DESPITE the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio reminded Dabawenyos not to let their guards down as the Covid-19 "threat is real."
“While we now already have vaccines and the inoculation of our population is ongoing, we nonetheless must not let our guard down because the threat is real, the numbers are rising, and the consequences otherwise will be dire,” Duterte-Carpio said her 123rd Independence Day speech on Saturday, June 12.
The mayor reminded the public "to work as one" and continuously abide by the minimum health protocols.
"I ask all Dabawenyos to work as one and to abide by the health protocols in place because it is only when we each do our part that we can emerge victorious from this and commence the healing and recovery of our communities," she said.
Duterte-Carpio said more than a century since the country declared its independence, Davao City is currently joining the rest of the world "in facing a common enemy," that is Covid-19.
She also expressed her salute to the "modern-day heroes - our frontliners who continue to place their lives on the line in order for Filipinos to be free of this disease."
"I hope that the essence of our fight for independence – to be steadfast, constant, and strong despite the battles and challenges that come our way – may remain with us as we endeavor towards the future," the mayor said.
"In the same way that our heroes fought for the country’s liberation more than a hundred years ago, let us also find the courage and the resolve to liberate ourselves from the clutches of this deadly virus and become a stronger and more resilient Davao City," the mayor further said.
For this year, the Davao City government did not hold any rites for the annual commemoration and instead, played the national anthem due to the recent issuance of Executive Order (EO) No. 31, prohibiting face-to-face non-essential government events due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in the city.
The EO specified the prohibited ceremonies and events such as inauguration, anniversary, thanksgiving, ribbon-cutting, blessing, turnover ceremony, groundbreaking, launching, salu-salo (gatherings), birthdays, press conference, oathtaking, photo opportunities, retirement honor, welcome honors, testimonial programs, summer outing, team building, and all other similar activities.
Davao City, since June 5, is under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in response to the ongoing surge, resulting in the overwhelming occupancy of the city's Covid-19 referral hospital, and treatment facilities.
According to the Department of Health-Davao Region data as of June 12, Davao City's Covid-19 active cases reached a record-breaking 3,109 cases. Since the pandemic started, the city has a total of 19,526 cases, wherein 15,618 recovered, and 799 succumbed to the virus.
At present, the city government is vaccinating the first three priority groups - A1 (medical frontliners), A2 (senior citizens), and A3 (persons with comorbidities). Those included under the A4 group, which includes frontline personnel in essential sectors including those in the government, private sector, and uniformed personnel, have yet to be scheduled for the next vaccine rollout.