To address the concerns of Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado raised regarding difficulties in managing the quarantine of her Covid-19 affected constituents, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) head and National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director, Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, on Thursday directed the provision of additional support to the city.
In a meeting done with OCD officials, OCD Calabarzon head Ma. Theresa Escolano reported that they have been closely working with the city in the management of their Covid-19 situation since the start of the pandemic operations.
During the meeting, Jalad directed Escolano to ensure that the additional positive cases in Bacoor will be housed in all available quarantine facilities in the region as well as provide other support such as the fuel for the transport vehicles and the needs of those in quarantine.
These will be done while the procurement process to engage the services of additional quarantine facilities (hotels) is in progress.
OCD Calabarzon reported that the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs) in the region can still accommodate more individuals. The Calabarzon TTMFs can house a total of 6,900 individuals with only 2,500 (35 percent) occupants currently admitted.
“The national government has opened these TTMFs to ensure that LGUs (local government units) will not be overwhelmed with the responsibility of taking care of their Covid-19 affected constituents. We will ensure that the Bacoor LGU and all other LGUs will be able to avail of this service,” Jalad said.
“OCD-Calabarzon is in close communication with the office of Mayor Mercado so that we can continue supporting them while Bacoor is still preparing the proposal for the engagement of additional facilities,” Escolano said.
Meanwhile, the Calabarzon Regional Interagency Task Force (RITF), through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, provided additional 4,000 family food packs earlier this August to the Bacoor to support the intensified granular lockdowns.
The Department of Education-Calabarzon, on the other hand, also committed the availability of their schools for conversion into isolation facilities if the need arises. The Department of Public Works and Highways is also building additional isolation facilities.
“We stick to the Bayanihan approach in dealing with this concern. OCD will continue to help the people of Bacoor as before, with the cooperation and assistance of its LGU, led by Mayor Lani Mercado, and our colleague agencies in government such as the DepEd, DOH (Department of Health), DPWH, DSWD,” Jalad said.
“We will continue to execute our Covid-19 Response duties in support of the national effort without sacrificing the integrity of our systems. We will strictly adhere to the prescribed procedures in RA 9184 (Procurement Law),” he added.
Jalad’s office has yet to receive the proposal documents such as the program of expenditure and other particulars relating to the request to open additional quarantine facilities mentioned by Mercado in her interview.
Source: Philippines News Agency