All the President’s men tapped to boost support in high-risk Covid areas

JONAJONTHE government’s task force against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has designated President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet to Metro Manila cities and other areas with high virus transmission to “provide stronger support” in its pandemic response.

The latest order, which was contained in Resolution 62 approved by the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) on Wednesday, was meant to “further operationalize the national government-enabled, local government-led, and people-centered response against Covid-19.”

Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles are tasked to give support to the Quezon City government, while Education Secretary Leonor Briones and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat are instructed to check the situation in Pasig City.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Danilo Lim will assist the municipality of Pateros, while Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd and Commissioner on Higher Education Chairman Prospero de Vera 3rd will assess the Covid-19 response of Marikina City and Malabon City.

Taguig City government will be monitored by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and country’s testing czar Vivencio Dizon, while the city of Manila will be assessed by Information and Communications Technology Gregorio Honasan 2nd and Anti-Red Tape Authority Director General Jeremiah Belgica.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez will assist Mandaluyong City government, while National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. will provide help to the government of Makati City.

Muntinlupa City government will get support from Socioeconomic Planning acting Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, while Parañaque City government will be assisted by National Task Force Covid-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar is directed to help Las Piñas City government, while Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. is tasked to assist Pasay City.

Caloocan City will receive support from Agriculture Secretary William Dar, while Navotas City will be assisted by Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado.

The resolution also directs Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña to assess the situation in Valenzuela City.

For the provinces with high community transmission, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra is directed to monitor the developments in Bulacan, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in Cavite, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar in Laguna, and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi in Rizal.

IATF members, according to the resolution, are directed to “provide stronger support to local government units with areas identified with high community transmission, inasmuch as to strictly monitor health system performance, critical care capacity, and stringent compliance to surveillance, isolation and treatment protocols.”

These areas are those currently placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until August 18.

Malacañang said that the country could not afford to extend the MECQ in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces unless Congress would allocate funds to aid those living in these areas.

The Philippines so far 143,749 confirmed Covid-19 cases with 2,404 deaths and 68,997 recoveries.

Meanwhile, the IATF also approved the creation of a local rice task force that will be led by the LGUs.

The establishment of the local rice task force will be included in a memorandum circular that will be jointly issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The memorandum circular will allow DA and DILG to “give guidance and advisory to the local government units to establish and organize the LGU-led local rice task force for the proper implementation of and monitoring of the rice program.”

Source: TheManila Times