Senator Christopher "Bong" Go
MANILA – Amid the threat of Covid-19, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has reminded Filipinos to strictly adhere to government-imposed protocols, such as the mandatory wearing of masks and face shields in public places.
He also urged authorities to strictly implement the mandatory mask- and face shield-wearing policy and provide free masks and face shields to the poor who cannot afford them.
A study published by the University of the Philippines-OCTA Research showed that only 61 percent of Metro Manila respondents always or regularly use their face shields when outside their homes.
“Hindi pa tapos ang laban kontra Covid-19. Huwag muna tayo magkumpyansa. Sumunod tayo sa patakaran ng gobyerno dahil ang kapakanan naman ng lahat ang inuuna natin dito (The fight against Covid-19 is not over. Let’s not put our guard down. Let’s obey government policies because it’s for our own good),” Go said.
“Importante ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino. Para dun sa hindi makabili ng sarili nilang mask at face shield, bigyan dapat ng gobyerno ng libre para makapag-comply sila (Every Filipino life matters. For those who can’t afford mask and face shield, the government should provide them for the public to comply),” he added.
As new Covid-19 variants emerge, including the B117 strain discovered in the United Kingdom which is reported to be 71 percent more infectious, Go said the primary way to prevent their transmission is by wearing masks and face shields.
“Normal po na mag-mutate ang virus kapag naipapasa po ito mula sa isang tao papunta sa iba sa mahabang panahon. Kaya po mahalagang magsuot ng mask at face shield para hindi na ito makahawa at mabawasan ang chances na mag-mutate pa ito (It’s normal for virus to mutate when it is transmitted to a person. That’s why it is important to wear mask and face shield to prevent further infection and mutation),” he said.
Despite the decreasing numbers of new Covid-19 cases in the country, the senator continues to remind Filipinos to comply with health protocols to put a stop to the spread of coronavirus.
Go and his team has been continuously going around the country to aid vulnerable sectors to cope with the adverse effects of the crisis.
They have been providing masks, face shields, vitamins, and other essential goods to market vendors, ordinary workers, and victims of fires and natural disasters, among others.
The senator said the government, as a whole, must do its best to unburden Filipinos by shouldering the cost while ensuring that basic needs, including personal protection such as masks and face shields, are provided to those who need these.
“Para naman mabuhay, kailangan nilang bumalik sa trabaho pero hindi sila makakapagtrabaho nang maayos kung hindi sila protektado. Kaya dapat lang na bigyan natin sila ng libreng masks at face shields (To survive, they need to work but they can’t if they are not protected. That’s why we need to give them free masks and face shields),” Go said. (PR)
