“We need government efficiency and competence coupled with a sense of urgency.”
It has just been announced that Metro Manila, Laguna, and Bataan will shift from Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) until the end of August.
In making the decision to change quarantine qualifications, news reports quoted the Presidential Spokesperson as having said, “Mahaba ang botohan at nagkaroon ng secret balloting. Lumalabas kasi na hindi na gumagana ang ECQ for whatever reason at dapat baguhin na ang tactics.”
This statement is quite revealing because it reveals a mindset that strict community quarantine by itself is effective in curbing COVID-19 cases. If this is how our officials think, then it is not surprising that the pandemic continues to ravage us.
One would expect that after implementing various levels of community quarantine in the past year and a half, the government should have learned that restrictions in people’s mobility are not enough in the face of this killer virus. Even the virus itself has been evolving and mutating as evidenced by the deadly Delta variant. Yet, it appears that the government, until now, does not have a comprehensive plan in addressing this problem. By comprehensive, I mean that this plan must have different components and not simply focus on community quarantines.
If there is a plan, people do not see that it is effective, and therefore, should also evolve. For one, quarantine periods must be maximized to have as many people as possible inoculated. This assumes that we have enough supply of vaccines. However, we still hear of too many horror stories of people still unable to get their vaccination even if they have been waiting for a long time.
Worse, while under the strictest of quarantines, the numbers of COVID-19 infections skyrocket, our health facilities and healthcare providers are again overburdened, businesses continue to go red, and our people’s sufferings escalate with worsening poverty. On Friday, August 20, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 17,321 new cases and 317 deaths from the virus. This is the highest since the pandemic started and having more than 10,000 cases daily has been the trend for more than a week now. Also, note that the reported numbers refer only to those that reach DOH. One wonders about those that do not get included in the DOH roster. Definitely, the ACTUAL number of cases is much higher.
Outside of this virus, many more die of other serious diseases because our health system can no longer accommodate them. I have lost friends to cancer, stroke, and heart attacks. Seniors remain vulnerable not only to COVID-19 but to other conditions.
While there are cases of the fully vaccinated testing positive for the virus, those who need hospitalization are largely the unvaccinated ones. I personally know of several vaccinated friends and their families testing positive for COVID-19 but not needing hospitalization—proof that what science says is true, that vaccines protect us from severe cases and there is less need for hospitalization. Vaccination is the best protection against the virus, of course, coupled with observing other health protocols.
This is not a secret and the government should use all possible means and resources to vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate.
Moreover, “ayuda” is crucial. The reason why we see so many people outside despite the quarantines is shortage of money. Millions of Filipinos earn on a daily basis. If they do not work, they and their families will starve – this simple. Thus, no matter the restrictions, people will go out to try to earn to put food on the table. No parent in his/her right mind will allow their children to go hungry. Understandably, they will defy restrictions. We have seen what happened to our drivers who resorted to begging on the streets so their families can eat.
And when we speak of “ayuda”, this should be enough so people can stay home with some level of peace of mind. It is impossible for P1,000.00 per family to be enough. Even the P6,000.00 per family released in the early days of the pandemic was not enough. Community women who received this assistance said that it could not be enough even for the most basic of necessities. Many resorted to borrowing from friends, relatives, and local usurers and as of the time we spoke with them, they were worried because as one mother put it, “lubog na sa utang.”
Yet, we hear of billions and billions of people’s money being flagged by the Commission of Audit (COA) for possible misuse by different government offices with the DOH leading the pack. Health Secretary Duque became emotional and complained that COA had destroyed them. Sadly, the secretary fails to realize that his department’s failure to efficiently use the people’s money to effectively curb COVID-19 has destroyed the lives of millions of Filipino families, and the grief of those whose family members and friends perished because of the pandemic.
Therefore, beyond quarantines, we need better testing and contact tracing, we need to support our health institutions and healthcare providers, vaccines, a more aggressive vaccination rollout, sufficient ayuda to those needing financial assistance, and programs to address the people’s mental health. We need government efficiency and competence coupled with a sense of urgency. We need the government to be proactive, not reactive.
Quarantines are NOT enough.
@bethangsioco on Twitter; Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook