Opinion: My Thoughts

Kalibo Vice Mayor Cynthia Dela Cruz

On Our Covid-19 Journey

This is not an easy journey for us citizens and goverment leaders. This situation puts into test our resolve, our courage, our creativity and resourcefulness.

For the first time in our generation, we have this one common enemy — a small unseen virus yet very virulent, infectious and has brought havoc to our economy, our lives and livelihoods! We need to protect our humanity. We should put our acts together to survive this pandemic . We should put our many differences (including political) behind. We need to survive! We should have effective and well-thought plans made by our good leaders and medical expert, known and understood by all, and most importantly, fully implemented and supported by everyone.

This journey must involve two phases:
A. First phase: the Response Phase. This phase should focus at lessening the transmission, target zero or less fatality, early recovery, protection of our frontliners and our people, and timely assistance to our residents most affected by this crisis.

In a document ‘Call to Action’ written by Drs Esperanza and son Brian Cabral and Michael Sy, they shared the following four imperatives to combat Covid19 during this first phase:

1. Know your enemy. How do we act under this first imperative? We should know if our enemy is near or within us first and foremost. So “focused mass testing” is advised so we can separate the infected from not, but due to limited resources we only test those who have symptoms and were in close contact with COVID-19 patients. We should do our best to access these test kits for mass screening. Without these many tests for now, our next best option is to know the virus transmision, its incubation period and its behavior. What are we doing related to this? We aim to stop its transmission through quarantine, physical distancing, wearing of face masks ALL the time especially when in a public place, frequent use of sanitizer and correct hand washing, use of foot bath, regular disinfection and use of PPEs. These we are doing now, and are strongly advocating that we do all these or we worsen the situation.

2. Protect our frontliners: our health workers, DRRMOs, responders, the PNP and the military, our force multipliers in the barangays, and many others. Our govt is doing its best by providing them protective gears and other valuable support. Many organizations are rallying behind them donating PPEs, food and related materials — and I commend all of them! Thank you very much!

3. Protect our Covid patients. Our government is following guidelines set forth by the DOH on managing these cases. The govt is doing its best to provide the best care to them. Covid wards/ hospitals are set for them. PUIs and PUMs are managed accordingly and are being monitored by our BHERTS and Brgy officials.

4. Protect our people. Lockdowns and quarantine and curfews are being done. Massive advocacies on use of masks, proper handwashing, social distancing etc. are also stressed for their protection.

The government with its many departments is doing its best to provide support through provision of food packs and other social amelioration programs.
Institutions, companies are giving discounts, allowing delayed payments (Bayanihan Act) and other relief efforts to ease the financial burden of everyone.

Being in the middle of this Covid journey,let us look back at those four imperatives . Let us assess ourselves . What have we done personally to help in this fight against this virus? How can we help our government ? Did all our people know,understand these measures and practice them by heart?

B . The second phase of this journey is RECOVERY phase. The government will then start with stimulus programs to perk up our economy. More jobs and livelihoods will be in place. Support to mSMEs will be intensified to help earlier and faster recovery of our fellowmen. More health and welfare programs will also be in implemented. LGUs will strengthen its disasters and resiliency programs especially related to pandemics and natural disasters, learning from this experience.

Considering the rate we are going now on this journey, where increase in Philippines (Manila ) plateau at 300+ per day, (the highest was 500+ per day) without massive community transmission, we are hoping that after this plateau the curve or cases will go down.

One model at Cambridge University said that we need to be very vigilant up to May 15 if we aim to be covid-free in the shortest time possible.

Please do not let our
guards down. Stay at home.
Keep the physical distance
— for now.
Wear your masks to stop transmission.
Wash your hands as frequent as possible to kill the virus. Be positive.
Follow our government directives.

Let’s fight together
and heal together!!!
God bless us all.

—Vice Doc Cynthia DelaCruz
LGU -Kalibo 4/3/20