BAGUIO CITY, April 03 – Vice Mayor Faustino A. Olowan expressed his all-out support to the snowballing clamor of the people for the national government to consider lifting the ongoing implementation of the Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine once it ends on April 12, 2020 and to set aside pending proposals to extend the same for another month.
He said that concerned government agencies and the local government had received numerous complaints on the effect of the enhanced community quarantine to their living condition, especially those that lost their sources of livelihood because of the stoppage of almost all economic activities, thus, the government should not allow people to go hungry.
The presiding officer of the local legislative body pointed out that the government could not afford to provide the basic needs of all the people that have been heavily impacted by the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine considering that the priority to be given relief assistance are those belonging to the vulnerable and marginalized sectors such as senior citizens, persons with disabilities, poorest of the poor families, displaced workers in the informal sector, stranded individuals among others, thus, the need to bring back the economic activities that provide livelihood for the people for them to be able to survive the prevailing crisis which is an offshoot of the quarantine.
However, Olowan disclosed that coupled with the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine will be the continuous implementation of the wearing of masks and other protective devices, the observance of the prescribed social distancing in the workplaces and in public, the observance of the proper coughing and sneezing etiquette among other sanitation and hygiene practices that people mastered during the quarantine period.
According to him, the deadly virus is really an invisible and vicious enemy that is why people must learn to protect themselves from contracting the same because it will be a different situation in the city once there will be confirmed community transmission that will totally change the landscape in the city as a whole.
He urged residents in the city’s 128 barangays to continue cooperating with the implementation of the strict guidelines of the enhanced community quarantine because staying at home and observing physical distancing are among some of the proven practices that will prevent individuals from contracting the contagious disease and infecting others.
The vice mayor also called on the residents to patiently await whatever will be the decision of the inter-agency task for on the management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases on the possible lifting and extension of the Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine because the future guidelines that will be issued governing their decision on the matter will be for the common good taking into consideration whatever will be its effects to other sectors.
He commended the residents for their continuous understanding and cooperation to the guidelines of the quarantine period although they are now wary about their sources of livelihood when the same will be lifted because it will surely take some time for the national and local economy to make a rebound considering that slump that it went trough due to the COVID situation in the country but he remained optimistic that the resilience of the Filipinos will allow them to eventually recover and go back to their normal way of life soonest.
By Dexter A. See
