Article by:
Lade Jean Kabagani and Filane Mikee Cervantes
MANILA – President Rodrigo R. Duterte recognized the “teamwork” exhibited by the government’s frontline officials to combat the Covid-19 pandemic during the last two years.
In his prerecorded Talk to the People on Monday night, Duterte acknowledged again Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for his job in spearheading the fight against pandemic.
"I'd like to say something konting ano lang (just a few) — that you've done good sa trabaho mo (in your job) and the Filipino [people] will never forget that," Duterte said.
Duque recently went under fire for the supposed mismanagement of pandemic funds.
"This is a sacrifice really for you to continue doing it. I have to ask you several times to stay on the job because we need you," Duterte said, referring to several calls for Duque's resignation in the middle of the health crisis.
“Thank you, sir,” Duque, chairperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), replied.
Duterte also lauded the “tireless toil” of Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. as the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 Chief Implementer and vaccine czar of the country, Interior Secretary Eduardo Eduardo Año as NTF vice chair, and National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana for his guidance.
He also thanked NTF deputy chief implementer and testing czar Vince Dizon, advising him to join a political party after the Duterte administration.
“Vince Dizon, saan ka man pumunta (wherever you will go) after this administration, join a political party. ‘Yan ang forte mo, (That’s your expertise) it’s organizing,” Duterte said.
“If there is somebody I would like to thank publicly, it is never too late to say thank you. Salamat sa lahat (Thank you everyone),” Duterte said. “Sila yun nag teamwork (They are the one who showed teamwork) to defeat this [Covid-19 pandemic]. So someday magpapasalamat ang Filipinos sa inyo (Filipinos will thank you),” he added.
On Monday, the DOH logged reported 2,730 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest rise this year.
The country’s active cases dropped to 76,609 after the DOH recorded 7,456 new recoveries.
In his report, Dizon said over 61 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, hoping to reach 90 million before Duterte ends his term in June this year
Duque reported to Duterte that the Philippines reached a low-risk case classification with a negative two-week growth rate of -74 percent and a low-risk average daily attack rate of 5.26 per 100,000 individuals.
He particularly noted that all regions in the country are under low risk except for Region 11 (Davao), Cordillera Administrative Region, Region 6 (Western Visayas), and Region 12 (Soccsksargen), which are all under moderate risk classification.
Duque said the intensive care unit utilization rate nationwide is at low risk at 34.12 percent.
Meanwhile, he said the country’s total Covid-19 beds and mechanical ventilators utilization are at less than 50-percent usage.
"We are able to manage our cases and our health system's capacity is very much prepared for any eventuality na kung magkaroon na naman ng saka-sakaling pagtaaas (in case there would be another surge in cases)," Duque said. (PNA)
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