(We yield this space to the statement of the National Union of Students of the Philippines due to its timeliness. – Ed.)
THE Chief Executive said as much on March 11 during a general assembly of government officials, and by how he chooses to address the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the country, the President will surely fulfill this duty with flying colors.
Duterte placed Metro Manila under “community quarantine,” restricting travel to and from the Metro. To “effectively implement” the lockdown, the President has ordered the mobilization of the police and the military forces. Details and clearer guidelines of the lockdown are yet to be given.
Beyond these, Duterte failed to provide other substantial steps to combat the COVID-19 outbreak and its impacts. The National Union of Students of the Philippines calls on the government to provide measures that can actually support the sectors bearing the brunt of the pandemic.
It must be remembered that health workers remain severely overworked and underpaid, on top of being exposed to infectious diseases due to the lack of proper equipment. Workers will continue to risk going to work just to scrape by. For various communities, the only constant are the water interruptions.
Increased military presence will not solve these problems.
The Union demands for a comprehensive health-centered response, and this will be difficult to exact unless the government further invests in the health sector, which it obviously has not done. The Duterte administration should put into better use the hefty amounts of confidential intelligence funds to subsidize the health sector they perennially neglect. Funding for the sector means funding for mass-testing, mass disinfection efforts, and more support for the workers and hospitals that need to aid those who may have the disease.
On the other hand, the Union enjoins the people to diligently practice personal protective measures (e.g. washing hands, observing proper cough and sneeze etiquette) while, at the same time, continuing to hold the government accountable and calling for swifter and more effective measures.
