"THE HOUSE OF PORK, UNDER SIEGE BY A(H1N1)"

The House of Pork has been under sieged by the swine flu virus A(H1N1) when one of its employees died after contracting the “A(H1N1) VIRUS”. It’s the country’s first fatality and in whole of Asia.
The death of a House of Representatives employee due to A(H1N1) has caused a scare at the Batasan complex, forcing Speaker Prospero Nograles to order the closure of the third floor of the Mitra building.

House officials confirmed that the country’s first recorded casualty of the dreaded virus was a House employee, while another has been diagnosed positive for the flu.

Dr. Ramon Ricardo Roque, deputy secretary-general for administration, confirmed the report to stunned House employees who gathered at the North Wing.The 49-year-old victim worked for the House committee on people’s participation.

Roque’s confirmation that another employee has been tested positive for the virus further shocked the employees, even if some of the workers underwent flu vaccine at the Batasan complex yesterday.

“We have two positive cases of influenza A(H1N1) virus. The one that died as reported in media and a male from the Congressional Planning and Budget Department. Let’s pray for our colleague who passed away,” said Roque, who appealed to media not to reveal the names of the two victims. He said the woman who died last June 19 was a resident of Sta. Rosa, Laguna. The second patient, a male who is recuperating at home, works at the Congressional Planning and Budget Department (CPBD).

“The two did not go abroad. The female victim had just came from Kalinga while the male victim, who is now doing well in his house, went to Malacañang,” he said.

Roque said the Speaker – who is still in Australia – has been apprised of the situation, and that he ordered the suspension of operations of the House until Sunday (June 28). “We will resume operations on Monday (June 29).”

He said experts from the Department of Health (DOH) would help the institution to sanitize all the offices and give its employees time for self-quarantine,particularly those who had direct contact with the victims.

Prior to this, employees were asked by their immediate superiors to vacate the Ramon Mitra Building yesterday morning, which caused a slight panic.

Nograles said he has “already instructed the concerned House officials to coordinate and maintain close coordination with the Department of Health in order to mitigate possible effects on other employees and their families.”

“Our Medical services will spearhead, in coordination with the DOH, all the necessary precautionary steps needed to eliminate further health hazards. This includes the necessary contact tracing of possible victims and their families,” the Speaker said.

Employees of the House of Representatives have been receiving free flu vaccination since Monday, which could be extended to members of their families by next week.

“The employees will all be monitored,” Nograles said in a text message when asked for his instructions amid the recent development. He said the House medical department “will work this out properly according to standard procedures.”

So,where’s our President nowadays???? Well,thanks to her “DOH BOYS” able handling of the situation at home. She doesn’t have to worry after all while she continues her sojourn abroad with her chosen few. After all, travels abroad are just one of the many perks our elected officials enjoy with taxpayers money. The Speaker of the House of Pork [where the PORK of all PORKS originated to the tune of millions] under attack by the A(H1N1) virus is also reportedly on foreign travel. Duh?!!! That’s tele-management or simply management by delegation on important matters that could affect millions of lives at home. Well, we just hope that this dreaded virus will not wreck havoc on the lives of ordinary FILIPINOS that have already been wrecked by the effects of the global economic recession.

(N.B. Photo credits from www.philgift.com)

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