This Week in Manila (May 30 to June 5, 2016)

The Congress will proclaim the country’s new president and vice president on May 30. Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Leni Robredo won in the recently concluded national elections as president and vice president respectively.

Starting May 28, Saturday, up to June 12, Sunday, the nation is celebrating the National Flag Days, culminating in the celebration of Independence Day on June 12. Philippine flags are displayed in “all offices, agencies, and instruments of government, business establishments, schools, and private homes throughout this period.” [1]

The implementation of Brigada Eskwela 2016 is starting today, May 30, and runs until June 4 where all school stakeholders are encouraged to participate. With the theme, Tayo Para sa Paaralang Ligtas Maayos at Handa Mula Kindergarten Hanggang Senior High School, regional offices and schools division offices that offer Senior High School program shall hold a caravan launching the first day of Brigada Eskwela.

Activities include cleaning of classrooms, repainting blackboards, walls, and ceilings, and repairing chairs and cabinets. Some schools are accepting volunteers who want to help or donate materials that could be helpful to the activity.

In relation to this, the Department of Education has also released the official school calendar for year 2016 to 2017. Classes will start on June 13, 2016 and will end on April 7, 2017. The calendar includes semestral break, holiday breaks, examination periods, and various programs under the Department of Education.

The country’s weather bureau PAGASA has announced on May 24 that the rainy season has begun. The public is advised to get ready for La Niña which will bring above normal rainfall and cooler temperature all throughout the country. Floods and landslides can be expected in areas with storms and heavy rainfalls. Travelers should check road traffic reports and / or air travel advisories before their trip or flight.

Local governments are advised to start preparing their anti-flood and calamity programs to lessen the casualty in case of a typhoon. Residents are also reminded to start checking their roofs, preparing emergency kits, and creating an escape plan should sudden flood occur.

Rainy season brings various diseases, the most common of which are influenza, common colds, fever, leptospirosis, and dengue, among others. People can get influenza and common colds anytime of the year but they are highly contagious during the rainy season. Flu can be avoided by eating fruits and taking Vitamin C which can help boost the immune system.

Leptospirosis, on the other hand, is common in rainy season because of the flooding that heavy rains bring. A person can get this disease through direct contact with water contaminated with urine from infected animals, commonly rats. Those with open wounds are advised to avoid walking and wading into floods.

As commonly experienced in the Metro, traffic gets heavier when it’s raining in the city. This occurrence is typically caused by vehicles moving slower amidst slippery and flooded streets and roads. Travel time on the road is usually doubled when there are strong downpours especially during peak hours (weekdays, 6:00 to 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM). On other news, MMDA reports that moderate to heavy flow of traffic is expected along Sales and Andrews Avenue, Pasay, Metro Manila due to the ongoing construction of Skyway Stage 3 Toll Plaza entry and exit points. Commuters are advised take alternative routes.

SM Southmall is having a 5-day sale from May 27 to 31 wherein shoppers can get 70% discount on select items.

TriNoma Shopping Mall at North EDSA is holding its Green Light Sale on May 27 to 31‬. Shoppers who use GrabCar and GrabTaxi services to go to and from Trinoma can get discounts by using the following PROMO CODES: GrabCar: GREENLIGHTGC and GrabTaxi: GREENLIGHTGT.

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