COVID-19

Duterte Cabinet assigned to monitor Metro Manila, Luzon COVID-19 hot spots

Pia Ranada

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Duterte Cabinet assigned to monitor Metro Manila, Luzon COVID-19 hot spots

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Presidential Guest House in Panacan, Davao City on August 10 , 2020. JOEY DALUMPINES/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

This new step is supposed to be the Duterte administration's way to 'provide stronger support' to local governments facing a steady rise in coronavirus cases

The Duterte coronavirus task force has taken a new step to try to arrest the spread of COVID-19 – assign Cabinet members to monitor specific Metro Manila cities and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna.

These areas were reverted into lockdown or modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) by President Rodrigo Duterte from August 4 to 18 after medical frontliners rang the alarm bells on rising cases and lapses in the government’s pandemic response.

The assignments are the task force’s new way to “provide stronger support to local government units with areas identified with high community transmission,” according to Resolution No. 62 of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

The resolution spells out the assignments. They are as follows:

Metro Manila
  • Quezon City – Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles
  • Pasig City – Education Secretary Leonor Briones and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat
  • Pateros – Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Danilo Lim
  • Marikina City – Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero de Vera III
  • Taguig City – Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and Bases Conversion Development Authority CEO Vince Dizon
  • Manila – Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan II and Anti-Red Tape Authority Director-General Jeremiah Belgica
  • Mandaluyong – Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez
  • Makati – National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr
  • San Juan City – Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua
  • Muntinlupa – Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade
  • Parañaque – Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr
  • Las Piñas – Public Works Secretary Mark Villar
  • Pasay – Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque
  • Caloocan – Agriculture Secretary William Dar
  • Malabon – Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III
  • Navotas – Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado
  • Valenzuela – Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña
Luzon provinces
  • Bulacan – Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra
  • Cavite – Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana
  • Laguna – Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar
  • Rizal – Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi

The officials are ordered to “strictly monitor” their assigned city’s or province’s health system performance, critical care capacity, and ensure “stringent compliance” to surveillance, isolation, and treatment protocols.

Timing

This latest step taken by the task force comes a week before the MECQ in Metro Manila and the 4 Luzon provinces expires.

Malacañang has said it is “highly unlikely” that the MECQ will be extended, fueling expectations that these areas will be placed again under the looser general community quarantine (GCQ).

But Presidential Spokesperson Roque, who is also task force spokesperson, has said any GCQ declaration will include the implementation of “localized, granular” lockdowns.

This means MECQ or ECQ-like conditions may persist in specific barangays or localities within cities or provinces with high transmission rates, even if the rest of the city or province is under a looser quarantine classification.

Experts and medical professionals have warned that the two-week MECQ may not be enough to significantly lower infections. But Duterte himself has said his government can’t afford an MECQ extension, claiming a lack of funds for emergency assistance to affected workers and low-income families.

Assigning Cabinet members to oversee efforts in specific areas is something the Duterte government has done before. The Cabinet Officers for Regional Development and Security or CORDS is a system started by Malacañang in 2019 where Cabinet members are asked to oversee a region’s development and security.

This system has been used by past Philippine presidents like Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos. – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!
Sleeve, Clothing, Apparel

author

Pia Ranada

Pia Ranada is Rappler’s Community Lead, in charge of linking our journalism with communities for impact.