Members of the Tacloban City Local Price Council Committee (LPCC) met on Friday, March 13, presided by Executive Assistant Atty. Christian De Dios to discuss the updates on the price monitoring of prime commodities and medical supplies as report of price increases of prime commodities and medical supplies in the wake of COVID-19 threat. (CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Members of the Tacloban City Local Price Council Committee (LPCC) met on Friday, March 13, presided by Executive Assistant Atty. Christian De Dios to discuss the updates on the price monitoring of prime commodities and medical supplies as report of price increases of prime commodities and medical supplies in the wake of COVID-19 threat. (CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
TACLOBAN CITY- Members of the Tacloban City Local Price Council Committee (LPCC) had its meeting on Friday, March 13, presided by Executive Assistant Atty. Christian De Dios to discuss the updates on the price monitoring of prime commodities and medical supplies in view of Proclamation No. 22 “State of Public Health Emergency” due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
According to the Department of Trade (DTI)-Leyte Acting Provincial Director Ma. Delia Corsiga, prices of basic necessities and medical supplies remain stable in Tacloban, and there will be a normal supply of goods, as the agency has conducted daily monitoring since last March 8.
Also discussed was the implementation of a price freeze for 60 days on all basic necessities pursuant to the Price Act or Republic Act No. 7581.
Among the basic goods under the jurisdiction of the DTI, covered by the price freeze are canned fish and other marine products, locally manufactured instant noodles, bottled water, bread, processed milk, coffee, candles, laundry soap and detergent, and salt, while essential drugs are under the Department of Health.
On the other hand, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will monitor prices of basic agricultural goods such as rice, corn, cooking oil, marine products, fresh eggs, fresh meat (pork, beef, and poultry), fresh milk, fresh vegetables, root crops, sugar, and fresh fruits.
Meanwhile, DTI- Leyte also encouraged consumers to buy only what they need and refrain from hoarding, be vigilant in purchasing goods at its prevailing prices and avoid patronizing retailers selling overpriced medical supplies such as alcohol and masks.
As the retailers are not allowed to raise prices of basic necessities, consumers are likewise enjoined to report business establishments that sell goods beyond the price freeze by calling One-DTI (1-384) or reporting to the office of DTI- Leyte, Negosyo Center and other concerned agencies.
(K.E.NAPALA/CIO)
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Eastern Visayas Region takes part in the worldwide health measures, suppression, and provision of information related to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) which was recently declared a pandemic, a threat beyond the global health emergency, by the World Health Organization (WHO).
4Ps Regional Program Coordinator Paula Unay instructed its regional, provincial and municipal operations offices to immediately coordinate with various stakeholders including the local government units, schools, and health facilities, and incorporate the advocacy on COVID-19 during the regular conduct of the program’s Family Development Sessions (FDS).
This is to help mobilize public health teams and to educate primarily the beneficiaries on how to protect themselves and others, and to avoid COVID-19 by taking preventive measures such as proper and regular hand washing and proper coughing and sneezing.
Some of the municipalities including Culaba in the province of Biliran, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan, San Francisco, and Limasawa in the province of Southern Leyte, have already started the said FDS initiative.
4Ps under RA 11310 is a human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to poor households to improve their health, nutrition, and education. Its currently serves around 279,106 household beneficiaries in the Eastern Visayas Region. (DSWDFO8|mcSabandal|VPAquino)
SUSPENSION OF CLASSES. Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez issued an executive order on Thursday (March 12) suspending classes in all levels across the city beginning on Friday(March 13) and to end on March 20 as a measure to contain any possible spread of the coronavirus disease 2019. Also in photo is City Health Officer Dr. Gloria Fabrigas.
SUSPENSION OF CLASSES. Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez issued an executive order on Thursday (March 12) suspending classes in all levels across the city beginning on Friday(March 13) and to end on March 20 as a measure to contain any possible spread of the coronavirus disease 2019. Also in photo is City Health Officer Dr. Gloria Fabrigas.
TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Alfred Romualdez has issued an order suspending classes in all levels, both in public and private, amidst the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).
The suspension of classes started on Friday (March 13) which is to end on March 20,a measure aim to ensure the safety of the students and contain any possible spread of the virus, he said.
“Whereas, as a precautionary measure and in anticipation of any development that may arise out of this public health emergency, a localized cancellation or suspension of classes should be implemented,” Romualdez said on his order issued Thursday (March 12).
And in a hastily called press conference, Mayor Romualdez said that he has decided to cancel the classes in the city to ensure the safety of the students.
The suspension of classes in Tacloban, by Romualdez account, could affect at least 100,000 students.
“It might too risky for classes to continue considering that we have 100,000 students here. Most of our (college) students come from various provinces. So I would recommend that they go home first to their provinces and stay home until this will come to pass,” Romualdez said.
According to the city mayor, this measure could at least avoid possible spread of the virus, adding that these students takes public utility vehicles for a ride and also go to different places within the city that could prove difficult to conduct contact tracing if the case arises.
At present, Tacloban remains to be COVID-19 free.
Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, city health officer, however, said that they are monitoring the condition of a 35-year old woman, considered to be person under investigation for a possible carrier of the virus.
The woman, said to be a teacher, was now confined at the regional referral hospital on Wednesday (March 11) where was quarantine.
The woman’s husband worked in Europe who came home sometimes February and just returned ‘recently.’
Mayor Romualdez, meantime, asked the public not to panic saying he would do within his ‘power’ to ensure that no panic would ensued in Tacloban City.
He also said that he would also come up appropriate measures according to the situation.
Meantime, the city mayor said that employees of the city government are now to report for work from 7 am up to 6 pm with a free day on Friday.
The new work schedule is also part of the measures to ensure on the fight against spread of COVID-19.
(JOEY A. GABIETA with LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)
TACLOBAN CITY – Follow the guidelines set by the Department of Health (DOH).
This was the appeal of Bishop Isabelo Abarquez of the Calbayog Diocese amid the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).
In a pastoral letter, Bishop Abarquez called on the faithful for a “greater preparedness” if the spread of the corona virus continue that could affect big number of people.
“As Catholics, we believe that God uses material instruments to bring to us His blessings and presence. This is the reason why we use material elements in our sacraments and sacramentals,” the prelate said reading his pastoral letter through a video message.
He added that in the face of this worldwide pandemic of the COVID-19, even Church people are demanded to exercise vigilance to avoid becoming a source in the transmission of the disease.
“I continue to appeal to my brother-priests and the faithful to follow the hygiene protocol that the DOH has consistently requested for everyone, namely, the proper washing and sanitation of hands and avoidance of body contacts,” Abarquez said.
As guidance to the priests, laymen, and worshippers, the prelate enumerated a guidance that each must do or observe to ensure they and their families would remain safe.
These includes from refraining from attending liturgical assemblies for those who are not feeling well physically.
“Taking the basic steps of wellness is not only sensible but wise and considerate of others. In truth, it is an expression of genuine charity,” he said.
Liturgical spaces should be sanitized after every liturgical services and cleaning of statues and vessels.
He also urged for the putting up of hand sanitizers in every church doors for the churchgoers.
He also advises to empty Holy Water fonts at the door of churches and for churchgoers to stop the practice of dipping their hands at the fonts.
Abarquez also cautioned on no holding of hands when praying or singing the Our Father and no shaking of hands when making the sign of peace.
He also advised communion ministers both priests and lay to sanitize their hands and use face masks before and after giving the Holy Communion.
Churchgoers are also advice to refrain from kissing and touching sacred images and statues.
Confessions are to be done in the confessionals with a protective cloth installed at the grill and protective cloth should be frequently sanitized.
He added that On Good Friday, during the veneration of the Cross, churchgoers must refrain from kissing and touching the cross, “just respectfully genuflect or make a profound bow.”
The prelate also asks Catholic faithful to continue praying the Oratio Imperata.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
PANIC BUYING. As the entire country is grip with the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) scare, among the immediate reactions of the public is to snap some health essentials like alcohol and face masks, causing long line of buyers at various business establishments as shown in the photo. The Department of Trade and Industry has imposed a price freeze on these items. (RYE AYON)
Economy and tourism to be affected
PANIC BUYING. As the entire country is grip with the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) scare, among the immediate reactions of the public is to snap some health essentials like alcohol and face masks, causing long line of buyers at various business establishments as shown in the photo. The Department of Trade and Industry has imposed a price freeze on these items. (RYE AYON)
By: Joey A. Gabieta/Lizbeth Ann A. Abella
TACLOBAN CITY- The move to place the entire National Capital Region(NCR)under ‘community quarantine’ could also be felt in the provinces.
The move would not only limit the movements of the people who want to travel to NCR but would impact the economy and tourism sectors of other regions of the country like Eastern Visayas.
For hotel owner Neil Benedict Montejo, this could affect not only the flow of traffic but even tourists.
In fact, they have already received calls from their prospective guests cancelling their reservations due to the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).
“Just yesterday, we received three cancellation of bookings which included a group of Japanese,” Montejo whose family owns Hotel Alejandro and Hotel Lorenza.
“We were hoping that they will just sought for rebooking. But these were all for cancellation of their bookings,” he added.
Rhoel Ladrera, who is into transportation business, said that the move would surely have an impact to the industry.
“We just hope the national government can assist and help small medium businesses about their loans with the banks like during Yolanda where there was a moratorium and reprieve of amortization for few months,” Ladrera said.
On Thursday, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte went into national television wherein he announced that he would impose a community quarantine covering the entire National Capital Region.
As an immediate effect to this order is the cancellation of flights and land and sea travels to Metro Manila for a month to ensure that the virus would not further spread.
The country, as of Friday, has 52 confirmed COVID-19 cases with five fatalities.
For Montejo and Ladrera said that the one-month period of lockdown is quite a long period for them to take.
“On a business standpoint, it’s a long period. The scare alone makes people afraid to travel. But it is needed so we have no choice but to have to support it,” Ladrera said.
Both said that they understand the move of the government to contain any possible spread of the virus.
An Waray party-list Rep. Florencio Noel said that the food supply of Eastern Visayas would be affected with the lockdown.
For one, the region’s vegetable supply would be affected as 70 percent of the region’s vegetable needs came from Luzon which will pass through Metro Manila before reaching to the region.
He, however, expressed this move of the national government as this intend to stop possible spread of the dreaded COVID-19 virus.
“We have to follow the order of the government and the expert,” Noel said.
City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, meantime, said that for now, he does not see any reason to lockdown Tacloban, the regional capital of Eastern Visayas, from the outside saying the situation does not warrant.
He, however, assured the public that his administration is doing everything to ensure that the virus would not be spread in the city which has more than 200,000 people but whose daytime population reaches up to 1 million.
Among these measures imposed were the cancellation of classes in all levels, both in the public and private schools, that started on March 13 and to end on March 20, and imposing a four times a week of work.
At the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, based in Tacloban City which has more than 10 daily flights of Manila and Cebu, passengers are ask to fill a form detailing their flights and their destination for easy contact tracing if ever they would develop the symptoms of COVID-19.
Now that we are faced with the anticipated local transmission of the COVID-19 outbreak, fake news creators should not ride on the issue and spread their lies so that our countrymen could be properly guided and informed about things to do, things to avoid, and things to expect.
There should be no place for jokes, for lies, for pranks in our midst, then. We are facing a serious dilemma—a killer virus that is now paralyzing the entire world. It is severely affecting all facets of society, particularly the word economy, creating abnormal scenarios in many parts of the world. Resorts and hotels are closing shop; transportation sectors are stopping their operations; schools are suspending their classes; workers are losing jobs; businesses are getting bankrupt; and above all, people are suffering and dying.
All these are causing panic and chaos. Institutions throughout the world are already grappling with the ill-effects of the disease. If they add to these false pieces of information, then all the more that society will become chaotic. Spreading fake information relative to all these will not help, but will instead worsen the problems. But, as the virus spreads, so do these false updates that mislead people, that complicate things.
These fake news creators, we understand, find pleasure in fooling people. But if they must do this, let it be on other matters only. When it comes to COVID-19, they must refrain from spreading falsehood, especially updates that give people false hopes, false guidance, and false knowledge. They have also loved ones that could be affected by their lies. We then hope that, in this time of crisis, only the truths would come out.
