GMA Public Affairs continues to produce special features on COVID-19. Airing this Saturday (May 2) afternoon are back-to-back presentations of I-Witness and Pinas Sarap.
At 3:15 pm, award-winning broadcast journalist Raffy Tima shows exclusive footage of the situation inside the Correctional Institution for Women in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic as well as the struggles of medical workers in performing their duties in I-Witness’ Pinoy Frontliners.
But these modern day heroes are also slowly succumbing to the lethal effects of the virus themselves. At present, there are now hundreds of fatalities, confirmed, probable, and suspected cases combined.
Raffy exclusively documents, with the help of the medical staff who took the footage themselves, how these frontliners are coping with the lack of protective equipment, discrimination, and pressure from families to quit their jobs.
In the Bureau of Corrections for Women in Mandaluyong, more than a hundred People Deprived of Liberties (PDL) are now isolated in four areas inside the facility when one PDL was tested positive for COVID-19. All medical staff composed of one doctor and six nurses are ordered to stay in. Only three nurses are doing the rounds because the others are performing administrative duties.
The 30 PPEs used by the medical staff in the facility were donated by Philippine Red Cross so they use mostly lab gowns only as protection. They reserve the usage of covered PPEs for extreme dangerous situations.
Meanwhile, in a private hospital in Ortigas, Pasig, and a government hospital in Manila, the frontliners are also experiencing challenges due to lack of manpower and protective equipment.
Following this I-Witness documentary is a special episode of Pinas Sarap at 4:05 pm, dubbed “Superfoods”, hosted by Kara David.
To fight the dangers of COVID-19, health experts advise boosting one’s immune system. One simple way of doing this is to eat dishes fortified with vitamins and minerals from vegetables tagged as ‘superfoods’ such as ginger and malunggay (moringa).
Kara David cooks dishes made yummier and nutritious by ginger and moringa such as the Suam. Other featured dishes include Ginisang Agud in Sardines and Seafood Binakol.
At the same time, Kara shows viewers her precautionary measures when she needs to go out of their house to buy food.
Catch these special back-to-back episodes of I-Witness and Pinas Sarap this Saturday, beginning 3:15 pm on GMA 7.
