ILOILO City – Governors, city and municipal mayors in Western Visayas are meeting President Rodrigo Duterte today in Metro Manila together with the chief executives of other local government units across the country.
According to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional director Ariel Iglesia, Duterte would have a dialogue with them at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
“In the order issued by DILG secretary Eduardo Año, bawal ang proxy in this meeting,” he added.
What’s the agenda?
The order did not say, according to Iglesia, but he believed it may be about the preparations of local government units (LGUs) with regards to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
“No proxy shall be allowed to represent any local chief executive in the meeting,” read part of Año’s letter to the LGUs coursed through the DILG regional office.
Local chief executives who could not attend the meeting must submit a written justification to the DILG through the Bureau of Local Government Supervision, according to Iglesia.
Western Visayas has 16 city mayors, 117 municipal mayors and six governors (Arthur Defensor Jr. of Iloilo, Samuel Gumarin of Guimaras, Rhodora Cadiao of Antique, Florencio Miraflores of Aklan, Esteban Evan Contreras of Capiz, and Eugenio Jose Lacson of Negros Occidental).
DILG advised local government units last week to create their respective coronavirus task forces to help contain the spread of the disease.
“With the declaration of the World Health Organization of a global health emergency, Secretary Eduardo Año directed all LGUs to be on a state of preparedness and take all pro-active steps. Create task forces to implement DOH protocols and guidelines and extend full cooperation to the DOH and other government agencies,” said DILG undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya.
He said the local task force under the direct leadership of the governor or mayor shall ensure that local health authorities have the necessary equipment and protective gadgets such as masks, goggles, gowns, gloves, among others.
The task force should also cause the referral and transport of an nCov suspect to a Department of Health-designated coronavirus-referral center or hospital, in coordination with the Health department and police authorities.
Malaya said local chief executives must also train their respective health workers on nCov prevention, containment, and control, in coordination with the DOH./PN
