By BenCyrus G. Ellorin.
THOSE calling for lockdown, whatever that means, are politicking the local Covid-19 response.
They are fierce, at least on Facebook, about their calls for a lockdown. While the intention on its face is good, a closer look gives them away.
Their call for lockdown is premised on what they dishonestly project that the city government is not doing anything.
Bear with me as I make a litany of the things done.
• March 12 - President Duterte declared health code red, sub-level 2 and declared Metro Manila on community quarantine.
• March 13 - Mayor Oscar Moreno convened the local inter-agency task force.
• March 15 - Moreno ordered the suspension of classes in all levels for private and public schools; city Hall organized disinfecting teams and activated Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams.
• March 16 - Moreno issued Executive Order 48, closing malls and stores, except groceries, pharmacies and others selling essential goods, imposing a 10 pm to 5 am curfew. The local IATF started formulating worst-case scenario contingency plans and put in place the Incident Command Center with the Emergency Operation Center at the mayor’s office and Incident Management Team at the CDRRMD.
• March 17 - The local IATF had a conference to approve the worst-case scenario contingency plan.
• March 19 - Moreno issued EO 49 declaring the city under community quarantine, and recreational establishments closed. Thermo checks started at the borders, and the Usar to respond to health concerns at the borders were mobilized. Other local governments in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon were asked to help in harmonizing border controls. Isolation centers for PUIs were established.
• March 23 - EO 52 was issued to adopt and enforce DOTR order on social distancing for public transportation, among others.
• March 26 - EO 53, prohibiting the drinking of alcoholic beverages in public places and resetting curfew to 9 pm to 5 am was issued.
• March 30 - EO 54 was issued to close public markets from 7 pm to 5 am so these could be cleaned and disinfected.
I may have missed some orders and interventions but the enumeration indicates a calibrated response to the Covid-19 crises. Also, city hall is preparing more than 21,000 food packs for those severely affected by the community quarantine. It has also coordinated other government agencies like Dole for additional assistance.
Moreno also ordered the release of over P100,000 to each of the city’s 80 barangays to help them in their Covid-19 response. Some P90 million was allocated for emergency response and procurement of emergency goods. Another P500-million supplemental budget is being prepared for city council approval.
Critics would say the orders are just pieces of paper. Wrong--these are objectively verifiable indicators of things done and things to be done.
The critics are ignoring these things just to discredit the local government. There are admittedly loopholes and limitations in the implementation. An indicator of compliance is the movement of people. According to RTA, 90 percent to 95 percent of public vehicles are off the road. Private vehicle traffic, however, is more of business as usual, according to RTA.
The loopholes and deficiencies are not undoable, especially if all hands are on the deck, and not busy pointing fingers.
Isn’t it queer these people are silent about the belated responses of other local government. One local government declared a community quarantine only on March 24 while another, on March 20.
The overarching characteristics of Moreno’s calibrated response are for people to stay at home, social distancing and mobilization of the machinery of the local government for grassroots battle.
Despite their politically tainted, unfair and one-sided calls for lockdown, these people are being heard. Even without them, the algorithm of the calibrated response has enhanced community quarantine and extremely enhanced community quarantine in the menu.
DOH regional director Adriano Suba-an said if ever there is a declaration of enhanced community quarantine, it would be based on the situation, an information-based decision, and not just due to public clamor.
Many of those pushing for a lockdown are doing so merely to put the city government in a bad light. Many of those behind this smear drive are identified with a political group at odds with Moreno although, in fairness, another local executive agrees in principle to the call for harmonized border controls.
Bashing the government to do something, while negating ongoing efforts, is not the stakeholders' engagement we want to see. It is arrogance.
(BenCyrus Ellorin is a former journalist and a Cagayanon by choice. He is now into public relations work.)
