DAVAO CITY — The Department of Health reported on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, 538 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as 10 more deaths were recorded.
The total number of confirmed cases is now 2,084 while the total number of deaths is now 88.
Among the confirmed COVID-19 cases are Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año and former senator Ferdinand “Bong” Marcos Jr.
“Today, March 31, I received the result from RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine) informing me that I am positive for COVID-19,” Año said in an interview.
“I make this announcement to call the attention of all persons I had close contact with to go on self-quarantine and observe any symptoms,” Año said.
The DILG Secretary was on self-quarantine since March 26 after four persons he had associated with have tested positive for COVID-19.
The Secretary assured that this development will not dampen his spirit and energy to perform his job as a member of Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases tasked to combat the deadly virus.
“I have no symptoms but I’m taking all precautions and staying home and videoconferencing with IATF members almost every day,” he said.
Marcos, on the other hand, is on self-quarantine since March 14 and his condition has been improving, said lawyer Victor Rodriguez, Marcos spokesperson.
“Sinusunod ng dating senador ang health protocol sa mga persons under investigation at taimtim at tahimik nyang tinupad ang ipinaiiral na proseso ng gamutan, ‘tulad ng safety mask at self-quarantine, at walang ingay na inilayo ang kanyang sarili maging sa kanyang pamilya (The former senator has been following health protocols for persons under investigation and has faithfully and silently complied with this, including the use of a mask and going on self-quarantine. He obediently isolated himself even from his family.),” Rodriguez said.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is urging all local government units (LGUs) to fast-track the distribution of the Social Amelioration Card (SAC) and come up with a master list of qualified beneficiaries.
Año said time is of the essence in this coronavirus crisis and the poor people who were ordered to stay at home and refrain from moving are the priority.
He said government assistance should reach the beneficiaries as soon as possible as the economy is on a standstill leaving millions of Filipinos with no source of employment or livelihood.
“I am directing all LGUs to produce a master list of the social amelioration programs’ target beneficiaries at the earliest possible time for us to be able to immediately address the needs of our countrymen,” Año said on Tuesday in a media statement.
Some 18 million low-income families all over the country shall receive a special subsidy amounting to a mixture of food items and cash amounting to PHP5,000 to a maximum of PHP8,000 a month depending on the minimum wage of the particular region to provide for the basic needs of poor families, based on the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.
Año said fast distribution by the barangays of the SAC form to poor families will be key in preparing a master list of qualified beneficiaries who will fall under any of the amelioration packages to be implemented by the various national government agencies (NGAs) including the DILG.
He reiterated that no LGU nor barangay unit can limit the beneficiaries to registered voters only; and that Voter’s ID is not a requisite for inclusion in the list.
“Epal” signages or appendages crediting any local government official or bearing his name or image are also banned.
“Huwag na po sana nating gamitin ang krisis na ito pa sa politika. Malayo pa po ang eleksyon, (Let us not use the crisis for political ends. The elections are still far) let’s devote our time and efforts in helping the people,” he said.
SAC is a form distributed at the barangay level that captures the family profile which will be a mechanism for poor families and the vulnerable sectors of the society to access the social amelioration programs of the government.
“Help will come for our kababayans in these trying times in the form of these social amelioration packages and the urgent distribution of the SAC by the LGUs and barangays will play a key role para mabilis din maihatid ang mga tulong na ito (to facilitate the delivery of this assistance),” he said.
The DILG, departments of Social Welfare and Development, Labor and Employment, Trade and Industry, Agriculture, Budget Management and Finance recently signed Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1 series of 2020 defining the special guidelines on the provision of social amelioration measures to the most affected residents of the areas in the country under enhanced community quarantine.
Under the JMC, the target beneficiaries of the special programs are senior citizens; persons with a disability; pregnant and lactating women; solo parents; overseas Filipinos in distress; indigent Indigenous Peoples; underprivileged sector and homeless citizens; and informal economy workers who are set to receive assistance from the government’s social amelioration programs designed to assist them during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Non-residents who were stranded can also be listed as beneficiaries.
Among the said assistance are food and non-food items distribution; Assistance to Individuals In Crisis Situation; Livelihood Assistance Grants; COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program; TUPAD #BKBK; COVID-19 P3 ERF; Moratorium on Loan Payments of Small Business Corporation Borrowers; Price Freeze; Cash Assistance for Rice Farmers; Survival and Recovery Assistance for Marginalized Small Farmers and Fishermen; Recovery Package for Micro and Small Enterprises engaged in Agriculture and Fish Production and Other Supply Chains Activities in Accordance with the Agripreneurship Development Fund/Program of the ACPC; Expanded and Enhanced Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program; and Livelihood Seeding Program/Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay.
Aid distribution
Through DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-65, Año also said the strict observance of the imposed home quarantine, physical distancing, and prohibition of mass gatherings must be exercised in distributing the SAC forms and in distributing the assistance to the beneficiaries.
“It will defeat the purpose of controlling the spread of the coronavirus if we will not practice proper ECQ protocols,” Año said.
In the same memorandum, Año said LGUs must lead the door-to-door distribution of the SAC and the subsidy to ensure that the aid reaches the target beneficiaries and that ECQ protocols on physical distancing is observed.
He says that LGUs must coordinate with concerned NGAs, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the distribution of the assistance “to avoid any untoward incidents and for law enforcement purposes.”
In the case of food and non-food items, Año said the LGUs must identify suitable drop-off points to the DSWD prior to the distribution to the target beneficiaries. (with PR)
