Section play, Allen has scored 70 TDs (60 rushing, nine receiving, one kickoff return). The 5-foot-10, 180-pound speedster has rushed for 2,989 yards and caught 29 passes for 833 receiving yards.
Allen averages a TD on nearly every four offensive touches. He is also averaging 13.1 yards per carry and is the new CIF state record holder for most TDs in a single season.
With Allen as the focal point of the Tulare Union offense, the Tribe (13-0) captured a Central Section Division II championship and will learn their fate for the state playoffs on Sunday afternoon.
"It's all the people blocking for me," Allen said. "All my linemen, my receivers. They just helped me put up crazy numbers."
Allen had nearly 20 scholarships offers including, Arizona State, California, Fresno State, San Diego State and USC.
If Allen plays as a true freshman next fall, Fresno State fans may get a chance to see him in a Bruins' uniform.
The Bulldogs travel to UCLA on Sept. 18 at the Rose Bowl.
Tribe senior receiver Emoryie Edwards is a Fresno State verbal commit, and former Tulare Union standout Romello Harris is a redshirt freshman running back for the Bulldogs.
"It's very special," Allen said. "I will probably receive more offers, but at the end of the day, I know where I'm going, so I'm going to stick with that."