PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, July 27, 2020, expressed his gratitude to the various sectors that have helped the nation withstand the headwinds caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and, at the same time, called on local government officials to set aside partisan politics in responding to the crisis.
The President expressed his thanks in his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona), which he delivered before a hybrid joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa at 4 p.m. Monday.
Duterte thanked “all those who made possible the steady supply of food, water and basic utilities of our households, and the provision of basic social services and financial services”.
He also thanked “everyone who helped keep our country’s food supply chain running - the valiant soldiers, policemen and security guards who kept peace and order in our community.”
“(To) the dedicated personnel who kept our essential establishments operational — you showed us kindness and selflessness, you gave us strength, you risked your own lives to serve the greater good in keeping the Filipino spirit of bayanihan,” Duterte said.
He also thanked the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) “for all the countless hours to keep the pandemic in check and for all the efforts they made to ensure the safety of our people”.
To the local government units (LGUs), Duterte thanked them for their initiatives in responding to the crisis and protecting their constituents.
“I know exactly the difficulties you are undergoing. I pray that the officials of each LGU in the country - from the barangays to the autonomous regions - would set aside partisan politics and selfish interests to do what is right and good for all,” he said.
Duterte also gave his long-time aide, Senator Christopher Go, a tap on the back over the establishment of Malasakit Centers in government hospitals.
"The Malasakit Center Act has proven to be a great help to our less fortunate citizen needing medical services through one-stop platform in government officials," Duterte said.
”We commend the initiative and work of Senator Bong Go in this regard as well as the other significant pieces of legislation as of today... These centers will be of great help in ensuring that our people remain healthy and resilient during these challenging times," he added.
Duterte said at present, there are 75 Malasakit Centers nationwide.
A Malasakit Center serves as a one-stop shop for all medical and financial needs of poor and indigenous families to lessen the need to take money out of their own pockets.
Go sponsored the law, Republic Act 11463 ,which mandates the establishment of Malasakit Centers in all hospitals managed by the Department of Health. It was signed by Duterte in 2019.
Only a few lawmakers who tested negative for Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), were allowed inside the plenary hall during the President's Sona. The rest attended via videoconferencing.
Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, former Presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Joseph Ejercito Estrada attended the session virtually. (Marites Villamor-Ilano/Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)