Almost 5 months have passed since the strictest COVID-19 lockdown in the world began in the country, yet the Philippines still has the highest number of cases in Southeast Asia.
Last August 2, President Rodrigo Duterte announced the reimplementation of modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, in response to the plea of frontliners for a two-week timeout.
In areas under MECQ, the use of quarantine passes is required, public transportation is suspended, and non-essential public and private establishments cannot operate.
Despite the stricter nature of MECQ, some Filipinos understand its necessity and how it can “aid” in slowing the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
“Now more than ever, we really need to listen to our health experts and healthcare workers because they have the expertise and firsthand experience regarding the real state of the nation – in terms of COVID-19,” said Viktoria Jillian Santos, a research and development associate. (WATCH: #StoryOfTheNation: What do health workers think of our country’s health system?)
However, the sudden announcement and abrupt implementation of MECQ caught many Filipinos off-guard, especially those who were still adjusting to the “new normal” under general community quarantine.
Many Filipinos also acknowledged how the economic impact of quarantine measures is felt mostly by workers who depend on public transportation to get to work.
“Dapat na mas mabilis ‘yung pagtugon natin sa pangangailangan ng mga iba’t-ibang sektor ng lipunan (We must be quicker in responding to the needs of different sectors in society),“ Kathleen Cruz, a freelancer, said.
In this video, Filipinos share their thoughts on the modified lockdown, with some saying it is impractical if the government has no concrete and strategic plans to address the pandemic and help the most vulnerable sectors in society. – Rappler.com
This video is co-produced by Rappler interns Bea Esparas, Cinderella Colotario, and Nina Liu.
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