Netizens were amazed after seeing how Baguio City is following the enhanced community quarantine ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Baguio, a place was known to be very crowded suddenly became empty because of the order from the government and LGUs.
Under Executive Order No. 65, Mayor Benjamin Magalong declared community quarantine in Baguio City.
According to the executive order, “only those persons with essential travel purpose, or employment/business in the city shall be allowed to enter”.
They also disallowed people to go outside if they’re:
60 years old and above
Immunocompromised persons
Minors
A person with a history of pulmonary ailment
Magalong also forbids anyone from doing mass gatherings and discouraged religious activities in churches.
He also warned public utility drivers to avoid violating the mass public transportation ban or else face charges.
“I am giving them (PUJ and taxi drivers) only 30 minutes to leave the streets and park their vehicles or they will face charges,” Magalong said in a statement.
The order seems enforced very well as some netizens posted photos of some popular places in Baguio.
GEN. LUNA ST.
SESSION ROAD
UPPER MABINI STREET
BAGUIO CITY PUBLIC MARKET
BURNHAM PARK
MAHARLIKA TO TIONGSAN OVERPASS
PEOPLE’S PARK
The whole Luzon placed under community quarantine since Tuesday to fight the spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines.
Millions of Filipino workers were affected by the community quarantine as they’re discouraged already to go to work and stay at home to avoid being infected by the virus.
The community quarantine was expected to end next month after the Holy Week.
Mayor Isko Moreno deployed 189 electric tricycles to transport its healthcare workers amid the transportation ban due to enhanced community quarantine.
Moreno said that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) partnered with the Manila City Government to launch the e-trike program that will only serve doctors and nurses.
The e-trikes will be placed in different cities district hospitals such as Gat Andres, Ospital ng Tondo, Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital, Ospital ng Sampaloc, Ospital ng Maynila, and Sta. Ana Hospital.
They’re also going to give a salary to the drivers.
“189 e-trikes will be deployed for frontliners in Manila, may trabaho at may sweldo!” Moreno posted on Twitter.
According to the Mayor, they’re not going to allow the e-trike drivers to serve other people aside from the medical workers.
Yesterday, Moreno also announced that they’re going to deploy buses to transport their health workers to their hospitals.
Meanwhile, some questioned Isko Moreno’s trike program to the rejected request of Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto to allow tricycles to operate in his city.
“I wonder what the difference is between Mayor Isko’s e trike and Mayor Vico’s regular trike? Will his drivers be outfitted in hazmat?” Krizette Laureta Chu said.
Some of her followers said that the e-trikes deployed by Moreno are bigger and its possible to practice social distancing in the said vehicle.
“Compliant for social distancing sanitary segregation, with covers clearly shown in the photos. Open-air vehicles are a risk for environmentally-present infection,” netizen Pere Sitos said.
“If this etrike can accommodate 6 passengers on a daily basis, then it can accommodate 3 to 4 person during this time of quarantine, unlike the regular trike na can cary 2 passengers on a regular basis (sidecar) and during this time it can only cary 1. Imagine kung ang kailangan na pumasok na health worker ay 10 persons tapos 1 per trike, then 10 trike ang nasa kalsada and what if they needed more? Eh di hind na observed ang purpose ng community quarantine which is to minimize the movements of people and cars/transportation outside,” netizen Craig Igar commented.
To give comfort to the health workers, Moreno also ordered hotels in Manila City to reserve rooms for the doctors or nurses who wanted to sleep near their hospitals.
Mass public transportation in the whole Luzon has been suspended since Tuesday as a way of the government to control the movement of the people and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
Netizens urged the people to calm down and stop pushing Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto to run for President, citing that there’s also a Mayor living in Davao City who got pushed by the Filipinos to run for the seat in Malacañang.
Amid the media mileage being received by Sotto after his actions to his city during the period of community, some netizens said that the Pasig Mayor is already competent to become the next President of the country.
However, some of them reminded the people that they also pushed another Mayor to become the President of the country and now they’re criticizing him.
Rodrigo Duterte was once a Mayor of Davao City and urged by the people to run as President.
He was admired because he transformed Davao City as one of the best and safest cities in the Philipines.
Here are some of the tweets we compiled:
“Filipinos declaring Vico Sotto as the next president screams the same energy when people elected Duterte as the president while he was still the mayor of Davao City, and was also doing well,” @msynnsh tweeted.
Filipinos declaring Vico Sotto as the next president screams the same energy when people elected Duterte as the president while he was still the mayor of Davao City, and was also doing well
“Mayor Vico Sotto for president? Wag na, nangyari na yan wala din naman. Remember Mayor Rodrigo Duterte? Diba halos lahat ng Pilipino gusto siyang patakbuhin bilang Presidente, pero nung naupo na puro reklamo at rally pa din. Ang point ko, wala sa administrasyon yan,” netizen @thelab74129066 said.
“So ang point ko lang, kahit sino pa ang maupo bilang President, may mga tao pa din na di makuntento sa kahit na anong gawin ng gobyerno. Kahit simula pa noon. Kay GMA, Noynoy, at sa ngayon. Ganyan ang ibang Pilipino eh lalo na yung mga nagrarally,” he added.
So ang point ko lang, kahit sino pa ang maupo bilang President, may mga tao pa din na di makuntento sa kahit na anong gawin ng gobyerno. Kahit simula pa noon. Kay GMA, Noynoy, at sa ngayon. Ganyan ang ibang Pilipino eh lalo na yung mga nagrarally tapos mukang tanga ampota.
“Reason kung bakit ayaw kong tumakbong president si mayor vico. Pag naging presidente sya mumura murahin nyo lang din, ganyan kayo kay duterte e! SAMIN LANG SYA SA PASIG!!!” @bleeh remarked.
Reason kung bakit ayaw kong tumakbong president si mayor vico. Pag naging presidente sya mumura murahin nyo lang din, ganyan kayo kay duterte e! SAMIN LANG SYA SA PASIG!!!? pic.twitter.com/k8TqdSUmF0
“Years ago, you also wished Rodrigo Duterte to be your president then turned your back, bashing him for what he is doing now. Wag niyo sana ulitin to pag sina Isko Moreno and Vico Sotto na yung na-elect niyo,” @itsnotshew stated.
Years ago, you also wished Rodrigo Duterte to be your president then turned your back, bashing him for what he is doing now. Wag niyo sana ulitin to pag sina Isko Moreno and Vico Sotto na yung na-elect niyo. ??
Some netizens also urged people to let Vico Sotto get experience first before running for a higher position.
“I saw this post sa fb. mayor vico sotto has been immensely recognized recently. people are clamoring for him to run for president in the future. ganun din naman si duterte before when he was still a mayor of davao. until people wanted him to run for president,” netizen @mncxdlsrys wrote.
“let’s recognize our leaders for their accomplishments pero let us not put any pressure to them. let them grow in their own pace kasi handling the Philippines is not an easy task. pasig and davao are very much different compared to an entire nation,” she added.
i saw this post sa fb. mayor vico sotto has been immensely recognized recently. people are clamoring for him to run for president in the future. ganun din naman si duterte before when he was still a mayor of davao. until people wanted him to run for president.
“Remember when everyone was also admiring Pres. Duterte when he was still the Mayor of Davao? And now, here comes Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig. I’m not siding anyone here, it’s just that, being a mayor is so much different from being a president. Well, that’s my opinion,” @itsmaryeeel said.
Remember when everyone was also admiring Pres. Duterte when he was still the Mayor of Davao? And now, here comes Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig. I'm not siding anyone here, it's just that, being a mayor is so much different from being a president. Well, that's my opinion++
A netizen even said that what happened in 2015 seems happening again in 2020.
However, even if the supporters of Vico Sotto insist, the Pasig Mayor is still not allowed to run for President as he’s only 30-years old while the age requirement for being a chief executive candidate is 40.
It means that Sotto needs to wait for 10 more years to become qualified. The earliest possible time he can run is the 2034 presidential election.
Fans of Vico Sotto criticized former Vice President Noli De Castro for allegedly throwing shade to the Mayor.
In an episode of TV Patrol on March 18, De Castro made a side comment to Vico Sotto’s appeal to the government, asking them to allow the tricycles to operate in Pasig City.
“Kami po sinusubukan namin ang lahat…pero kulang pa rin po talaga sa ngayon. Nakikiusap po ako sa ating nasyonal na pamahalaan, baka naman po pwedeng bigyan ng konsiderasyon ‘yung mga tricycle,” Sotto said.
However, De Castro seems unimpressed by the Mayor’s appeal.
“Baka hindi niya alam na bawal ang public transpo.” De Castro said.
The former Vice President then said that the national government already reminded the LGUs not to allow tricycles to operate because it might result in a domino effect.
“Hindi daw dapat payagan ang mga tricycle kasi pag pinayagan ng Pasig, lahat na ng tricycle sa Metro Manila ay magrereklamo na Pasig lamang, so wala bang binibigay na serbisyo behikulo sa siyudad ng Pasig si Mayor,” he said.
The netizens didn’t like the comment of De Castro and started to criticize the veteran journalist on social media.
“Dear Noli de Castro, STOP PAINTING Vico Sotto in a bad light just because he’s asking permission to have tricycles operate in Pasig. May I remind you that you were involved in a corruption scandal with HLURB during your term as VP,” @jordans_magic said.
Dear Noli de Castro, STOP PAINTING Vico Sotto in a bad light just because he's asking permission to have tricycles operate in Pasig. May I remind you that you were involved in a corruption scandal with HLURB during your term as VP.
“NOLI DE CASTRO looks very irritated at the report of JEFF CANOY about the vigor and dynamic measures and humane leadership of Mayor Vico Sotto. Its because that is something he was not. Being VP during Arroyo’s term, he showed no LEADERSHIP, NO DYNAMISM, NO HUMANITY,” @westzian remarked.
NOLI DE CASTRO looks very irritated at the report of JEFF CANOY about the vigor and dynamic measures and humane leadership of Mayor Vico Sotto.
Its because that is something he was not. Being VP during Arroyo's term, he showed no LEADERSHIP, NO DYNAMISM, NO HUMANITY.
“Noli de Castro‘s analysis is too simplistic: “National government says bawal, therefore that’s right.” Vico Sotto is on the ground in Pasig. He knows what people need. Kabayan has wrong priorities. It’s not just about the letter of the rules. It’s about saving people!” netizen @romesdiary stated.
Noli de Castro's analysis is too simplistic: "National government says bawal, therefore that's right." Vico Sotto is on the ground in Pasig. He knows what people need.
Kabayan has wrong priorities. It's not just about the letter of the rules. It's about saving people!
The Department of Interior and Local Government told Vico Sotto that his request was denied.
“We respect the opinion of mayor Vico Sotto in Pasig ngunit pasensya na po mayor hindi po talaga namin kayo pwedeng pagbigyan,” DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said Thursday in a press briefing.
“Kasi po if we allow mass transportation in Pasig…magrerequest na po ang lahat. Pag ginawa po natin yan, we give an exemption, it will defeat the entire purpose of the quarantine,” he added.
The daughter of Liberal Party President and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan took a swipe to President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to deploy the military around Luzon amid the community lockdown due to COVID-19.
Singer-composer Frankie Pangilinan used Disney’s Rapunzel movie “Tangled” to criticize the Duterte administration’s alleged militarization of Luzon.
She cited the song “When Will My Life Begin”, and changed some of the lyrics to fit her message against the Duterte administration.
In the lyrics, she asked the condition of the nurses and also questioned why the government believes that the military was “necessary” to the fight against COVID-19.
Pangilinan even sarcastically asked if the weapon being used by the military could clear the virus.
“So I’ll read a book or maybe two or three ? I’ll add a few new paintings to my gallery ? I’ll play guitar ? and knit ? and cook ?? and basically ??♀️ just wondering how are our health workers? why is the military force necessary? are guns supposed to kll the virus? ANUBA TALAGA,”
When President Duterte declared the community quarantine in Metro Manila on March 12, the chief executive deployed the military to ensure the peace and order for one month.
A follower of Pangilinan explained the purpose of the military during the community quarantine.
“Our Military are necessary due to the limited number of our health workers. Their purpose is limited to general crowd control. Though, sana, equipped din sila ng PPEs and meron ding at least isang health worker na kasama. They are part of a cluster in Incident Command Systems,” @robipastera told Pangilinan.
Pangilinan responded, saying that she’s only concerned that instead of sanitizing paraphernalia, the military was shown carrying their weapons.
“Yes po I’m more concerned about the fact it appears they’re mobilizing for something else. in South Korea for example, all military personnel are equipped with sanitization paraphernalia. in comparison, ours are armed,” Pangilinan said.
yes po i’m more concerned about the fact it appears they’re mobilizing for something else. in south korea for example, all military personnel are equipped with sanitization paraphernalia. in comparison, ours are armed.
She also stated that the government had the chance to prepare earlier for the virus.
“At any rate, we had months to prepare for this and could’ve easily been much more on top of it than we are now. the test kits should’ve been mass produced and government funded. and now we’re panic mode because there was neither adequate prevention nor preparation,” she said.
at any rate, we had months to prepare for this and could’ve easily been much more on top of it than we are now. the test kits should’ve been mass produced and government funded. and now we’re panic mode because there was neither adequate prevention nor preparation.
Several critics of the government suspected that the Duterte administration is planning to declare martial law, however, the President denied it, saying that the current situation doesn’t need it.
Pangilinan is not the only public personality who questioned the decisions of the Duterte administration, even artist Juan Miguel Severo took a swipe to the President, saying that the virus may really stay away from the police and soldiers because they’re more frightening because of the alleged EJKs they committed.
The officials of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) in Davao City informed Mayor Inday Sara Duterte that they’re going to follow the community quarantine rules in Davao City.
In an interview with DCDR 87.5, Mayor Duterte said that she received a text from INC, informing her that they’re going to temporarily stop their religious activities as a response to the executive order signed by the presidential daughter.
“Kami po ay susunod sa alintuntunin ng gobyerno at pansamantala po muna naming ipapatigil ang aming pagtitipon tipon sa bawat kapilya,” Inday Sara said while reading the text from INC.
The Mayor thanked her brothers and sisters in INC for responding positively to her request.
She was also glad that INC didn’t think that her request is an infringement of their religious freedom.
Inday Sara said that the members of Iglesia Ni Cristo can still do their religious activities via the internet or other ways without having a mass gathering.
“They can find other modes on how to exercise their religion na hindi mag mass gathering,” Duterte said.
A few days ago, Mayor Duterte sent a warning to INC, asking them to stop their religious activities or else face legal actions.
“We already told you through an executive order that all religious ceremonies should be suspended. I want to remind members of Iglesia Ni Cristo that praying inside the church will not save you from the virus. It will not prevent you from getting infected and from getting sick,” Duterte said.
“If we cannot appeal to INC to suspend their activities, then we are exploring what we can do on the legal side,” she added.
Some members of INC defended their actions after reading Duterte’s warning and declared that no one could stop them from doing their religious activity.
“INC has always been very supportive of the Government programs as long as it does not interfere with our faith, especially our freedom of worship,” INC member Wally Cuarto stated.
“Kung may masamang mangyari sa amin tulad ng digmaan, baha, salot o taggutom, haharap kami sa TEMPLONG ITO upang humingi ng tulong sa iyo sapagkat dito ka sinasamba, tatawag kami sa iyo, papakinggan mo kami at ililigtas sa panahon ng aming kagipitan. (2 Cronica 20:9) BMBB” he added.
They also explained that they’re following social distancing and deployed nurses in some of their churches to check their members.
Mayor Isko Moreno made some way to help the health workers in Manila City affected by the community quarantine and public transportation ban.
Yesterday, the Manila City Government hired buses that are planned to use for the frontliners, health workers and some employees of Manila. Mayor Moreno personally inspected the buses.
Aside from offering free transportation to the COVID-19 front liners, Moreno signed executive order no. 17 that ordering motels and hotels in the city as a temporary shelter of the health workers working in hospitals in Manila.
The Mayor said that hotels should follow the executive order ‘voluntarily or involuntarily’.
Moreno cited the Local Government Code of 1991 which gave powers to mayors to “carry out such emergency measures as may be necessary” during a state of calamity.
President Duterte already put the whole country under a state of calamity due to COVID-19.
“Sa mga may ari ng hotel, I hope, in line of the call of the President to act in unison, in solidarity as Filipinos, I hope you will cooperate with the call of your city, and I’m grateful immediately some respondent already favorable to the executive order voluntarily,” he said.
There are around 531 rooms available for the health workers and Moreno already asked his staff to gather the list of all nurses and doctors working in the city.
According to Moreno, Sogo is going to provide 421 rooms, Eurotel to provide 50 rooms, and Town and Country to provide 60 rooms.
Moreno made the said executive order after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) ordered all hotels to stop their operations except those with existing bookings with foreigners.
While Moreno seems already solved the problem of the health workers in his City, some Mayors like Vico Sotto are still looking for ways to help the frontliners in his city.
Yesterday, Sotto allowed tricycles to operate around the city to help health workers, however, the authorities rejected the Pasig Mayor’s order.
Cabinet Secretary Nograles said that tricycles are not allowed to operate during the community quarantine period because of the difficulties of practicing social distancing in a small vehicle.
However, Nograles suggested that Mayors like Sotto can look for bigger vehicles to be used to help health workers.
“Sa tricycle, let’s address that, concern talaga ang gobyerno sa paggamit ng tricycle dahil hindi namin lubos makita o maintindihan kung paano mag social distancing sa tricylce, number one,” Nograles said.
“Number two, ang concern po ng LGU ay ganyan, maari namang gumawa ng mga initiatives ang mga LGU, with regard to vehicles na hindi naman kailangan tricycle ang gamitin, so may means po ang LGU na gumamit ng other means of transportation, meron po silang sariling sasakyan o di kaya’y gumamit sila ng sasakyan ng iba at makiusap, or other means,” he added.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles insisted that tricycles are not allowed to operate during the community quarantine period in Luzon.
During the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) press conference, Nograles explained that social distancing is very hard to implement in a tricycle because of its small size.
“Sa tricycle, let’s address that, concern talaga ang gobyerno sa paggamit ng tricycle dahil hindi namin lubos makita o maintindihan kung paano mag social distancing sa tricylce, number one,” Nograles said.
“Number two, ang concern po ng LGU ay ganyan, maari namang gumawa ng mga initiatives ang mga LGU, with regard to vehicles na hindi naman kailangan tricycle ang gamitin, so may means po ang LGU na gumamit ng other means of transportation, meron po silang sariling sasakyan o di kaya’y gumamit sila ng sasakyan ng iba at makiusap, or other means,” he added.
Nograles said that if the objective of the LGUs is to transport health workers to their destination, they should get a bigger vehicle like jeepneys, multi cabs or other four-wheel vehicles.
“Common ground rules po tayo, let’s all stick to the common ground rules, yun po ang pakiusap namin,” he said.
The cabinet secretary then reiterated that the purpose of the community quarantine is to control the movements of the people and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“Hindi po ba dangerous na kung ang health workers natin ay mahahawa po at maging carrier po, at pagdating po sa health institution ay sila po ay carrier, at sila’y nag alalaga ng mga pasyente?” Nograles asked.
“Hindi po kami gumagawa sa gobyerno ng mga patakaran at mga rules dahil gusto po nating pahirapan ang ating taumbayan, ginagawa po natin itong lahat para lahat ay pantay pantay at lahat ma proteksyonan,” he said.
Yesterday, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto urged the national government to allow some of the tricycles in his city to operate and accommodate health workers and other people who are looking for medical treatment.
“Hindi na po para sa tricycle driver, para nalang po sa public health and safety dahil ako po sa risk assessment na ginawa namin kapag hindi po natin pinayagan ang mga tricycle ay mas marami po ang mmatay,” Sotto said.
Members of the Church of God International (MCGI) and television show Ang Dating Daan (ADD) leader Eli Soriano complained why the political enemies of President Rodrigo Duterte are still criticizing the chief executive even during the middle of COVID-19 outbreak.
On a live video, Soriano said that he understood the gravity of problems being faced by President Rodrigo Duterte and urged his critics to unite and help the government to fight COVID-19 in the Philippines.
He defended the decision of the President, especially the deployment of the military during the period of community quarantine in Luzon.
“Ang masasabi ko lang sa mga kontra-partido ni Presidente Duterte, sana kalimutan niyo na muna yung politika, eh bakit kailangan ng sundalo? E mayroong matigas ng ulo kaya kailangan nga ng sundalo, hindi naman para pagmalupitan ang tao, para lang hindi mapigil ang pagkalat ng virus,” Soriano said.
Soriano then mentioned how COVID-19 became uncontrollable in Italy and affected millions of its residents.
He then compared Italy’s health care system to the Philippines, saying that Filipinos might not handle the same problem that the Italians faced.
“Hindi ka sakit mmatay, kundi mmmatay ka sa pagbabayad,” he said.
Soriano urged the critics of the government and also Vice President Leni Robredo to just cooperate with President Duterte instead of opposing his actions against COVID-19.
“Yung mga politiko sana wag na po kayong tutol ng tutol, makipag cooperate na kayo, gusto ko sanang humingi ng personal na pakiusap sa Bise Presidente, kasi tuwing magpapahayag ang Bise Presidente eh it seems na para sa akin ay palagi siyang kontra kay Presidente Duterte,” Soriano said.
“Kaya nga nalagay siyang Presidente ay niloob ng Diyos, imbis na kontrahin natin ng kontrahin ay ating tulungan, mag isip ka kung paano ka makakatulong Bise Presidente, na hindi lagi ang deklarasyon mo kontra sa Duterte administration, kalimutan na muna natin ang politika, Bise Presidente Robredo, sumama ka sa panalangin,” he added.
He reiterated that people should disregard politics amid the COVID-19 outbreak and think of things that could help the government and their neighbors.
“Hindi po ito panahon ng politika, panahon po ito ng compassion, understanding, consideration, wag niyo pong awayin ang mga pulis kababayan,” he said.
A netizen shared a receipt showing the estimated amount needed to pay by a Person under Investigation (PUI) for COVID-19.
On a Facebook post, Jerick Enopia tried to convince the people not to insist on going to their job by showing how much financial burden they could get if they got infected by COVID-19.
“So pili nalang. Pilitin pumasok sa work. Kikita ka ng 15-25k vs 90k na estimated bill kapag tinamaan ka. Ikaw bahala,” Enopia said.
According to the photo he posted, the estimated hospital bill amounted to 90,223 pesos.
Enopia didn’t disclose the hospital where the bill came from.
Fortunately, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles announced that the Philippine Insure Corporation (PhilHealth) will shoulder the quarantine, isolation and testing kit cost.
“The last thing we want is for our citizens to worry about medical costs and expenses. Their only concern should be their well-being and the well-being of their families,” said Nograles.
However, Nograles didn’t mention if the emergency room fee are covered by PhilHealth.
Recently, PhilHealth also released P30-B to accredited hospital as a response against COVID-19.
“Further, the state health insurer will also provide its members and service partners with additional relief in view of the recent declaration of a state of public health emergency in the country by extending the deadline of payment of contributions for its self-paying direct contributors. They can now pay their first-quarter contributions on or before April 30, 2020, instead of March 31, 2020, without interest,” the statement read.
“Moreover, its policy on a single period of confinement and 45-days coverage are also waived in favor of the member, while the filing period for claims is also extended from the usual 60 days to at least 120 days in favor of the health care providers”
Aside from testing fees, PhilHealth said that Filipinos can avail their P14,000 health package if they got quarantined because of COVID-19.
People who tested positive in COVID-19 can also seek a beneficiary package of up to P32,000.
