MUNTINLUPA City is not letting up on its vaccination program despite having fully vaccinated 112 per cent of its target 442,517 individuals. The latter figure comprises 80 percent of the city’s total population. According to City Health Officer Juancho Bunyi, of this number, 31 percent have received at least one booster shot.
Of the target 56,499 pediatric vaccinees, 71 percent have been fully vaccinated.
To date, Muntinlupa City has had 40,010 confirmed COVID cases. 39,385 have recovered while 614 died of Covid. As of May 25, there are only 11 active cases.
Dr. Bunyi has organized a Rolling Bakuna Team to reach out to residents who, for medical or other reasons, could not go to the vaccination centers. When I learned of this, I contacted Dr. Bunyi to see if the team could pay my bed-ridden wife a visit for her second booster shot. We were, at that time, visiting our ancestral home in Barangay Alabang. The team, headed by Dr. German Estrella and health worker Josephine Hernandez, arrived punctually the following day and gave my wife a Moderna booster. Dr. Estrella also offered to have others in the household vaccinated. As a result, I also received my second booster shot. Others who were around at the time, including two carpenters doing some repairs, received their first boosters. Big thanks to the Muntinlupa Rolling Bakuna Team which also included Van Aelar Mañaco, Ma. Concepcion Catungal, Ericka Borbor, Carmina Apellanes, Bernadette Bustamante, Cielo Bautista, Mary Jane Acosta, Joyce Arciaga, and Proceso Tabora.
Kudos SEA Games athletes
BPI Unibanker Alexis Sy won silver in the women’s singles bowling tournament while Ayala-sponsored athletes also shone in the recent Southeast Asian Games. Sisters Pia and Abby Bidaure won the gold in the archery team recurve event. Swimmer Jasmine Alkaldi won the bronze in the 100 m butterfly and silver in the 4x100m relay. Fencer Nathaniel Perez won silver in foil while fencer Noelito Jose won silver in epee. Together with archer Andrea Robles, the medalists are members of the inaugural class of Atletang Ayala of the Ayala Center for Excellence in Sports (ACES).
Under the Atletang Ayala program, Ayala companies offer full-salaried employment opportunities at part-time hours to select national athletes while they train for the 2022 Asian Games and the 2024 Olympics. The Atletang Ayala are also given free access to the world-class training facilities of the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Cavite, and free enrollment at De La Salle University in a selection of courses.
Meanwhile, Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi and incoming Mayor Ruffy Biazon praised the performance of the following Muntinlupa City athletes with their respective medal hauls: Carlo Biado – gold (men’s 10-ball pool singles event) and silver (men’s 9-ball pool singles event); Annie Ramirez – gold jujitsu women’s 62KG; Shugen Nakano – gold in judo men’s 66KG; Keisei Nakano – silver (judo men’s 73KG); Daryl John Mercado – silver (judo men’s 55KG); Rose Ann Marie Robles, Grindsky Esports – gold (LOL: Wild Rift – Women Team Event).
PLMun First Magisterial Lecture Winners
On the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa (PLMun), I had the pleasant task of awarding last week the First Magisterial Lecture winners – together with Dr. Raymond Arcega, President; Dr. Ellen Presnedi, President Emeritus; Dr. Choi Mesina and Dr. Remy Cunanan (Mancom members). The top three awards went, respectively, to Anna Beatriz Dablo (CAS); Glorynor Navarro (CTE) and Ruby Lacro (CTE).
I founded PLMun in 1991 as a community college then known as Muntinlupa Polytechnic College, starting with 3 courses and 309 students. It has since metamorphosed to a full-fledged university, offering 10 courses and serving the learning and training needs of almost 12,000 students. Dr. Arcega is now preparing the groundwork for the future offering of medical and law degree courses in the university./PN
