Michael V. updates on COVID-19 battle

The comedian, whose moniker is Bitoy, said he started getting suspicious after losing his sense of smell, and resorted to isolating himself.

He announced through his his vlog post titled "#BitoyStory29: Positive," baring that he had been experiencing flu-like symptoms since he made his last vlog.

Halfway through the 14-minute video, Bitoy showed himself taking a swab test on July 15. Towards the end, he can be seen consulting a doctor for confirmation of his test result three days later. He showed a screenshot of the email which read: "SARS-COV-2 (causative agent of COVID-19) viral RNA detected."

"That's it, positive, just as what we suspected early on," Bitoy told his viewers, right after talking to his doctor.

Michael V. recently gave a positive update on his health condition after he announced over a couple of weeks ago that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

In the “Chika Minute” segment of GMA News "24 Oras Weekend" on August 1, the comedian also known as Bitoy said he is getting better now and his sense of smell is improving.

"'Yung pang-amoy ang nakakatawa, kasi may pang-amoy na ako... So hindi pa rin siya 100% pero at least," the Kapuso comedian said.

"Nu'ng isang araw nagluluto ng hamburger 'yung kasambahay namin, naamoy ko from this room. Pero nu'ng isinserve na sa akin, nu'ng binigay na sa akin, hindi ko na maamoy from this distance. So magulo talaga.”

Kapuso comedian Michael V. in his latest vlog shared that he has been feeling a lot better lately and disclosed how he may have contracted the novel coronavirus.

He noted that during the filming of the vlog, he was already nine days straight of not showing any COVID-19 symptom.

Michael V. disclosed that he and his family traveled to Batangas in early July, but none of his family members got infected. He also shared that one of their helpers also tested positive, but his children, who are the ones in contact with the helper most of the time, tested negative.

“Ang duda ko deliveries. Pero FYI, lahat ng deliveries na dumadating, hindi nakakapasok dito sa studio ng hindi sina-sanitize,” the comedian clarified. (My guess is deliveries. But for your information, all the deliveries I had did not enter this studio without getting sanitized.)

Michael V. also disclosed that another bad part of having COVID-19 is the “stigma” against patients, saying he himself got harassed once.

“Para kang tinatakan na ‘reject’ ng lipunan. Kahit naka-full PPE [personal protective equipment] ka, iniiwasan ka ng mga tao, kinatatakutan, pinandidirihan,” he said.

“Ang masama ‘yung iba hinihiya o hina-harass ka pa. Hindi ko na lang ide-detalye, pero kami mismong ng pamilya ko naka-experience kami ng harassment,” the comedian added.

(The worst thing is that others shame or harass you. I will not go into details, but my family and I experienced harassment.)

Michael V. explained that while this may be one of the reasons why others with symptoms choose not to get tested, it is still an individual’s responsibility to get tested and follow health protocols.

ABS-CBN's franchise

The government's lawyer ran to the high court with a "very urgent" motion requesting to cancel ABS-CBN's legislative franchise weeks before it lapses. Calida claimed that the Lopez-owned network committed violations in the terms set by Congress when it approved ABS-CBN's franchise in 1995.

The quo warranto petition was lodged against ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence Inc.

Calida said he wants to put an end to "highly abusive practices of ABS-CBN" which went unnoticed for years. For one, he said the network allowed foreign investors to "take part in the ownership of a Philippine mass media entity" despite being prohibited by the Constitution.

This proves that this government will do whatever it takes to shut down a network that the President doesn't agree with. Freedom of speech is at stake here. If you silence the media, the people are in peril because they will lose a platform where they can get the information that they need

ABS-CBN's franchise will expire on March 30, and Pimentel's House Bill 5608 is one of several bills seeking to give the network another 25-year franchise.

But ABS-CBN can still go on air even after its franchise expires in March, a media expert said Tuesday.

The House of Representatives has yet to hear several bills seeking to renew ABS-CBN's franchise, which the government's top lawyer asked the Supreme Court on Monday to revoke.

The decision on whether to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise for another 25 years will ultimately depend on Congress and the president, who has repeatedly threatened to shut down the network for failing to air a political ad in the 2016 elections, among other issues.

President Rodrigo Duterte has consistently ranted against ABS-CBN, often complaining that the network did not air his political ads despite payment during the campaign.

As Duterte badgers the Lopezes to sell ABS-CBN, speculations mount that the President's campaign donor, Dennis Uy, may be a potential buyer. No deal has been made.

It recounted how in recent years, the Philippines has witnessed multiple tactics from the government to attack the media – from the legal harassment of ABS-CBN and Rappler to the spread of false claims against groups such as Vera Files.

Infrawatch PH, an infrastructure-oriented thinktank, pointed out that Calida’s complaints, especially concerning ABS-CBN's use of Philippine Depository Receipts, can be resolved in franchise renewal proceedings in Congress.

Reminding the public of the upcoming anniversary of the 1986 EDSA revolution this month, the UP CMC asked Filipinos ensure that the freedoms regained 34 years ago will remain.

"Government actions such as [the filing of the quo warranto petition] show us the volatility of this hard-won freedom, the need to remain vigilant so as to not allow history repeat itself," it said.

As many as 11,000 jobs are on the line in a possible ABS-CBN closure.

The NUJP has been holding weekly Friday protests to call on the government to renew the franchise. It's also leading a signature campaign against the ABS-CBN shutdown, which will be submitted to Congress for review.

Star City will die?

Lisa Macuja, wife of Fred Elizalde, owner of Star City, showed authorities a Twitter post saying "Star City will die."

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) on Wednesday assessed that 80 to 90% of the Star City compound in Pasay City, which includes the Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) building and Aliw Theater, was razed by fire, according to a report by Maki Pulido on GMA News TV’s Balitanghali.

The iconic 28-year-old amusement park, Star City, located in Pasay City was hit by fire early Wednesday.

The massive park, which is located in the reclaimed area of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, is a common destination of school field trips and of children after they receive their cash gifts from godparents during the Christmas season.

The complex also boasts of holding shows, including ballet performances.

Sadly, the site will be closed this Christmas season after 60% of the compound was gutted in the fire that lasted for more than four hours.

Firefighters were wondering why different parts of Star City seemed to have started burning almost at the same time.

The amusement park has 600 workers.

Despite the catastrophe, MBC, which has 300 employees, will continue the regular broadcasting operations of its FM stations Love Radio, Yes the Best, and Easy Rock.

Its AM station dzRH is expected to go back on-air within 48 hours

Cinemalaya John Denver Trending

The film was shot entirely in Pandan, Antique, Condez’s home province. Only Meryll Soriano and Sunshine Teodoro are professional actors. The rest of the cast members led by neophyte child actor Jansen Magpusao are either Condez’s relatives or childhood friends. Magpusao’s family lives in a mountain resort in Pandan, Antique called Malumpati Cold Spring.

The movie is close to my heart (pounded to the core during the almost two-hour screening) for two reasons: First, the movie is in Kinaray-a, the language of my province- Antique. It has English subtitles for non-Antiqueños. Second, it’s about the scourge of online disinformation – the issue that our group, VERA Files, is actively helping to fight.

The movie was shot in its entirety in Pandan, a town in the northern part of Antique ,where the family of the current representative, Loren Legarda, comes from. The Zaldivar family (the late Supreme Court Justice Calixto Zaldivar, former Governor Enrique Zaldivar, former Governor Sally Perez-Zaldivar) are also from Pandan.

The movie is rich in local sound and color. One even hears in the background the” tiktik.” In our childhood days, we were told that was the sound of the “aswang.”

Also worth noting is Meryll Soriano, who enfleshes John Denver’s mother with the kind of quiet but forceful dignity and devotion that the role requires.

A clear strength of the film is its rural and “regional” world, with its culturally simultaneous reality being succinctly captured in the depiction of communal faith healers paradoxically coexisting with smart phones, thereby suggesting not so much rupture as continuity between the regime of memory and the regime of data, especially where the residual but entirely determinative power of orality is concerned.

The condemnation that falls squarely on the shoulders of the wrongly accused boy is enabled not only by the manipulability—and the selectivity—of video as a medium, but also by this unfortunate boy’s (class) identity, his unimportance and “dispensability” as a marginal person in this world.

The domination of Kinaray-a speaking film “John Denver Trending” during this year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival made a strong statement: stop cyberbullying, which can be disastrous, or worse even fatal.

Australia vs Philippines

Nine Philippine players were also ejected after the nasty confrontation but, in farcical scenes, the match continued with just three Philippine players still eligible to be on the court.

They then deliberately fouled the Australians so they could gradually be disqualified from the game and bring an early end to the drama that ended with an 89-53 win to the Boomers with 1min 57sec left in the third quarter.

A long delay followed as officials from FIBA and both countries engaged in a discussion, leaving the score in Australia’s favour at 79-48.

A local official appealed to the crowd to remain calm and show the Boomers respect.
Some of the most sickening scenes saw players being punched and kicked while they were lying helpless on the floor, while one Australian had a chair thrown at his head by someone who wasn’t even a player.

Reyes was apologetic about the situation getting out of hand but alleged Kickert hit several Filipino stars during the warm-up, which contributed to the flare-up that saw Kickert floor Roger Ray Pogoy after he fouled Boomers guard Chris Goulding.

The judges saw it otherwise.

In the power punches department, Manny Pacquiao landed 123 of his 380, and Jeff Horn connecting on only 73 of his 428 power punches.

But the judges saw it otherwise.

Based on numbers that were shown him after the fight, Manny Pacquiao felt he was robbed the way he’d been robbed before.


“We won the fight,” said Pacquiao hours after he lost his WBO welterweight title yesterday to undefeated Australian Jeff Horn.

Pacquiao had the numbers and the tape of the fight to back up his claim.

“It’s clear naman, kahit (even if) i-review mo ang fight,” he said after taking the damaging loss before 51,052 fans at the Suncorp Stadium.

At 38 and at the final bend of his career, Pacquiao can’t afford to take another loss.

He has lost four times in his nine fights the last five years, and losing the “Battle of Brisbane” is not going to help him draw the fights he wants as the sun goes down.

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
On top of the ring, in the middle of the packed stadium, Pacquiao took the loss in stride, saying there’s nothing else to do but accept defeat.

“It’s okay. It’s part of the game,” he said as his fans cheered.

“That’s the decision of the judges. I respect that,” added the humble senator.

But Compubox numbers were all over the Internet after the bloody welterweight contest, saying that Pacquiao threw less but landed more punches.

In the power punches department, Pacquiao landed 123 of his 380, and Horn connecting on only 73 of his 428 power punches.

Pacquiao also had the better and more accurate jab, going 59-of-193 compared to the Australian who landed only 19 jabs out of 197 thrown.

The total punch stats showed that Pacquiao was the better puncher, who lost a unanimous decision.

Teddy Atlas, the great trainer, was among the many who felt Pacquiao was robbed.

“They gave a win, a huge win, to the local kid for trying hard. You’re not supposed to get it for trying hard. You’re supposed to get it for winning and I thought Pacquiao won the fight if you go by the real rules of who lands the cleaner punches,” said Atlas, one of the ring commentators.

A report by news.com.au was plated on the Internet telling how Atlas, who trained Tim Bradley for this third fight with Pacquiao, approached Horn after the fight.

“Congratulations, (you’re) a great athlete. I thought you lost, but great effort. Did you feel, after that ninth round when you heard the referee saying ‘I’m going to stop this fight if you don’t do something’, that you were winning that fight?” said Atlas.

In 36 minutes, Pacquiao threw a total of 573 punches and landed 182.

Horn, on the other hand, threw a grand total of 625 punches and landed only 92.

Buhay ng isang Puta

Tingin ng mga bobong kapitbahay ko, puta daw ako. Nagpapagamit, binabayaran. Sabi nila, ako raw ang pinakamaganda at pinakasikat sa aming lugar noon. ‘Di ko nga alam kung sumpa ito, dahil dito naletse ang kinabukasan ko.

Tara, makinig ka muna sa kuwento ko, yosi muna tayo.

Alam mo, maraming lumapit sa akin. Nagkagusto at naakit. Ang hirap pag lahat sa iyo, virgin eh. Tinanggap ko naman silang tao, bakit kaya nila ako ginago? Hindi ko maintindihan ang mga nangyari sa akin. Bukas-palad ko naman silang pinakitunguhan, ni hindi ko nga itinuring na iba. Iniisip ko na nga lang na kasi ‘di sila taga rito kaya siguro talagang ganoon.

Tatlong malilibog na foreigners ang nagpiyesta sa katawan ko. Sabi nila na-rape daw ako.

Sa tatlong beses akong nagahasa, ang pinakahuli ang ‘ di ko makalilimutan.

Parang maski ‘di ko ginusto ang mga nangyari, hinahanap-hanap ko siya. Kasi, ibang-iba ang hagod niya. Umiikot ang mundo ko sa tuwing ginagamit niya ako. May mga pagkakaton na nasusuka na ”ko sa mga nangyayari sa aming dalawa. Parang ‘pag humahalinghing siya, nararamdaman ko na nalalason ako. Gusto ko mang umayaw, hindi ko makuhang humindi. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit. Ibang klase din kasi siyang mag-sorry eh, lalo pa at inalagaan niya ako at ang mga naging anak ko.

Alam mo, parating ang dami naming regalo – may chocolates, yosi at ano ka! May datung pa! Nakababaliw siya! Alam kong ginagamit lang niya ako, pero pagamit naman ako nang pagamit. Sa kanya namin natutunan mag-ingles, ‘di lang magsulat ha! Magbasa pa!

Nung kinasama ko siya, guminhawa ang buhay namin. Sosyal na sosyal kami! Ewan ko nga ba, akala ko napapamahal na ako sa kanya. Akala ko tuloy-tuloy na ang kaligayahan namin; ‘yun pala unti-unti niya akong pinapatay.

Punyetang buhay! Sa dami ng lason na sinaksak niya sa katawan ko, muntik na akong malaspag. Ang daming nagsabi na ang tanga-tanga ko. Palayasin ko na raw. Taon ang binilang bago ako natauhang makinig sa payo. Iniisip ko kasi na parang ‘di ko kakayanin na mawala siya sa akin… Sa amin! .

Sa tulong ng ilan sa mga anak ko, napalayas ko ang demonyo, pero ang hirap magsimula. Hindi nga ako sigurado kung nabunutan ako ng tinik o nadagdagan pa. Masyado na kasi kaming nasanay sa sarap ng buhay na naranasan namin sa kanya, kaya eto, nabaon kami sa utang. Lubog na lubog kami sa pagkakautang, kulang yata pati kaluluwa namin para ibayad sa mga inutang namin.

Nakakahiya mang aminin, pero hanggang ngayon, sa tuwing mabigat ang problema ko, siya ang tinatakbuhan ko. ‘Yun nga lang, kapit sa patalim, sabi nga nila. Para akong isang aso na nangagat ng amo, na bumabahag ang buntot at umaamo kapag nangangailangan.

Usap-usapan ako ng mga kapitbahay ko. May nanghihinayang, namumuhi at naaawa. Puta na kasi ang isang magandang katulad ko. Ang dating hinahangaan at humahalina ay nabibili na sa murang halaga. Alam mo maski ganun ang mga nangyari sa akin, nilakasan ko pa rin ang loob ko.

Kailangang makita ng mga anak ko na masasandalan nila ako maski ano pang mangyari.
Maski ano pa ang sabihin ng iba, sinisikap namin na maging maganda ang buhay namin. Nag-aambisyon kami at nangangarap. Ayun, may mga anak ako na nasa Japan, Hong Kong, Saudi. Yung iba nag-US, Canada, Europe. ‘Yung iba ayaw umalis sa akin. Halos lahat, wala naman silbi. Masaya daw sa piling ko, maski amoy pusali ako.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko na nagsisikap na tulungan ang kalagayan namin, siya din ang dami ng mga anak ko na nanamantala sa kabuhayan at kayaman na itinatabi ko para sa punyetang kinabukasan naming lahat. Eto na nga ang panahon na halos di na kami makaahon sa hirap ng buhay. Napakahirap dahil nasanay na kami sa ginhawa at sarap.

Alam mo, gusto ko na sanang tumigil sa pagpuputa, kaso ang laki talaga ng letseng utang ko eh. Palaki pa nang palaki! Paano na lang ang mga anak kong naiwan sa aking puder? At paano na lang ang mga anak kong nasa abroad? Baka ‘di na nila ako balikan o bisitahin man lang? Hindi na importante kung laspagin man ang ganda ko, madama lang ng mga anak ko ang pagmamahal ko.

Malaman nila na ibibigay ko ang lahat para sa kanila.

Sa tuwing titingin ako sa salamin, alam ko maganda pa rin ako. Mayroon pa ding bilib sa akin. Napapag-usapan pa rin. Sa tuwing nakikita ko ang mukha ko sa salamin, nakikita ko ang mga anak ko. Tutulo na lang ang mga luha ko nang ‘di ko namamalayan. Ang gagaling nga ng mga anak ko eh, namamayagpag kahit saan sila pumunta. Mahusay sa kahit anong gawain. Tama man o mali.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko, iilan lang ang may malasakit sa akin. May malasakit man, nahihilaw pa.
Mabigat dalahin para sa akin, ang katotohanan na ni minsan ay hindi kami naging isang pamilya. Halos lahat ng mga anak ko, galit sa isa’t isa. IIlan ang gustong magtulungan, naghihilahan pa. Madalas kong itinatanong sa sarili ko kung naging masama ba akong nanay para magturingan nang ganito ang mga anak ko?

Kanino bang similya ng demonyo nanggaling ang mga anak kong maituturing mong may mga pinag-aralan, pero nakadadama ng saya at sarap sa paghihirap ng kapatid nila? ‘ Di ko lubos maisip kung saang impiyerno nanggaling ang kasakiman ng ilan sa mga anak kong ito. Sila pa naman ang inaasahan kong magbabangon sa amin. Nakababaliw isipin na natitiis nila ang kalagayan ng kanilang mga kapatid na halos mamatay sa hirap ng buhay. Parang ‘di sila magkakapatid sa tindi ng pagkaganid at walang pagmamalasakit.

Ang ‘di ko akalain ay mismong mga anak ko pa ang tuluyang sisira sa akin. Kinapital ang laspag na ganda ko. Masaya sila sa mga nabibili nila mula sa pinagputahan ko. Buong angas nilang pinagyayabang ang mga pansamantalang yaman at ang kanilang hilaw na pagkatao sa mga makakakita at makikinig. Talaga bang nakakalula ang materyal na kayamanan at mga titulong ikinakabit sa pangalan? Hindi ko maintindihan.

Minsan sa pagtingin ko sa salamin, ni hindi ko na nga kilala sarili ko.

Dadating na naman ang Pasko, sana maalala naman ako ng mga anak ko. Ilang linggo pa, magbabagong taon na. Natatakot ako sa taong darating. Ngayon pa lang usap-usapan na ang susunod na pangbubugaw sa akin. Gagamitin pa nila ang kahinaan ng mga kapatid nilang alipin sa kalam ng tiyan. Sa tagal ng panahong ganito ang sitwasyon namin parang eto lang ang sulok na gagalawan ko. Sana may magtanggol naman sa akin. Ipaglaban naman nila ako. Gusto kong isigaw: “Ina ninyo ako!

Pagmamahal n’yo lang ang kailangan ko!”

Sensya na, ang haba na ng drama ko. Masisira na ang make up ko nito eh. Salamat ha, pinakinggan mo ako. Malaking bagay sa akin na nakausap kita. Ang tagal nating nag-usap, ‘di man lang ako nagpapakilala.

Ay sorry, ‘di ko nasabi pangalan ko.

Pilipinas nga pala.