He added that the state is set to hire 15,000 additional contact tracers to meet its 50,000 goal, which was set as early as July.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said the latest survey results reflected the government’s efforts to provide accurate and timely information on the pandemic, thanking the public for the high rating given on this metric.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 17) — A majority of Filipinos said the government’s COVID-19 response has been “adequate” across four categories, except helping those who have lost their jobs to the pandemic, a national survey found.
The Social Weather Stations reported on Saturday that 71% of 1,249 adult Filipino respondents said the government adequately ensured the public had enough information on how to fight COVID-19, while 22% disagreed and 6% were undecided. The net adequacy was higher in Mindanao and Visayas than in Balance Luzon and Metro Manila, the independent pollster said. The net score is also higher in men than in women.
For the second question, interviewees were asked how adequately did the government ensure there was “extensive contact tracing”, of which 67% said adequate, 23% said inadequate while 9% were undecided. The net adequacy for this category was higher in Balance Luzon and Mindanao than in Visayas and Metro Manila. The net score was higher for men than women.
Majority of respondents also said the government adequately ensured there is affordable COVID-19 testing. The survey said 54% answered that the efforts were adequate, 33% said they were not, while 11% were undecided. For this, the net score was higher in Visayas and Mindanao than Balance Luzon and Metro Manila. This time, the net score was higher in women than in men.
However, on whether the government was able to adequately help people who were left jobless by the crisis or not, only 44% said the efforts were adequate, while 46% voted “inadequate” and 9% were undecided. The net adequacy was highest in Visayas, followed by Mindanao, Balance Luzon and Metro Manila. Meanwhile, the net adequacy for men was higher than for women.
The SWS said the survey was probability-based and conducted from September 17 to 20 through mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviewing with 309 adult Filipinos in Metro Manila, 328 in Balance Luzon, 300 in the Visayas, and 312 in Mindanao. The survey had sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, ±6% for Metro Manila, ±5% for Balance Luzon, ±6% for the Visayas, and ±6% for Mindanao.
“Ito ang dahilan kung bakit binubuksan natin po ang ating ekonomiya dahil naniniwala tayo na kailangang matuto ang mga Pilipino na mabuhay bagama’t nariyan po ang COVID-19,” Roque said, adding that public transportation is also being expanded to cater to more commuters.
“Hindi pupwedeng magtago tayo sa kuweba habang may COVID-19 tulad ng gusto ng ilan,” he added.
[Translation: This is the reason for reopening the economy further. We believe Filipinos need to learn how to live with the COVID-19 threat. We cannot just hide in a cave while the virus is out there, like what some people suggest.]
