THE 19th Davao City Council passed 14 resolutions and ordinances unanimously approved on Friday, March 20, amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis.
Davao City Councilor Pamela Librado-Morata filed four resolutions to intensify measures against Covid-19.
Resolutions filed were – resolution urging the City Mayor’s Office (CMO) to provide a budget for massive testing for Covid-19, especially among frontliners to include health workers and law enforcers; and a resolution requesting CMO to provide budget for installing sanitary tents in various strategic areas or locations in Davao City such as but not limited to parks, hospitals, public markets, roads, streets and other public places.
Librado-Morata also filed a resolution requesting CMO to extend assistance by way of purchasing additional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines to further enhance the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) diagnostic capacity for Covid-19 testing; and a resolution requesting CMO to provide a budget for the creation of a city-owned molecular laboratory with PCR machines and with diagnostic capacity to test Covid-19.
The councilor said she requested the office of Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte to put these items under suspended rules to aid the city’s effort to contain Covid-19.
Librado-Morata said these measures are aimed at increasing the city’s capacity for more effective and viable preventive measures against Covid-19 to protect both the health personnel and the public.
She added the resolution urging the local government to develop its own capacity for massive testing, as well as supporting the SPMC, being the main hospital to service persons under investigation (PUIs) and positive cases of Covid-19.
“We need to help SPMC because if worst happens, maapektuhan sab ta. Daghan gina-cater ang SPMC kay Mindanao-wide iyang ginaserbisyohan na mga pasyente (We would also be affected. SPMC caters patients from Mindanao.) There are still steps or measures that the local government can do to increase the capacity of SPMC as a Mindanao-wide regional hospital, especially amid the fight against Covid-19,” Librado-Morata said.
Councilor Mabel Sunga Acosta, peace and public safety committee chair, filed and passed resolutions and ordinances adopting measures already imposed by the Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force-Davao Region including an ordinance imposing liquor ban in Davao City from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. of the next day, until the community quarantine is lifted; and a resolution to enact an ordinance imposing a community quarantine curfew in the city from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., until the community quarantine is lifted.
Acosta said violations on both ordinances will have a fine of P3,000 on the first offense while P5,000 fine and an imprisonment of not more than one year, at the discretion of the court, for the second offense.
Other passed items during the regular session were the following: a resolution urging hotels, inns and other similar establishments near hospitals to consider utilizing its rooms to be used by non-Covid-19 patients in the event that hospitals will run out of space for coronavirus patients; and a resolution elevating the concern on the lack of supply for basic goods and commodities in Davao City to the National Price Coordinating Council for appropriate action.
A resolution requesting Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Secretary Silvestre Bello III to fast track the implementation of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) Project along with other government agencies with programs mitigating the impact of Covid-19 considered as the current global health emergency affecting all barangays in Davao City was also passed along with the resolution amending the Local Development Investment Program (LDIP) of the Calendar Year 2019-2021, and the Annual Investment Program (AIP) for 2020 of the City Government of Davao by including a priority project entitled comprehensive medical program worth P4 million was also passed.
The City Council also endorsed a resolution endorsing the “Comprehensive Medical Program” with an appropriation of P4 million, funded under the Local Government Support Fund – Financial Assistance to the Local Government Units (LGSF-FA) to the Office of the President.
The committee of finance, ways and means, headed by Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, passed an ordinance extending the deadline of the second quarterly installment for payment of business tax, and first quarterly installment for Real Property Tax and additional levy on Real Property for the Special Education Fund (SEF) to June 30, 2020 in view of the Covid-19 threat in the country; an ordinance extending the deadline of the second quarterly installment for payment of business tax, and first quarterly installment for real property tax and additional levy on real property for SEF to June 30; and a resolution to appropriate budget that will supplement Barangay’s Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management (LDRRM) fund and quick response fund (QRF) for the financial assistance of constituents whose income are reduced by the adverse socioeconomic impact of Covid-19.
All ordinances passed will be forwarded to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for her signature, and enactment.