Matina Gallera: Mindanao’s ‘ground zero’

ON MARCH 7, 10, and 12, the Araw ng Dabaw 6 Cock Derby was held at the New Davao Matina Gallera, Davao City.

This derby will, later on, open a Pandora's box that would spread the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Mindanao.

As of April 10, 2020, the Department of Health in Davao Region (DOH-Davao) reported that there are already 87 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the region. Of this number, 13 have already died.

Data from the agency showed that 25 of the confirmed cases in the region had exposure to the derby held at New Davao Matina Gallera; 20 were exposed to confirmed Covid-19 patients in the region; 19 had a travel history to Metro Manila; eight had a travel history to other places.

Of the 20 who were exposed to confirmed Covid-19 patients, four of them were exposed to confirmed cases who went to the gallera.

Meanwhile, of the 13 Covid-19 related deaths, five have been to the Matina Gallera.

Dr. Cleo Fe Tabada, DOH-Davao Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (DOH-Resu Davao) medical officer, said during April 7, 2020, virtual presser of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA-Davao) said a total of 1,937 persons have been traced in connection with the New Matina Gallera. This includes those who attended the event and the people they may have made contact with.

She said in their initial contact tracing, 427 are at risk and have been exposed to the derby. Of this number, 139 are from Davao City, 127 from Davao del Sur, 90 from Davao Oriental, 19 from Davao del Norte, five from Davao de Oro, one from Davao Occidental, and 46 from other regions.

From the 427, the contact tracing of DOH-Davao was able to trace another 1,510 individuals. Of this number 1,010 are from Davao City, 135 from Davao del Sur, 124 from Davao Oriental, 109 from Davao de Oro, 73 from Davao del Norte, one from Davao Occidental, and 58 from other regions.

“I went to meet the contact tracing team, I realized that this is not even a third,” Tabada said. She said they are looking at 9,000 to 10,000 individuals who need to be traced in connection with the derby.

Tabada added, “We found out that people from that event had contact with other people who became positive, are admitted, and are being monitored.”

In its April 11, 2020 report, DOH-Davao was also able to trace 2,252 close contacts of 84 of the 87 confirmed cases in Davao Region. Of this number, 2,121 have already been monitored and interviewed wherein 717 had a history of exposure to the new Matina Gallera.

Of the 717, 238 from Davao del Norte, 174 are from Davao City, 135 from Davao del Sur, 90 from Davao Oriental, 29 from Davao Occidental, five from Davao de Oro, and 46 from other regions.

Covid-19 spreads in Mindanao

From Davao City, the attendees have now slowly spread the virus to other parts in Mindanao.

Cities and towns in the provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, and Bukidnon have reported confirmed Covid-19 cases wherein the patients have a travel history to the New Matina Gallera.

In a Facebook post on April 2, the local government unit (LGU) of Tagum City reported that five confirmed cases and one presumptive positive case, all of whom are residents of the city, had a travel history to the gallera. The local government unit (LGU) has conducted a contact tracing to reach out to the close contacts of these cases.

On April 9, 2020, Valencia City Mayor Azucena P. Huervas announced the first confirmed Covid-19 case of the city.

“Ang nagpositibo usa ka residente sa Barangay Lumbayag, Valencia City, Bukidnon ug adunay kasaysayan sa derby didto sa Matina, Davao City kaniadtong Marso 12, 2020 (Our first positive case is a resident of Barangay Lumbayad, Valencia City, Bukidnon. On March 12, 2020, he went to the derby in Matina, Davao City),” Huervas said in a statement. Later on, it would be revealed that the patient is an official of the barangay.

After he announced this, Huervas has placed Barangay Lumbayao under strict enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from April 9 to 26.

The first two cases of Covid-19 in Davao del Sur had a travel history to the gallera too.

The first was in Digos City. However, Digos City Mayor Josef Cagas announced that the patient has already recovered and been discharged.

The second case of the province was in Matanao. Matanao Municipal Health Office chief Dr. Patricia Ornales said the 72-year-old male patient had a history of exposure to the New Matina Gallera in Davao City on March 13, 2020. The patient is admitted at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City and is recovering.

In North Cotabato, health officials reported their first Covid-19 case on April 6. The patient is a 45-year-old male from Midsayap who had a travel history to the derby. North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco has ordered the contact tracing of persons who had close contact with the patient. As of April 10, 2020, DOH-Soccsksargen reported that the patient has already recovered.

In Kidapawan City, Mayor Joseph A. Evangelista announced on April 9, 2020, that the second Covid-19 case in the city had a travel history to the gallera.

“The patient is currently in stable condition and is already asymptomatic. Currently confined in Kidapawan City Community Quarantine Center since the facility opened and is very cooperative. Family is also being monitored for home quarantine. Contact tracing has already been done. All persons contacted are under strict home quarantine,” Evangelista said in a statement.

He added that the city will be placed on an ECQ, which took effect immediately on April 9, 2020.

Earlier, in a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report on March 28, 2020, Evangelista said the LGU and the provincial government of North Cotabato are contact-tracing over 100 people who may have attended the derby.

In South Cotabato, it was announced by Dr. Rogelio Aturdido Jr., chief of South Cotabato’s Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), that the second case in the province was a cockfighting aficionado who attended the derby.

He said the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) in Banga, where the patient comes from, is doing the contact tracing.

Aturdido said the patient attended the derby on March 12. On March 13, the patient returned to the municipality. By March 16, the patient started to feel symptoms related to Covid-19.

In an announcement on the official Facebook page of the local government unit of General Santos City on April 7, 2020, Mayor Ronnel C. Rivera announced the city’s first case of Covid-19.

“This person was among those who have attended the derby event in Matina Gallera, Davao, and was able to return in Gensan even before the travel restrictions were implemented here,” the LGU said in a statement.

Based on the data available from DOH-Soccsksargen, of the 16 confirmed cases in the region, 10 had a travel history to Davao City. However, only four have been publicly confirmed by officials to have gone to the derby.

On April 7, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's Inter-Agency Task Force (BARMM-IATF) on the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) announced that the first confirmed case in Maguindanao, a 54-year-old male from the town of Datu Odin Sinsuat, had a travel history to Davao City.

"He had exposure to the New Matina Davao Gallera, a cockfighting place, which is linked to the sudden increase of Covid-19 cases in that city," BARMM-IATF spokesperson Mohammad Asnin Pendatun was quoted saying in a PNA report on April 7, 2020.

The BARMM-IATF is also conducting contact-tracing to determine those who the patient had close contact with.

These are just among the several confirmed Covid-19 positive cases in cities and towns outside Davao City who have been exposed to the Araw ng Dabaw 6 Cock Derby held at the New Davao Matina Gallera.

The regional DOH offices, together with the local government units and concerned agencies, are currently focused on tracing those who went to the derby.

“Most of the contact tracing is focused on the gallera because malaki-laking number ang dapat habulin doon. Meron kasing nakikita na mga leads kaya sinusunod po siya (There are several people who we need to trace. We keep on seeing leads and we have to follow it),” Tabada said.

Authorities and health officials are calling on those who have gone to the derby at the New Davao Matina Gallera to come forward and submit themselves.

It could have been stopped

Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio during an interview on Davao City Disaster Radio on April 6, 2020 said while the derby did not violate any laws since it was able to comply with the needed permits, it could have been stopped at the beginning of March.

Based on the investigation conducted by the City Mayor’s Office, the Sangguniang Panlungsod Council issued a Resolution to approve the request for the conduct of a derby on February 4, 2020.

On March 3, 2020, the Davao City Business Permit and Licensing Division issued the permit after documentary requirements were met by the organizers.

The Araw ng Dabaw 6 Cock Derby was staged on March 7, 10, and 12, 2020.

In between those dates, Duterte-Carpio issued guidelines on Covid-19.

“On March 8, 2020, Guidelines No. 3 on Covid 19 was issued. It did not prohibit the conduct of private events, however, it clearly set the direction of postponing such events. On March 12, 2020, I instructed the Davao City Police Office to shut down all galleras upon learning about the ongoing derby,” Duterte-Carpio said.

She said based on the documents presented and the timeline covering the community quarantine implemented because of Covid-19, there was no law violated.

However, the mayor said there were two opportunities where the “Division Chief of the Business Permit and Licensing Division could have stopped the conduct of the derby and further prevented the situation from escalating.”

The first was on March 3 wherein the local government unit and health officials have been encouraging the postponement of events.

“Then on March 8 when we issued guidelines, klaro na kaayo atong direction (Our direction was clear). In fact, February pa lang, klaro na kaayo ang direction sa city government of Davao. Gi-cancel na nato ang events nga within our control (The direction of the city was already clear when we canceled the events under our control in February),” the mayor said.

“These were instances that the chief could have stopped the conduct of the derby and prevented the situation from escalating. It was a judgment call that was never made,” she said.

The mayor announced on the radio interview that the division chief has already tender their resignation.

“This serves as a reminder for all officials in the City Government to always put forward the general welfare of the residents of the city. I hope that this shall be a lesson that no one will ever forget, especially for those who work to serve Davao City and the Dabawenyos,” Duterte-Carpio said.