Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 2) — The first step to strengthening the country’s response to the pandemic is to admit there are flaws in the current strategies, Vice President Leni Robredo said.
In her weekly radio show ‘Biserbisyong Leni,’ the Vice President on Sunday called on other government officials to acknowledge that there are shortcomings in the national response to the health crisis, noting that the continued rise in coronavirus cases proves that point.
To date, health officials have confirmed over 103,000 cases of the disease in the country, with around 5,000 new infections logged in the Department of Health’s latest case report.
“‘Pag sinabi nating ginagawa na natin lahat, wala tayong pagkukulang, ang laki-laki ng problema natin.”
[Translation: If we say we’re doing everything, we don’t have shortcomings, then we have a very big problem.]
Robredo said the government has been slow in rolling out and strengthening efforts to contain the virus, adding that until now, the lack of quarantine centers remains to be an issue, and contact tracing in several local government units has yet to be improved.
“May mga policies tayo na hindi nagwo-work. Kung ako tatanungin, tingin ko ‘yung pinaka problema talaga natin ay sobrang bagal natin gumawa, mag-respond,” she said.
“‘Yung mga dapat inasikaso natin March pa, parang ngayon palang tayo…parang tama ‘yung sinabi ng doktor kahapon, walang sense of urgency,” Robredo continued.
[Translation: We have policies that are not working. If you were to ask me, I think our biggest problem is that we are so slow to respond. It seems like we’re only addressing now the issues we should’ve taken care of in March. I think the doctor in the press conference yesterday is right in saying we don’t have a sense of urgency.]
Medical professionals on Saturday held a press briefing to appeal to the government for a two-week enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and its nearby regions, as a form of “timeout” for a healthcare system already strained by the rise in cases.
Robredo said it is important to pay attention to the frontliners’ call, but added that an ECQ would only be effective if the lockdown period is used to recalibrate and refine strategies.
