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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated and surfaced long-standing inadequacies in the country's health and social systems. In response to the Philippine government's inefficient and ineffective COVID-19 response and their dismissal of the calls for accountability, Filipinos at the barangay level organized community pantries to respond to the needs of the community. Using WHO's Framework for Community Health Engagement, this study positions community pantries as a unique health phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic within the Philippine context. This study explores the ways that the Maginhawa Community Pantry—the critical case study—addresses both emergent and pre-existing health needs among Filipinos during the COVID-19 pandemic. By examining community pantries from the perspective of the Maginhawa Community Pantry organizer, this paper elucidates how community pantries engage in diverse initiatives that: (1) mobilize the community for health, (2) improve access to healthcare, (3) ensure community collaboration and (4) call for collective action for systemic issues. The findings of this paper highlight the capacity and potential of community pantries as a health response beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and address gaps in the Philippine healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) centrality playing a significant role addressing COVID-19 relief. Topics include public health security among vulnerable communities in Southeast Asia through cross-border, inter-regional and joint multilateral cooperation; and COVID-19 emergency vaccine task addressing the gaps in global COVID-19 vaccine equity.

Many of the academic papers that discussed the COVID-19 pandemic sought to present a reasonable analysis of the crisis and its underlying implications in government policies (for social and environmental reformations) and individual actions either in the present context or future. This paper attempted to contextualize the COVID-19 crisis through the lens of the Darwinian struggle for life and the philosophical notion of suffering while stressing the importance of defects admission. Generally, the author argues that these concepts are the primary roots of other dimensions of COVID-19-related studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This correspondence responds to a recently published editorial by highlighting the interconnectedness of science, policy, politics and activism in addressing the escalating heat index in the Philippines. It underlines the importance of a complete strategy that incorporates scientific information into evidence-based policy, navigates the political environment and encourages grassroots activity to address the complex effects of extreme heat on public health. This paper highlights the necessity of multidisciplinary collaboration among stakeholders in developing effective measures for minimizing the negative health consequences of rising temperatures while also promoting climate resilience and health justice in the Philippines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent correspondence, the authors suggested that secondary schools must adhere to health protocols and national and international guidelines so that the delivery of face-to-face classes will not risk students' and educators' health. With this, this paper proposes that even in higher education, a well-planned execution of face-to-face classes must be done. Thus, the gradual reopening of face-to-face classes becomes a necessity in order to gain a sense of normalcy in the middle of a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent correspondence shows that death and burial practices deem significant in understanding the meaning and acceptance of the untimely and unexpected death of a family member afflicted with the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. These, in turn, raise the need to address the anticipatory grieving process of the family. This paper examines the importance of anticipatory grieving that ultimately affects the lives of the family of the bereaved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent correspondence, authors discussed the role of private companies in fulfilling their corporate social responsibility (CSR) by coming up with their own vaccination program for their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper supports the invitation for companies to act in accordance with their CSR and by emphasizing the various roles of companies just like what selected hotels do as isolation and quarantine facilities during the pandemic. However, certain considerations and issues must also be addressed by hotel sectors in accomplishing their CSR especially in time of public health crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent correspondence discussed that in trying times, technology can help be applied toward epidemiology to benefit communities by building a basic surveillance system. This suggested development in Honduras can be utilized in the Philippines to improve the State's handling of health emergencies. With this, this paper accentuates the importance of prevention and planning to ensure public health in the Philippines, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schooling is one of the most affected aspects of human life due to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In a recent correspondence published, the authors reminded every country of their responsibility to come up with strategies to reopen schools safely. This paper reiterates the adherence of school health protocols as significant in the delivery of face-to-face classes following national and international guidelines in mitigating the effects of COVID-19 pandemic as a public health crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent correspondence suggested that taking home ashes and launching digital Lenten ashes filters are non-traditional yet creative ways for the Catholic Church to perform the ritual practice in celebrating Ash Wednesday. These creative practices are deemed as necessary so that the Catholic community can celebrate the liturgical celebration while ensuring public health. With this, we propose in this paper practices that can be done during the holy week so that the spread of the coronavirus will be mitigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent correspondence claimed that the establishment of community pantries across the Philippines embodies a spirituality of "Alay Kapwa" as it connects people, especially in a time of crisis such as the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, to be persons for others. 1 This article highlights that the rise of community pantries was primarily aided by social media. It claims that if social media is utilized ethically and with positive disposition and perspective, it can be a powerful tool in the Church's mission of evangelization, and in its response to this pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about COVID-19 survivors in Philippines who are making efforts towards the promotion of public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection; and drive to decrease the level of hesitancy of the public towards these vaccines but also to implement a well-designed vaccine distribution program.

The article reports that problems of corruption and poor planning resulted in reducing public services and slash of community assets. Topics include the prolongation of the Covid-19 pandemic and the incompetence of government agencies, people's well-being is affected; and Philippines, community pantries became a solid response to the government's lack of sustainable support and systematic planning.