Duterte tests negative
President Rodrigo Duterte has tested negative for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
“This means that there is no stopping the Chief Executive from performing his primary constitutional duty of serving and protecting the people, especially at this perilous time when our country is faced with a deathly disease that threatens the very lives of our countrymen,” Panelo said in a statement.
“[Duterte] will continue to work with his usual passion and dedication for the nation. He will observe pre-emptive measures to secure his health as he steers the government in arresting the spread of the contagion,” he added.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez also underwent self-quarantine to ensure that they were free of the virus after close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
ADB rolls out $3 million grant
The Asian Development Bank has approved a $3 million grant to support the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to cover the purchase of emergency medical supplies and the delivery of effective health care services.
Incorporating ADB’s most flexible and expeditious procurement approaches, the assistance will allow the government to purchase diagnostic reagents and equipment, materials for makeshift hospitals, and personal protection supplies for health workers managing severe infection cases, among others.
“ADB’s assistance will help the Philippines, our host country, address the immediate financial and logistical constraints on the provision of emergency medical services during this extraordinary public health emergency,” said ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa.
“This is the first step in what will be a broader program of working with the government to respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 to health and economic activity.”
Expanded travel ban
Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente announced that passengers who traveled to Iran or Italy were now restricted to enter the country under the expanded travel restrictions for foreign nationals amid the COVID-2019 outbreak.
According to Morente, following the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte and as recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease, the BI would implement additional travel restrictions for arriving passengers from Iran and Italy by 12 midnight of March 16, 2020.
“Passengers coming from, or has transited through Iran and Italy in the last fourteen days, shall be required to present a medical certificate issued by competent medical authorities within the last 48 hours prior to arrival in the country certifying that they are COVID-2019 free,” said Morente.
Morente added that should say passengers present a medical certificate, they would be referred to the Bureau of Quarantine for a 14-day mandatory quarantine.
“However, if they failed to present a medical certificate, they will be denied entry to the country,” Morente stated.
Work suspension
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Saturday announced the suspension of work of the House of Representatives from March 16 to April 12.
However, the suspension of work at the House was not expected to affect the passage of bills since the House was on recess at that time.
House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales in a press statement said Cayetano echoed the order of Duterte to suspend government offices except those delivering front line services.
“With the health and safety of the employees of the House of Representatives in mind, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has decided to adopt a work schedule parallel to the one to be implemented by the Executive Department as announced by President Rodrigo Duterte on 12 March 2020,” Montales said.
Just like Duterte Cayetano will maintain a skeletal force in the chamber, said Montales.
Meanwhile, Deouty Speaker and Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman called on the government to provide assistance to the most vulnerable sectors of society in the drive to check the virus.
Insurance benefits
WORKERS of tourism-related establishments who lose their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic should avail themselves of the one-time unemployment insurance benefit from the Social Security System (SSS), Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said.
“We would urge all qualified employees who are involuntarily separated from their jobs to get their unemployment insurance subsidy from the SSS,” Pimentel said.
“The financial aid may not be much, but it will help. And the benefit is a handout. It is not a loan. The laid off worker does not have to pay it back,” Pimentel pointed out.
The National Economic Development Authority earlier projected that up to 60,000 employees in the tourism sector alone could initially lose their jobs if the coronavirus outbreak lasts until June.
“All SSS members who get laid off, including overseas Filipino workers whose contracts have been cut short – such as those discharged by global cruise ship operators – are actually entitled to the unemployment insurance assistance,” Pimentel said.
Under the law, workers who are covered by the SSS and who get involuntarily separated from their jobs get a one-off unemployment insurance payment equal to their average monthly salary credit.
Skeletal force
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso signed an executive order adopting a skeletal force policy wherein all government employees, except those involved in frontline services of disaster risk reduction management, health, and sanitation, will follow a 4-day work-week arrangement.
Domagoso signed on March 12, Executive Order 15 to avoid the spread of the coronavirus disease in the city government offices, departments, and units.
The implementation of the policy is in line with the declaration of the State of Public Health Emergency across the country and in compliance with the Civil Service Commission Circular 07 s. 2020.
Under the order, every employee shall render a total of 12 working hours – 8 am to 8 pm – per day provided that the last two working hours shall be devoted to cleaning and disinfecting of work areas.
Transport vehicles
The chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation on Saturday said the crew members and passengers of public transport vehicles must use face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Panel chairman Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento also urged the government to order the use of nose and mouth covers before people are allowed to ride on all forms of public transport.
In addition, Sarmiento said that the government should continue to ensure that public transportation remains available.
Sarmiento also called on public transport operators, including the Philippine National Railways and the Light Rail Transit systems, to regularly disinfect their vehicles and coaches to somehow reduce the chance of transmission.
“I am appealing [to the authorities] to allow public transportation systems to continue operating. We are now hurting from the Covid virus as it is and we may longer recover if we shut down pubic transportation,” Sarmiento said.