MANILA – There was indeed “shortcomings” in the government response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the country, Secretary Carlito Galvez acknowledged Thursday.
Galvez, the chief implementer of the national policy against COVID-19, said Filipinos’ behavior and the influx of returning overseas workers are among the factors behind the Philippines’ COVID-19 situation.
“Ang medyo mahirap na nakita natin dito is that ‘yung behavioral culture ng mga tao natin, nakita natin ang daming mga violations,” Galvez said in Palace virtual press conference in Quezon City.
“Sa ating bagong national action plan phase 2, inaayos po namin ‘yung mga challenges saka ‘yung mga naging shortcomings natin. Inaamin na mayroong mga shortcomings, ‘yun ang mga challenges na inaayos po namin ngayon,” he added.
The Filipinos’ behavior Galvez was pertaining to was in the provinces where level of observance of health standards is lower as people do not observe social distancing and also hold “buffets” and “celebrations.”
“The government aims to educate informal settlers, who are vulnerable due to their living conditions, on minimum health standards. Hanggang walang self-awareness ang tao natin, tataas nang tataas ang kaso po natin,” Galvez said.
Galvez also said that the surge of returning Filipino migrant workers and of people wishing to leave the cities for the provinces amid the pandemic as “collateral challenges” the government has had to face.
“As a nation, we were not able to prepare ‘yung ating mga health facilities,” Galvez said. “The country’s healthcare capacity was supposed to have taken up three to four administrations to build up.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, the national case total is 85,486, with nearly 27,000 recoveries and more than 1,900 deaths./PN
