NEGROS Occidental Fifth District Representative Ma. Lourdes Arroyo asked her constituents not to be complacent against Covid-19 by complying with the health protocols being enforced by local government units.
She said "when Covid-19 started spreading as early as the first quarter of 2020, every country in the world, including the Philippines, struggled to devise a plan to combat the grave effects of this pandemic. Our normal way of living has now been replaced with incorporating safety protocols such as wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and taking other measures to safeguard our health and our lives as best as we can. We are now practicing what we call the new normal."
"As we face this reality together, we cannot let fear consume us. We must not lose hope that we can survive and overcome all the trials that this pandemic has brought into our lives. By standing united, we can heal as one. There is no denying that fighting this unprecedented worldwide event due to the Covid-19 virus is difficult. It has cost us our jobs and livelihood, our sense of safety and normalcy, it has even led to the loss of lives of loved ones. This pandemic has compromised and changed our very way of living," she added.
She said she continues to extend assistance to those affected families through various social services while she performs her legislative task.
It also includes implementation of various projects that could help stir the local economy in her district.
"For the past weeks, there has been a surge of Covid-19 positive cases in our province that even prompted the localized lockdown of several barangays in the 5th District. During these times, I have provided food assistance to help the families in the barangays in the 5th District that were affected by the localized lockdowns," she said.
"As always, I would like to remind everyone not to be complacent since the Covid-19 virus is still a threat. Always follow safety protocols by wearing masks whenever you go outside, avoid crowds, practice social distancing, and I also humbly request you to pray. Pray for the safety of your loved ones, the Quinto Distrito and the safety of our nation," she added.
Arroyo also called on the town and city mayors, including other officials and her office staff in the daily huddle of the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center Task Force held at the Bacolod Government Center on October 16.
A total of 64 officials and representatives from various local government units (LGUs) of the Fifth District of the Province of Negros Occidental, as well as from the Department of Health (DOH)-Western Visayas, Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Western Visayas, and various Provincial Health Offices (PHO) in Western Visayas were able to attend the said conference which was mean to benchmark the system and structure in managing the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among the officials of the Fifth District who attended the conference were Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Celestina Yulo and Vice Mayor Adrian Villaflor, La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Mangilimutan and Vice Mayor Manuel Vera and Hinigaran Mayor Nadie Arceo.
The initiative made by Arroyo aims to further strengthen the strategies of the LGUs in combating Covid-19 following the spike of Covid-19 positive cases in the whole province of Negros Occidental.
Also present in the conference was General Mel Feliciano, chief implementer for the Visayas of the National Inter-Agency Taskforce on Emerging Infectious Diseases who led the discussion on strategic approaches such as extensive contact tracing that the local officials of the Fifth District can adapt to successfully flatten the curve.
The lawmaker prayed for the continued protection and safety of her constituents in the Fifth District, as well as the Negrense community.