Mga kababayan, magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat; at sa ating mga kaibigan sa media at sa ating mga magigiting at bayaning frontliners.

Kahapon po walang inilabas na bagong resolution ang IATF dahil po ilan sa aming mga miyembro ng Gabinete ay sumama po sa Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19, kasama siyempre ang ating mahal na Pangulo. Kaya ang briefing natin ngayon ay tututok po sa dalawang bagay: Una, mga updates hinggil sa mga hakbang ng gobyerno kontra sa COVID-19; at pangalawa, mga pinag-usapan po ng mga pinuno ng ASEAN, kasama po diyan ang mga pinuno mula sa Brunei Darussalam, Kingdom of Cambodia, Republic of Indonesia, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Singapore, Kingdom of Thailand, Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Sa ginanap na Special ASEAN summit on COVID-19 at ang ASEAN Plus Three Summit na naging kasama po natin ang mga pinuno mula sa People’s Republic of China, Japan at ang Republic of Korea on COVID-19 pa rin na ginanap po kahapon via video conference, ito po ang pinakaunang pagkakataon na nagkaroon po tayo ng ASEAN summit at ASEAN Plus Three Summit via video call.

For our updates, I would like to begin by sharing the status of our water and power supplies this summer. The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) reports that it has given the full water allocation of 46 cubic meters per second to MWSS from the Angat reservoir until April 30, 2020 to insure the continuous supply of water in Metro Manila. Kaya makakaasa po tayong lahat na tuluy-tuloy po ang daloy ng tubig dito sa NCR sa kalagitnaan ng Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

As for the power demands in Luzon, the Department of Energy reports that we have an available capacity of 11,795 megawatts, which is greater than the actual peak demand of 7,323 megawatts in Luzon. This means, we currently have an excess capacity of 4,742 megawatts. Ibig pong sabihin, lubos din po ang supply ng ating kuryente dito po sa Luzon.

Sa mga kababayan nating kumukunsumo nang mas mababa sa 50 kilowatt per hour o iyong tinatawag na lifeline consumers ng mga electric cooperatives dito po sa Luzon maging sa Visayas at Mindanao – maliban sa isang buwan na grace period sa pagbabayad ng kuryente – libre na po ang inyong konsumo sa loob ng March to April billing period. Target na tulungan ang Pantawid Liwanag ang tatlong milyong mahihirap na consumer ng ating mga electric coop. Salamat sa National Electrification Administration (NEA), sa PHILRECA at sa ating mga electric coop sa inyong tulong at ambag sa bayanihang ito.

Sinisigurado din po ng gobyerno na may sapat na pagkain at bigas dito sa Luzon habang tinutuloy ang ECQ.

The Department of Agriculture reports that it recently distributed 80,000 sacks of rice from Regions I, II and III to Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) area. It has also provided, among others, assorted vegetable seeds and seedlings to 173,957 beneficiaries through its urban agriculture program and distributed fingerlings and seaweed propagules to 1,005 fishpond and cage operators and seaweed farmers. To help in the distribution of produce, the DA has also been working with around 12,000 farmers and market workers as part of its Kadiwa activities. In the Bicol region, Kadiwa gross sales reached 4.6 million pesos and the DA hopes to replicate this in other regions as well.

Tinututukan pa rin po ng pamahalaan ang pagbigay ng tulong pinansiyal sa mga manggagawa, magsasaka at mga pamilyang nangangailangan.

Sa report po ng Department of Labor, umabot na po sa 219,458 ang mga manggagawa na nakatanggap ng tulong mula sa COVID-19 Adjustments Measures Program (CAMP) ng DOLE na nagbibigay ng limang libong piso sa ating mga affected workers.

Limang libo din po ang ibinigay ng Department of Agriculture sa mga magsasaka sa ilalim ng kanilang Rice Farmers Financial Assistance Program. Ipinasok na po ang pondo sa mga account ng 328,282 na magsasaka. May additional po na 46,575 na magsasaka na nakatanggap din ng P5,000 sa ilalim ng sure aid and financial subsidy for rice farmers.

Pagdating naman po sa emergency subsidy program ng Department of Social Welfare and Development, a total of 922 million pesos worth of emergency subsidies have been distributed to 170,989 low income, non-4Ps families. Bukod pa po ito sa 3.72 million 4Ps beneficiaries na nakatanggap na ng top-up subsidy nila.

Naipamigay na rin po ng DSWD ang emergency subsidies sa 40,418 na tsuper ng TNVS at mga driver ng ating mga pampublikong sasakyan. In addition to this, the DSWD has distributed a total of 61.9 million pesos to 13,135 clients for COVID-19 concerns under the assistance to individuals in crisis situation program.

Ngayon, sa ilalim pa rin po ng Social Amelioration Program ng pamahalaan, higit sa 57.49 billion pesos na po ang naipamahagi mula sa DSWD patungo sa 934 local government units bilang pagtugon sa mga pangangailangang pinansyal ng ating mga low income families.

So, since the allocation for the 18 million low income families has a total of about 80.9 billion pesos, the 57.49 billion pesos already distributed to the different LGUs, account for 72.3% of the fund. And DSWD aims to complete the distribution of all the funds to all LGUS by this week subject to the cooperation of the remaining LGUs.

Now, the Department of Finance on the other hand is set to launch this small business wage subsidy program, which aims to provide a P5,000 to P8,000 cash subsidy up to two months to around 3.4 million middle income employees of small businesses. And that was what we discussed yesterday.

The identification treatment and care of those that have contracted covid-19 remains a top priority of your government. According to the Department of Health, as of April 14, 43,500 tests have been conducted on 38,103 individuals which now leads us with an inventory of 99,750 test kits. But as we announced, more test kits are arriving.

We currently now have 5,223 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, 3,151 of which are currently admitted in our hospitals. The DOH reports that 20 more lives were claimed by this COVID-19 virus, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 335. But DOH likewise reports the highest number of recoveries in a single day with 53 new recoveries as of April 14, bringing the total number of recoveries to 295.

Kaya maraming, maraming salamat po sa ating mga healthcare workers, sa ating mga doktor, mga nurse, mga health professionals natin. Kayo po ang last line of defense laban sa sakit na ito, and you have been doing the utmost to save the lives of your fellow Filipinos.

Maraming nababahala doon sa pag-akyat ng bilang ng mga COVID-19 na ngayon ay nasa more than 5,000 na tayo – 5,223. Pero gusto ko lang din pong sabihin na this increase in the COVID-19 cases po natin is obviously a function of the expansion of our testing capacity. So the more tests we conduct, the more positive COVID-19 we expect to see. At ang treatment po diyan is as long and as soon as we find out na COVID-19, then we will know already immediately ano iyong health interventions na gagawin natin sa pasyente na ito. Kaya importante pong ma-monitor natin kung sino ang COVID-19, kailangan ma-test natin sila. Kailangan ng health interventions agad. At isang numero na binabantayan talaga natin is siyempre iyong rate of recovery.

Now, apart from this, the Department of Health informs us that staysafe.ph – a new website and mobile app – has been launched to help them monitor the real time health condition of COVID-19 patients, as well as to aid government in tracking suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases. May mga nagtatanong sa amin kung legit ba itong staysafe.ph. Opo, kasama po iyan sa mga mekanismo at official government apps po natin.

Pagdating sa mga quarantine at isolation facilities naman, handa na po tumanggap ng pasyente na may banayad o walang sintomas ng COVID-19 ang anim na COVID-19 We Heal as One Centers, dalawang barko, at ang yate ng gobyerno – ang BRP Ang Pangulo.

And as of April 11, 2,705 quarantine facilities with a total bed capacity of 166,435 had been built, serving 1,644 confirmed, probable and suspected COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms. A total of 29 evacuation centers are now being used as quarantine facilities, serving a total of 494 suspect, probable and possible cases.

Before proceeding to the second part of the briefing, i-share ko na lang rin po na sabi ng Philippine National Police na umaabot na po sa 108,088 sa buong bansa ang lumalabag sa ECQ as of April 13. Napapansin po ito ni Pangulong Duterte at siyempre ng mga miyembro ng IATF na medyo nagiging kampante na po ang ating mga kababayan pagdating sa ECQ. So to address this and the reported increase in the number of vehicles travelling along EDSA and other major thoroughfares ng Metro Manila, at sa utos ng ating Pangulo, the Philippine National Police will strictly impose the policy on authorized persons outside of residence (APOR).

The PNP-HPG has been directed to implement the following measures beginning today:

1.) The inspection of private vehicles to determine whether the driver and passengers belong to the list of APOR or not.

2.) If the driver or any of the passengers is not authorized, HPG will issue LTOV [LTO violation receipt] or MMDA OVR [Ordinance Violation Receipt] tickets against the drivers of those private vehicles transporting unauthorized persons outside residence as identified by JTFCV Shield.

So sino po ang mga authorized persons? Ito po ang mga kasama sa mga exemptions na nabanggit na rin po ng IATF, tulad ng mga medical and health workers, mga empleyado ng mga essential services, mga frontliners at iba pa. Kung mapansin ninyo po, humihigpit na po ang ating mga pulis sa mga checkpoints ng ating mga barangay. Sana po intindihin natin na magiging effective lang itong ECQ sa pag-contain ng COVID-19 kung tayo ay hindi basta-basta na lang nakaka-ikot at lumalabas. This is all being done for us and for our families in order to prevent the virus from spreading.

We appeal to everyone to please cooperate and as much as possible stay home. Kaya bahay muna, buhay muna. So pakiusap lang po ‘no, maghihigpit na rin po ang PNP dito. At siyempre iyong lalabag, pasensiya.

Sana na rin po, even within our communities pati sa ating mga barangay, kung may mga pasaway din po, kung maaaring tayo na lang din mismo ay pagsabihan natin – let’s police our own ranks; let’s police our neighbors and communities.

Now, please allow me to go to the second portion of today’s briefing, the highlights of the Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19 and the ASEAN+3 Summit on COVID-19. Both activities were held yesterday via video con with President Rodrigo Duterte being joined via video con by the heads of state of our ASEAN neighbors, as well as the heads of state of China, Japan and South Korea.

These summits were held yesterday because as the President pointed out, ASEAN member nations and the entire world are in the middle of a catastrophe that is unprecedented in scale and devastating in impact for all as quoted by the President. It’s one that demands an effective strategic response that requires the members of ASEAN to work together to defeat an enemy that threatens the people of ASEAN and our nations’ economies.

As the President stressed in his remarks, and I quote, “To effectively overcome the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN must collaborate and coordinate with our region and beyond.”

These two summits also provided a venue for the leaders of the ASEAN to share their experiences and best practices with regard to their respected responses to the COVID-19 outbreak, to discuss their major concerns as they all work together to contain the outbreak and to exchange thoughts on the way forward after we deal with this pandemic.

So when the first activity, the Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19, the President highlighted four major areas wherein ASEAN members can act collectively and support each other. These are:

1.) The need to boost the production and intra-ASEAN trade of vital medical equipment in light of the shortages experienced in our countries respective health systems;

2.) Food security, in particular, ensuring a steady supply of rice for our people and the importance of the remaining open for trade in order to keep supply chains connected;

3.) Vaccine research and development;

4.) The preparations ASEAN needs to undertake to be ready for future outbreaks.

Pagdating naman po sa pangalawang summit, ang ASEAN Plus Three Summit on COVID-19, binanggit po ng Pangulo na kailangan ng ASEAN, China, Japan at South Korea i-prioritize ang mga sumusunod: Una, ang produksiyon at kalakalan ng mga mahalagang kagamitan na kailangan sa ating mga ospital; Pangalawa, ang pagbuo ng regional reserves ng medical supplies para handa tayo sa ganitong klaseng outbreak; Pangatlo, ang kooperasyon sa science at research lalo na pagdating sa pag-develop ng mga bakuna at anti-viral treatment; At pang-apat, ang food security o katiyakan sa pagkain.

Kung naalala po ninyo noong Lunes, nabanggit ni Pangulong Duterte ang Avigan, isang gamot na ginagamit para sa flu at influenza. Isa ito sa mga pinag-usapan sa ASEAN Plus Three Summit. The President had an exchange with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe regarding this drug. And during the meeting, reiterated that the Philippines is ready to participate in clinical trials of potential vaccines like Avigan. According to Prime Minister Abe, there are about 50 countries that are interested in studying this drug further; and Prime Minister Abe gave special mention to President Duterte in this regard.

In both summits, though the leaders present spoke different languages, the substance and themes of their remarks were similar in many respects. Like us in the Philippines, other nations in the ASEAN have adopted social distancing. They’ve restricted movement in order to prevent transmission of this COVID-19 disease within their respective countries. Most emphasized the need to break the chain of infection in each country and to work together to reduce the risk of cross-border infections.

There was universal agreement regarding the need to keep trade open, to keep supply chains moving and to ensure unhampered movement of goods. All acknowledge the need to mitigate the economic and social impact of the outbreak especially since the member-nations all generate revenues for tourism. There was a consensus that all the countries involved must coordinate and share information with each other, must leverage the digital technology to help combat this outbreak, and must prepare and buildup their healthcare capabilities in order to be prepared for future outbreaks.

At the end of the ASEAN Summit, a declaration was issued. The resolutions of which include:

• Further strengthen public health cooperation measures to contain the pandemic and protect the people through timely and transparent exchange of information on real time situation and pandemic response measures taken by each member-state;
• Sharing of experience and best practices in epidemiological research and development, clinical treatment, joint research and development of vaccines and anti-viral medicines, enhancing capacity for the public health systems of ASEAN member-state while protecting and ensuring the safety of public health workers;
• Intensify cooperation for adequate provision of medicines, essential medical supplies and equipment including but not limited to diagnostic tools, personal protective equipment, etcetera, and encourage the development of regional reserves of medical supplies;
• Bolster national and regional epidemic preparedness and response including through the possible setting up of a network of experts on public health emergencies for future need, strengthening the capacity of existing ASEAN’s emergency response network;
• Remain committed to keeping ASEAN’s markets open for trade and investment and enhance cooperation among ASEAN member-states and also with ASEAN’s external partners with a view to ensuring food security such as the utilization of the ASEAN Plus Three emergency rice reserve and strengthening the resiliency and sustainability of regional supply chains especially for food, commodities, medicines, medical and essential supplies;
• Encourage the development of a post pandemic recovery plan through share lessons learned, restore ASEAN’s connectivity, tourism, normal business and social activities, prevent potential economic downturns;
• Take our task, our economic ministers and senior economic officials to explore an arrangement to preserve supply chain connectivity particularly among ASEAN member-states that provides for trade to continue for the smooth flow of essential goods including medical, food and essential supplies;
• Ensure our critical infrastructure for trade and trading routes via air, land and seaports remain open and refrain from imposing unnecessary restrictions on the flow of medical food and essential supplies.

Now following the Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on the other hand, a joint statement was issued in which its participants resolved to, among others:

• Enhanced national and regional capacities to prepare for and respond to pandemics including the protection of healthcare workers and other frontline personnel and the provision of adequate medicines and medical supplies especially diagnostic tools, personal protective equipment, medical equipment by adhering to the objectives of efficacy, safety and accessibility, consider setting up an APT reserve of essential medical supplies that enables rapid response to emergency needs, encourage tapping on existing regional emergency reserve facilities including the warehouses managed by the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management among others;
• Further consider the utilization of the ASEAN Plus Three emergency rice reserve. Strengthen scientific cooperation in epidemiological research including through the APT Field Epidemiology Training Network, coordination including with the private sector towards rapid research development, manufacturing and distribution of diagnostics, anti-viral medicines and vaccines. Adhering to the objectives of efficiency, safety, equity, accessibility and affordability, as well as actively share and leverage on digital technologies and innovation to promote a science-based response to combat COVID-19;
• Reaffirm commitments to keep markets open for trade and investment and enhance cooperation among ASEAN Plus Three countries with the view to ensuring food security such as the utilization of the ASEAN Plus Three emergency rice reserve and strengthening the resiliency and sustainability of regional supply chains especially for essential goods such as food, commodities, medicines and medical supplies through smooth and continued operations of the logistics networks while ensuring that measures deemed necessary for the public health emergency response are targeted, proportionate, transparent and do not create unnecessary barriers to trade or disruption to regional supply chains and are consistent with WTO rules;
• Reaffirm our commitments to strengthen joint efforts towards post pandemic recovery, stimulate economic development and financial resilience, restore growth, connectivity and tourism, maintain market stability and prevent potential risks of economic recession.

Before ending, I would like to share the sentiments of one of the participant nations yesterday, one that we believe we should all take to heart. Regardless of the progress that our countries have made, we cannot be complacent. As emphasized by the World Health Organization Director General in the Summit yesterday, and I quote, “The threat of COVID-19 to some is a threat to all.”

Mga kababayan, hindi tayo puwedeng maging kampante, iyon po iyong bottom line.

We must remain vigilant. We must continue to work together. We must make the necessary sacrifices to overcome the greatest public health crisis of our lifetime, not just in the Philippines but the ASEAN and the entire world.

Kailangan nating magtulungan, magkaintindihan at magbayanihan. Kailangan po natin magkaisa dito, hindi lamang ang bawat Pilipino kung hindi ang sangkatauhan ng buong mundo. Together, with everyone in the entire world, we must beat COVID-19. And only together will we heal as one. Maraming salamat po.

Babasahin ko na po iyong mga katanungan ng ating mga nasa media, mga kaibigan natin sa media.

From Leila Salaverria/PDI: “There have been calls from lawmakers, the CHR and other advocacy groups for the release of vulnerable prisoners, non-violent elderly detainees, low risk detainees, political prisoners and the like to prevent them from contracting COVID-19 in jail. What is the IATF’s position on this especially in light of the overcrowding in detention cells and prisons? The arrest and detention of curfew and quarantine violators also add to the overcrowding in the cells. How does the government plan to address this?”

We will defer to Secretary of the Department of Justice in this regard. Pinag-usapan namin konti ng IATF, siyempre tinitingnan iyong pros and cons, ano iyong mga hakbang na puwede nating gawin. But we will defer to the DOJ Secretary.

From Rose Novenario/Hataw: “Good morning po. Ano po ang reaksiyon ninyo sa pahayag ng grupong Filipino Nurses United na sa iniaalok na volunteerism scheme ng gobyerno sa healthcare workers, wala silang basic, to just compensation and benefits at pinapapirma sila sa waiver na kapag nagkaroon sila ng COVID-19 ay walang papanagutan sa kanila. Kung wala pong maialok na maayos na suweldo at benepisyo sa kanila ang pamahalaan, bakit sila pinagbabawalan na magtrabaho sa ibang bansa? May 200,000 unemployed nurses sa bansa ayon sa FNU na maaaring maidagdag sa manpower pero dapat ay bigyan sila ng sapat na suweldo, benepisyo at security of tenure. Puwede ba itong gawin ng pamahalaan?”

Lahat po iyan ay pinag-uusapan na. And in fact, kung natatandaan ninyo, iyong last resolution po ng IATF, nakalagay po doon, “Subject to the evaluation of the DBM, the DOH is directed to facilitate the emergency hiring of additional healthcare workers to assist in the local healthcare system.

From Tina Mendez/PhilStar: “Since the lockdown, what are the challenges faced by the government in the roll out of family planning services in the various localities? What’s the report of the Commission on Population (POPCOM) and local government units to IATF?”

Iyong prinisent po ng POPCOM sa IATF is actually an evaluation tool. So it’s an evaluation tool on demographic vulnerabilities that will guide us more as policy makers and all the other departments. So iyong tool na iyon ang in-approve ng IATF, ito ang gagamitin na tool, assessment and evaluation tool, ng iba’t ibang mga LGUs. But with regard to iyong specifics ng tanong ni Tina doon sa family planning services, I will defer to the POPCOM to respond on that.

Number two from Tina Mendez: “Please explain further the government’s economic recovery plan under a post quarantine scenario?”

Hindi pa po namin puwedeng i-reveal. Pero noong meeting namin with Pangulo, he tasked a small group of the economic … made up of the economic managers, at siyempre isasama natin iyong sa health aspect ng DOH diyan. So just a small select group that will discuss these things ‘no, kasama na diyan iyong economic recovery plan ng gobyerno. Pero until they will report that to the IATF which—because it’s ongoing now ‘no. Ginagawa na nila at pinag-aaralan na nila. In fact, there was a presentation that was made. But ang caveat, ang colatilla doon was that hindi pa siya kumpleto; they still need more data to complete the presentation. So sinabi ni Pangulo na ituloy pa nila iyong ginagawa nilang studies.

From Kris Jose/Remate: “May rekumendasyon po si DILG Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño na total lockdown sa ilang barangay lalo na po iyong mga may pasaway na constituents dahil po sa paglabag sa Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine. Maikukunsidera po ba ng IATF ang ganitong rekumendasyon?”

Well, that’s one of the recommendations that obviously we are putting in the list of recommendations na pinag-aaralan. Pero kung ano iyong magiging hakbang ng IATF, again, pinag-uusapan iyan then we will come out with the decision.

“May ilan naman po na suggestion, alisin na lang po ang ECQ dahil nga po sa mga pasaway na residente. Matira ang matibay na lang dahil marami naman ang hindi sumusunod sa ECQ. Ano po ang masasabi ninyo po rito?”

Gaya ng sinabi ko, nabanggit ko kanina, it was an ASEAN Summit ‘no, ASEAN Summit ang una, noong umaga, then hapon, ASEAN+3 which is People’s Republic of China, Japan at Korea. Wala po sa mga iba’t ibang mga leaders ng countries ang nagsabi na, you know, na kapag pasaway [ay] i-lift. Hindi po iyan iyong sagot dito. Kapag pasaway, pasaway. So we treat ang pasaway with the law. But hindi natin puwedeng i-sacrifice ang kaligtasan at buhay ng bawat isang Pilipino dahil lamang may mga pasaway diyan ‘di ba.

At kailangan nating isipin—kaya mabuti nag-ASEAN Summit tayo eh. Kailangan nating isipin na itong ginagawa natin dito sa ating bansa, sa Pilipinas, does not only affect us Filipinos; it affects the entire world; it affects our neighbors; it affects other countries. Iyon po iyong parang pinaka-message ng ASEAN Summit eh na gaya ng sabi ng WHO Director General, a threat to some, a threat to any country ng COVID-19 is a threat to all, kasi lahat tayo ay integrated; lahat tayo connected – trade, industry, travel, tourism. The entire world is connected somehow. And because of this virus, nakita ninyo naman, if one country gets infected, the entire world gets infected.

Kaya it’s really a global war against COVID-19. Kaya iyong desisyon po, mga decisions po natin whether sa IATF or ni Pangulo, ang repercussions niyan is global. Hindi lang sa Pilipinas, global po iyan. Kaya hindi puwedeng may pasaway, ‘Oh di sige, infect na lang natin lahat.’ Hindi po ganiyan. You have to think, this is not just about the Philippines; this is the entire world. So we cannot go that way. Hindi po tayo puwedeng pumunta sa ganiyang daan. It cannot, we cannot afford it; the world cannot afford it.

Kaya the reason why I’m saying this also is para sa mga pasaway, siguro itong panahon na ito na dapat mong isipin iyong repercussions ng ginawa mo na nakakaapekto ng ibang tao sa mundo. Iyon lang.

From Joseph Morongong/GMA 7: “To aid employees of small businesses, you said excluded are those from big and medium businesses but what happens to them, will they aid or is this CAMP na?”

Well, right now we have to take care first of those who need help the most. Meaning to say, iyong hindi naman kasama dito are those who have the means to help themselves. And in fact, one of the countries that spoke at the ASEAN Summit, ang ginagawa nga nila iyong mga big brothers meaning to say, iyong big brothers helping small brothers iyon eh. “Big sisters helping small sisters; big brothers helping small brothers.”

Ibig sabihin, ang ginawa nila big private companies are even helping the smaller ones; big private companies helping the poor, the needy and dito sa Pilipinas ganoon din eh, marami rin tayong mga korporasyon, mga companies and I’ve been mentioning and acknowledging them, eh marami nga hindi natin naa-acknowledge kasi on their own they are also helping.

So, one of the leaders nga ng ibang nations sinabi nga niya, ang most striking sa sinabi niya, “We must change the culture of our people. We must now accept and practice a culture of sharing,” iyon ang sinabi niya. Sa panahong ito, na kalaban natin ang COVID-19, sa panahong ito na iisa ang kalaban ng buong mundo, we must change our ways and integrate, accept, practice a culture of sharing.

Huwag na iyong nilalamangan ako nito, nilalamangan ako niyan or… ganoon ang attitude. Hindi iyong, o bakit ang tutulungan mo maliliit kaming malalaki hindi mo tulungan? Eh, kaya mo naman eh, kaya mong tulungan ang sarili mo! In fact, kaya mo ngang tulungan iyong maliit, hindi ba? So, I think it’s time that we change the way we think and we change the way we help one another.

From Aileen Taliping/Abante: “Suportado ba ng IATF ang rekumendasyon ng DILG Undersecretary—nabasa ko na ba ito?—Diño na total lockdown para sa mga barangay na maraming pasaway?”

Nasagot ko na po.

And also, “Mga palengke na crowded pa rin like Blumentritt, may mas mabigat bang puwedeng gawin sa LGUs kasi parang hindi sila pinapakinggan ng mga tao?”

Ayaw kong pangunahan ang mga LGUs but you know, they can pass ordinances, they can pass executive orders. They can pass their own local laws kung gusto nilang mas mabigat, mas mahigpit, mas matinding parusa or whatever means necessary para madisiplina ang kanilang mga constituents.

From Joyce Balancio/DZMM: “May kondisyon bang nakakabit sa cash aid kung saan lang puwedeng gamitin?”

Wala po, wala pong ganoong conditions.

“Puwede ba iyong gawing puhunan sa maliit na negosyo para mapahaba iyong takbo ng pera?”

Actually, iyong sa DSWD, mayroon din po tayong livelihood assistance grant. So, may itinabi rin po tayong pondo na livelihood assistance grant para kapag na-lift na iyong ECQ or magkaroon tayo ng mas relax na ECQ at maaari nang bumalik sa negosyo o panghanapbuhay ang ating mga kababayan, ang mga mahihirap natin na mga kababayan, iyong mga most marginalized, iyong low income families, mayroon pong nakatabi na pondo for livelihood assistance grant. So, iba pa po iyon sa five thousand to eight thousand na ibinibigay po natin sa mga low income families.

So, para ma-jumpstart din po iyong ating ekonomiya siyempre kailangan din natin ng microenterprises. So, mayroon tayong micro, small, medium enterprises, hindi ba? So, iyong microenterprises iyon po iyong para sa mga low income families and kailangan po natin ng pondo para diyan kaya kasama rin po sa ating Social Amelioration Program ang livelihood assistance grant mula sa DSWD but ang condition lang is that can only be released and used siyempre kapag nagnenegosyo na and that is kapag medyo na-relax na iyong community quarantine levels natin.

Joseph Morong: “Can we afford another extension to the April 30 ECQ?”

Ganito na lang, we are getting more data, so number one: mas nakikita na natin iyong rate of infection natin. Then bukas na iyong ating mga COVID-19 quarantine and isolation facilities, hindi ba? So, ang target po natin talaga is we test more, we identify them more, we isolate them more, we treat them more – we have more recoveries. So, iyan na iyong ginagawa nating bagong sistema.

So, while we are doing that and while that’s being put in place na sa ngayon and it will get better and better as the days go on, we’ll have better capabilities, better capacities, etc., then at the same time, we are now considering ano iyong mga puwede nang ibalik. Pero siyempre, hindi siya puwedeng tulad ng dati. So, ibalik natin ang mga ganito, how much percentage ang puwede, ganiyan, ganiyan tapos social distancing pa rin, tapos naka-mask pa rin, tapos kailangan may hygiene pa rin, tapos may disinfections. So, all of that is slowly, slowly we are coming out with the game plan on what will happen after April 30.

Now, hindi pa iyan tapos kasi patuloy pa rin nating pinag-uusapan iyan. Iyong ating summit sa ASEAN was also very helpful kasi nakikita rin namin ano iyong ginagawa ng ibang bansa. So, all of that is being taken into consideration, pinag-aaralan and then we are fine tuning everything.

“Again, from Joseph Morong, pahabol: Why not extend PhilHealth’s full payment of COVID cases up to April 30?”

Actually, hindi ko masagot iyan kasi I think PhilHealth siguro ang kausapin natin diyan. I don’t want to answer also on their behalf and I think it has a lot to do with computations, hindi ba? And numbers and—so, let’s defer to PhilHealth to answer that. And that’s the last of the questions.

So, sa ating mga kababayan, maraming salamat po sa inyong pakikipagtulungan sa inyong pamahalaan. Kaya lagi naming sinasabi, paulit-ulit, dahil kayo po ang first line of defense sa giyerang ito, bahay muna, buhay muna. Lalong-lalo na ngayon, maghihigpit na po ang Philippine National Police kaya paalala lang po, huwag ninyo na lang subukan, please. Please, huwag na lang.

At sa ating mga kasama sa pagpapalaganap ng tama at napapanahong impormasyon, sa iba’t ibang mga media outlets – sa TV, sa radyo, sa online at sa diyaryo – at sa lahat ng naka-hookup po sa amin ngayon, maraming, maraming salamat po.

Mga kababayan, this COVID-19 pandemic was something that took the world by surprise, lahat po tayo. Kung mayroon man akong napulot mula doon sa ASEAN Summit kahapon pati iyong ASEAN Plus Three: Mayaman ka man, mahirap na bansa, pantay-pantay dito sa COVID-19 na ito. And it makes you think about ano talaga ang importante sa buhay.

At pangalawa, lahat tayo – kahit anong bansa ka, kahit anong nationality mo – at the end of the day lahat tayo [ay] tao. We are one human race being threatened by this COVID-19 virus kaya kailangan talagang magkaisa.

And lastly, iyong mga desisyon natin – hindi lang ng gobyerno, hindi lang ng pamahalaan kung hindi ng bawat isang Pilipino – nadadamay ang ibang tao sa ibang lupalop ng mundo. Ganiyan katindi iyan. We are all interconnected and we are all together in this fight against this deadly virus. So something to think about, kailangang isipin natin iyan.

Maraming salamat po and may God bless and protect each and every one of you. Amping kanunay. Daghang salamat. Maayong buntag!

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Source: PCOO-NIB (News and Information Bureau-Data Processing Center)