Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez on Thursday thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for promising to provide financial assistance to Cagayan de Oro City residents amid the strictest quarantine status in the city.
“We thank the President for the financial assistance, which will tide our families in the city over the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period. It would be a big help,” said Rodriguez, who represents the second district of Cagayan de Oro City in the lower chamber of Congress.
Rodriguez was reacting to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque’s statement that the financial assistance will come in due course for the residents of Cagayan de Oro and other areas under ECQ.
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the imposition of ECQ status in Iloilo province and its highly-urbanized Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro City, and the City of Gingoog in Misamis Oriental until July 31.
Because of the strict lockdown restriction, Rodriguez said residents are asked to stay in their homes to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and its highly contagious Delta variant.
“They are not able to go out to work. They thus have no income. They are counting on the government to help them,” he said.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has placed the city under ECQ after five of 11 Delta variant cases were detected.
Upon Rodriguez’s request, an IATF team, led by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, visited the city.
Galvez also sent to Cagayan de Oro 20,550 vials of Johnson & Johnson vaccine that was donated by the United States.
Roque said the national government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), shall provide augmentation support to local government units (LGUs) adversely affected by the latest imposition of ECQ.
He also encouraged residents in ECQ areas to continue observing strict health protocols to protect them against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
He likewise renewed his call on everyone to get vaccinated against Covid-19, once supply and schedule date become available to enable the country to beat the coronavirus.
“We call on everyone to cooperate and strictly adhere to the minimum public health standards, such as wearing of face masks or shields, handwashing, and social distancing,” Roque said.
Source: Philippines News Agency
