Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 18) — The chief implementer of the country’s coronavirus response said a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) was “not a sustainable strategy” to be employed to combat the COVID-19 crisis.
Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. made the statement at a televised briefing on Tuesday, just as Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal would ease into general community quarantine (GCQ) on August 19.
“Ang importante kasi, nakita po namin na MECQ is not a sustainable strategy. Ang pinaka-way forward po talaga ay yung granular implementation ng lockdowns. Kasi po nang nag-MECQ ang laki po ng collateral sa livelihood ng mga tao,” he said.
[Translation: What we saw was MECQ is not a sustainable strategy. The best way forward is the granular implementation of lockdowns because MECQs place a large collateral on people’s livelihoods.]
Galvez said empowering local government units would make it easier to respond to cases and issue interventions.
Meanwhile, in a separate interview on CNN Philippines, Department of the Interior and Local Government Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said they were enforcing a campaign to help further stem the spread of the virus.
Malaya mentioned the BIDA ang may Disiplina campaign, with BIDA an acronym for Bawal ang walang face mask, I-sanitize ang kamay, Dumistansya ng 1 metro, at Alamin ang tamang impormasyon.
It is the combined campaigns of the Department of Health and the DILG.
He said they would be working with volunteers to remind people that they have the power to stop the virus.
Malaya said this was a “soft approach” and would not have any penalties.
Watch the interview here.
