THE 14-day suspension of travel authority for locally stranded individuals (LSIs) to Eastern Visayas starting June 25, 2020, is a “welcome move” from the national government amid rising cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the region.
“I believe all local government units in Eastern Visayas are relieved with the news. It will allow them at least two weeks to review and recalibrate their Covid-19 response programs,” said Tacloban Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año formally announced the suspension after meeting with the officials from the regional Inter-Agency Task Force in Palo, Leyte on June 24.
Año, along with National Task Force Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., also turned over some 8,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to the regional task force officials.
“DILG Secretary Año heeded the request of the mayors to temporarily suspend the return to Leyte of the LSIs until such time that the municipal quarantine and isolation centers can accommodate them already,” said Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto.
According to Loreto, Año also requested a list of Leyteños stranded in Cebu and Manila so that they may be provided with relief assistance.
“We are at a very uncertain time but we will continue our fight against Covid-19. Let us help each other in stopping this pandemic by following health protocols,” the vice governor said in a statement.
The Department of Health (DOH) has identified Leyte, Samar, Southern Leyte and Ormoc City as “emerging hotspots” for coronavirus due to the sudden increase in Covid-19 cases.
As of Friday evening, June 26, Eastern Visayas has a total of 496 Covid-19 cases, with three deaths.
Several lawmakers in Eastern Visayas suspected the national government’s “Hatid Probinsya/Hatid Tulong” program as the reason for the rapid spread of coronavirus in the region.
“...We firmly believe that it is the duty of the government to ensure that these constituents of ours are free from coronavirus infection and other diseases before they are allowed to rejoin their family members. Their freedom from Covid-19 infection means that their loved ones are free from harm, too,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.
‘Trojan horse’
As Covid-19 cases continue to surge in the region since its first recorded patient on March 23, locals have shifted their blame to the “Hatid Probinsya” program, a short-term humanitarian initiative to assist stranded locals, students, tourists, overseas Filipino workers in Metro Manila due to travel restrictions imposed during the quarantine period; and “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa” program, a long-term program intended to decongest Metro Manila’s urban areas and boost countryside development by encouraging the residents, particularly the informal settlers, to return to their provinces “for good.”
Despite the difference between the two national government programs, residents pointed to the programs as culprits in the rapid spread of Covid-19 to poor communities which are already facing problems in their healthcare facilities.
“The risk of having a growing number of cases in a province like ours poses a bigger problem in the future because of facilities,” wrote M. Joy Karen, venting her disappointment over the timing of “Balik Probinsya” program.
Initiated by Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, “Balik Probinsya” program only brought one batch of 112 persons from Manila to Leyte last May 21 until it was also temporarily suspended.
“We gave up two months of our normal lives - work and all. You have no idea how this situation is affecting our entire being. We are not just talking about the economy only. We are also talking about anxiety, desperation, depression, etc.,” said Karen as she recalled the stringent community quarantine protocols implemented in the province for the past two months.
A local pastor also expressed pity to the local leaders who are now facing their “worst nightmare” in securing the health of their constituents.
“More than just the fear, it’s the helpless frustration that I feel verging on anger. That moves me to express that the government has been incompetent, no wonder they’re trying to be on the defensive and try to control everything,” said the pastor who declined to be identified.
“But I guess I would be echoing the sentiments of a majority here when I say that it has been a very bad idea from the start to ferry people from a high-risk area to one that has been relatively free from the contagion,” he added.
After listening to the concerns of his parishioners over the said government program, the pastor said that “political opportunism is another virus that ought to be blamed for the situation that we are in.”
“The past months have been witness to the incompetence of our national government, who seems to have been more intent on saving face than in offering real plans to address this present crisis. We have been punished by incompetence at a national level,” said the pastor, adding that some local officials were apprehensive of the program but have no other choice.
Despite the surge of Covid-19 cases in the region, Yaokasin urged the public not to resort to finger-pointing and blame-shifting.
“Instead, we must pray for those who have been infected with the coronavirus--that they may be healed. We also need to support all our frontline health care workers and providers. They are as anxious as we are,” said Yaokasin in an earlier interview with Sunstar Philippines.
Appeal for prayers, patience
Palo Archbishop John Du humbly asked everyone “not to weary in praying.”
“Experts are doing their part, let us also strive to do our part by being more fervent in faith, steadfast in hope and overflowing in charity,” Du said in a statement.
The prelate appealed to the public to “remain calm and become beacons of patience.”
“Take note that the relaxation of some restrictions does not square with the disappearance of the deadly virus. We are just given a little window. With our due cooperation and proper guidance the window shall be converted into doors and the doors into gates,” said Du, following the church’s general guidelines that bring restrictions to some of their liturgical activities due to the health crisis.
Stay at home
In Sogod, Southern Leyte, Mayor Imelda Tan appealed to her constituents to “remain calm and stay at home” after the town recorded its first 10 Covid-19 cases on Friday evening, June 25.
“Sa kadtong mga adunay plano muuli /LSI. Naghangyo ako kaninyo nga dili usa muuli mahitungod ani. Gipangayo nako ang inyong konsiderasyon isip inahan sa lungsod. Let us deal with this problem one by one,” Tan said.
“Sa mga nagbalik probinsya gikan sa Manila, Cebu, o asa pa na gikan sulod sa Pilipinas ug labina gikan gawas sa nasud, ayaw laina ninyo pagsabot kung ang taga Southern Leyte nay grabeh na reaksyon. Sabta pud ninyo,” wrote Japeth Basil, a 40-year-old parent from Sogod who is working in Mindanao.
According to Basil, he also asked for cooperation and understanding from his townmates because he worried a lot about his family in Sogod.
In the neighboring municipality of Libagon, Mayor Sabina Ranque also issued Executive Order No. 27, placing Barangay Punta in their town under enhanced community quarantine effective June 26 until revoked.
“This is imposed to expedite the contact tracing activity," said the local government unit of Libagon.
“Padayon lang sa pagpuyo sa balay. Di maglakaw kung dili kinahanglan,” appealed Jerson Edillo, a nurse in Libagon, after the town already recorded 16 Covid-19 cases as of June 25.
Support for frontliners
In Pastrana, Leyte, Councilor Claudette Anne Villablanca-Chua also expressed sadness over the situation faced by the frontliners.
This prompted her to file an anti-discrimination ordinance, prohibiting any person from committing any act which causes stigma, disgrace, shame, humiliation, and harassment against infected or monitored individuals, including its health workers.
In Tacloban, peer counselor Janelle Carlos is also spending her time talking to distressed frontliners, following the surge of Covid-19 cases involving health workers in the city.
“It is about keen listening. No matter how small the talk is, I have to respond so that they’ll know that someone out there is listening,” Carlos said.
Her callers usually share about their worries, including the possibility of losing their jobs, being infected, and what would happen to their families if they were to be placed in isolation, according to a report from Catholic news site Licas.news.
“I have to affirm to them that they know how the virus contaminates, and I try to keep them calm by stating facts about prevention,” she added.
According to Carlos, she is supporting them because it would be difficult if health workers become paranoid or have anxiety attacks and lose focus.
“They would sometimes belittle themselves, that they cannot handle it anymore. I give positive reinforcement and positive moods,” she said.