PANDEMIC RESPONSE. Officials of the Covid-19 Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) team headed by the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19, and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) visit Pasay City on Saturday (Sept. 5, 2020). According to the Department of Health (DOH), CODE is a response initiative to give support to local government units with limited capabilities and resources in order to mitigate localized transmission at the community level through enhanced surveillance strategy and expanded testing capacity. (PNA photo by Joey Razon)
MANILA – The Pasay City government has recognized the community support and public participation in the country's fight against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.
Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano said the national action plan on Covid-19 will not be properly implemented without the people's support.
"Kahit anong ganda ng plano ng namuuno hindi talaga magiging successful kapag hindi kami sinuportahan at tinulungan ng mga mamamayan (No matter how good the leaders' plans are, they will not succeed without the support and help from our people)," she said as she rallied communities and the LGU to help contain the spread of the dreaded disease.
She added that the local government is alarmed by reports of local transmission within the household level, which prompted them to further work on additional isolation facilities within the city.
To further focus on the Covid-19 situation, Calixto-Rubiano said the city government has deputized village officials to strengthen monitoring and bolster health protocols in the 201 barangays of Pasay.
The city government earlier deployed barangay officials to check crisis situations within the communities and apprehend individuals who violate the minimum health standards enforced in the city.
Rubiano reiterated that community participation is vital to beating Covid-19.
"Although we have a lot of plans, we have a lot of methods and we do a lot of work, but no matter how good it is, if we do not have unity and participation from the citizens, we will not succeed," she said.
MASKS PARA SA MASA. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque leads the DOH's turnover ceremony of some 4,000 face masks, personal protective equipment (PPE), and hygiene kits to the Pasay City government on Saturday. The Masks Para sa Masa program is a government strategic plan which aims to provide about 30 million free face masks to Filipinos amid the health crisis. (PNA photo by Joey Razon)
Meanwhile, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque lauded the efforts of the Pasay City government to combat the pandemic as he led the visit of the officials of the Covid-19 Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) team headed by the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19, and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) in Pasay City on Saturday.
"One of the best cities (to) emulate is Pasay dahil napakahaba po ng case doubling rate, umaabot na po ng halos 15 percent kung ikukumpara sa 9 percent sa buong Metro Manila (because it has the longest case doubling reaching 15 percent compared to the 9 percent of the entire Metro Manila," Roque said, explaining that the longer the doubling rate, the slower the disease spreads.
Roque, meanwhile, vowed to provide the Pasay City General Hospital with high-flow nasal cannulas to help the city intensify its treatment capacity.
Roque led the launching of the "Masks Para sa Masa program," a government plan which aims to provide about 30 million free domestically manufactured washable face masks to Filipinos amid the crisis.
During the visit, the Department of Health (DOH) turned over some 4,000 face masks, personal protective equipment (PPE) gears, and hygiene kits to the local government, which will be distributed to the residents.
At the sidelines of the visit, some barangay officials from the 201 villages in the city took their oath as part of the "Barangay Bida Brigades" under the "BIDA ang may Disiplina" campaign of the government.
BARANGAY DISIPLINA BRIGADE. Some village officials representing 201 barangays in Pasay City take their oath on Saturday (September 5), as part of "Barangay Bida Brigades" under the 'BIDA ang may Disiplina' campaign of the government to combat Covid-19. These village officials are tasked to remind their constituents to adhere to the minimum health standards and call the attention of those who violate health protocols. (PNA photo by Lade Kabagani)
Milagros Lipnica, Pasay's Barangay 7 chairperson, was one of the village officials who took their oath as part of the Barangay Disiplina Brigades.
Lipnica said cooperation among the national government, LGUs, barangay officials, and community could really help in containing the spread of the disease.
As a village official, she said they are experiencing challenges in implementing health protocols in the barangay level.
But with the support coming from the LGUs and the national government, she said "there will be no challenges they couldn't surpass."
"Handa akong tumulong na masaayos yung aming barangay sa pamamagitan ng pakikipagtulungan sa national at local governments para maiwasan ang local transmission (I am committed to help and work for the betterment our barangay by cooperating with the national and local governments to prevent local transmission), Lipnica said.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government and the DOH earlier launched the “BIDA ang may Disiplina: Solusyon sa Covid-19,” an advocacy campaign to encourage public participation to combat the dreaded disease and further contain the local transmission within villages.
The Barangay Disiplina Brigades are composed of community members, including barangay officials and other village personnel, who are tasked to remind their constituents to adhere to the minimum health standards and call the attention of those who violate health protocols.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier recognized the vital role of the barangays in the fight against pandemic saying “I have articulated here time and again. In case of emergencies, in the case of mobilization, the role of the barangay captains cannot be overemphasized.”
Pasay City's efforts
On the other hand, Calixto-Rubiano said the city has stepped up measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 by intensifying information campaign and public health warning on the infectious disease.
The city government has been disseminating infographic materials to residents and bolstering the Covid-19 information drive through the city's social media accounts.
The local government is also using the strategically-located signs and billboards to promote the localized health campaign called E.M.I. (Ensure to always wash your hands, Mask is a must, Implement physical distancing) habit," as preventive measures against Covid-19.
The city government has approved various ordinances protecting Covid-19 patients, healthcare workers, and other front-liners from discrimination, stigma, and harassment amid the pandemic.
Pasay has also been providing food packages for the families of Covid-19 patients while they are under isolation and treatment.
It also conducts online livelihood programs, community-based feeding for the front-liners, online medical checkups for residents via telemedicine system, and provides financial assistance to qualified residents.
It also offers free transportation and has installed a mobile grocery near communities.
The city government also boosts its contact tracing system by establishing Contact Tracing Command Center (CTCC) and rolling out the Quick Response (QR) code system in the city.
It has also required all passengers riding public transportations to wear face shields, apart from face masks.
Calixto-Rubiano, meanwhile urged residents to partake in the government's initiatives to prevent the local transmission of Covid-19 in Pasay City. (PNA)
