KAREN DAVILA: Secretary Nograles, a blessed New Year to you.
CABSEC NOGRALES: Magandang umaga. Happy New Year sa iyo, Karen, at sa lahat ng mga nakikinig at nanunood ngayon.
KAREN DAVILA: Okay. Balikan lang natin ‘no kasi naging desisyon ito noong weekend and maraming tao of course they were still celebrating the coming of the New Year. What was the tipping point that made the IATF decide to go back to Alert Level 3?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Tumama talaga sa mga parameters, Karen, for Alert Level 3, so, no choice talaga tayo. If you look at the numbers right now nakikita natin iyong positivity rate tumataas and the positivity rate translates to more cases ‘no.
So, dumami ang kaso natin from 300 naging 400; from 400 ‘di ba naging 800; from 800 naging 1,600. So, umakyat nang umakyat ‘no and right now, as of January 2, active cases natin nasa 21,000 na. Iyong new cases reported yesterday was 4,600.
So, it hit the parameters for Alert Level 3 and well, as I mentioned earlier although we announced na ang January 1 to January 15 will be Alert Level 2 for all, we said we will not hesitate to increase the alert level kapag kinakailangan and that’s exactly what happened for Metro Manila/for NCR and so we immediately increased alert level beginning today, January 3. Alert Level 3 na po ang NCR.
KAREN DAVILA: Okay. Quickly lang, Secretary Karlo. How were these cases detected? Because of course this was primarily in NCR, paano po ba? Nilagnat iyong mga tao? Nagpunta sa ospital? I mean, people were out in malls, they were in parks, they were shopping. Are these cases all in hospitals today?
CABSEC NOGRALES: No, actually, as we look at the numbers, the hospital care utilization rate is not as high.
KAREN DAVILA: Okay.
CABSEC NOGRALES: Hindi sumipa ng ganoon kataas iyong admissions natin sa hospital, ICU is not bad, but the cases are rising. And of you look at the graphs right now, makikita natin na iyong onset, the symptoms happened and because of these symptoms nag-test agad ang mga pasyente. And many of the—
KAREN DAVILA: Nag-test sa ospital or nag-test silang kusa and may honesty system at ini-report sa barangay?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Yeah, nag-RT-PCR. So, our numbers are based on RT-PCR tests ‘no. So, perhaps on the ground mayroong mga—anecdotal na lang ‘to ‘no, nag-antigen, positive tapos nagpa-RT-PCR test or diretso nag-RT-PCR because mayroon na ngang mga symptoms ‘no.
So, we’re seeing that many of the symptoms onset actually came about mga December 20. December 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, dito na iyong onset ng… if you trace back iyong onset ng symptoms kasi nagpa-test sila, lumabas iyong test, nakikita natin tumataas iyong bilang ng cases. But of course, if you trace back and when you start asking the patient kailan ba nagsimula ang symptoms mo.
So, based on the graph that we’re seeing, many of the symptoms came about, sumipa ng mga December 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. So, they say, DOH are saying na December 20 onwards dito na nagkaroon ng pagtaas. So, that’s symptom onset, exposure should have happened earlier. So, if you go by the way the virus… you know the track of the virus exposure might have happened mga five to seven days before so that would be presumably mga mid-December then the symptoms onset happened five days/seven days after.
So, dito na nakikita na from December 20 onwards tumaas iyong bilang ng mga positives, dito nagkaroon ng symptoms na rin and then tumaas iyong nagpa-test then tumaas na rin iyong positivity rate natin because after testing, positive siya. So, we’re seeing the positivity rate from two, naging four; from four, naging six; from six, naging ten; ten – fourteen; and now it’s presently 19.6%.
KAREN DAVILA: Technically, Secretary Karlo, it’s even possible that there are more Filipinos with COVID but have not tested themselves?
CABSEC NOGRALES: If you go by the way the COVID, you know, the characteristics again of this virus ‘no, maaari ang mga symptoms hindi pa lumalabas pero na-expose na siya. So, ang panawagan namin sa lahat is when you feel something is not right, may nararamdaman ka, huwag ka ng lumabas. Isolate ka na, treat it as you have it, you have COVID ‘no. Any symptoms ‘no, any symptoms. Huwag ka na muna mag-report sa work, mag-isolate ka muna and then magpa-test ka kaagad.
So, let’s try to protect everybody in our families, in our community, in our workplaces. So, panawagan namin, kapag mayroon kayong nararamdaman, huwag munang pumasok, isolate ka muna then test agad.
KAREN DAVILA: Okay. What is Alert Level 3? Of course, we haven’t heart Alert Level 3 in a while but let’s do this one at a time. First, public transportation, kasi this affects the majority of Filipinos going to work.
CABSEC NOGRALES: Well, right now, the DOTr has announced that they will not change muna iyong 70% capacity but they will be very, very strict; very, very strict in imposing the minimum public health standards. So, in the meantime, ia-assess muna ng DOTr and they will still stick to the 70% rule.
But siguro ang una nating alalahanin iyong bawal. Ang mga bawal dito first of all iyong face-to-face classes ng basic education unless permitted by the Office of the President.
Second, contact sports. Unfortunately, under Alert Level 3, bawal po ang contact sports unless allowed under the bubble set-up.
KAREN DAVILA: Pero do you mean iyong pilot face-to-face classes will be affected? So, wala munang pilot face-to-face?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Sa NCR, oo. So, for the safety of everybody but again unless—
KAREN DAVILA: Even the private schools? Because you have international schools, Secretary Karlo, that are on a hybrid face-to-face?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Yes, that’s true. So, we’ll have to reassess that again ‘no because the exact wording of our resolution for our guidelines is bawal po ang face-to-face for classes for basic education except those previously approved by the IATF or the Office of the President.
So, if it was previously approved, technically puwede but again we’ll have to make a reassessment. Kaya nga po the IATF Technical Working Group is working today, then we’ll have IATF full meeting tomorrow and then perhaps we’ll have to make a reassessment of basic education.
Contact sports hindi puwede; iyong mga kiddie rides, kiddie amusement industries, hindi pupuwede.
Iyong dati pinayagan natin ang karaoke, so wala na po iyan because wind instruments, venues with live voice, hindi na pupuwede—
KAREN DAVILA: Oo, or any indoor entertainment? So, let’s say you’re in a restaurant, may singer sa loob, bawal na iyon?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Bawal na po iyon because you know may voice and of course hindi na puwede iyon.
Then most importantly, gatherings in residences with individuals not belonging to the same household, hindi na pupuwede.
KAREN DAVILA: Let us talk about that kasi diyan nagsimula ang NCR, gatherings not from the same household is now not allowed. So, paano po ang implementation noon? Let’s say, bibisita ang mga kamag-anak mo, pinsan mo sa bahay mo, sa isang village ka, ano ngayon ang utos ninyo, Secretary, let’s say sa lahat ng subdivision sa Metro Manila? Mula sa pinaka-simple hanggang sa pinakamataas tulad ng Forbes Park or let’s say condo buildings? What are the new implementing rules?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Alam mo, we’ve been through this before ‘no. Ang kaibahan lang is we came from a high alert level and then we went down from Alert Level 4 to three hindi ba before we went to two. So, now, we’re coming from a high alert level—before, we came from a high alert level from four to three, so, people are very, very careful.
And we have to remember during that time when we downgraded from Alert Level 4 to three, sa mga subdivisions they were strictly enforcing this na walang papasok sa subdivision na mga bisita. In fact, iyong mga deliveries ang ginagawa nila, ang deliveries in some subdivisions very strict sila, kung magdi-deliver, may delivery point sa subdivision. And then gumawa iyong mga homeowners’ association ng paraan na may pi-pick-up na lang doon sa delivery point at dadalhin sa kanilang mga bahay.
Right now kasi—we came from Alert Level 2 then were upgrading now to Alert Level 3, so we again have to relearn na ibalik natin iyong dati na pagdating sa subdivision, sa condo, at maging sa mga barangay ‘no, huwag po tayong pumayag na may pumasok sa mga residences na hindi taga-roon, na hindi nakatira—
KAREN DAVILA: We are back to residential bubbles?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Yes.
KAREN DAVILA: But then isn’t that contradictory considering restaurants under Alert Level 3 are 30% indoors for fully vaccinated; 50% outdoors capacity if you’re going to eat outdoors. So, let’s say magkikita-kita kayong magkakaibigan or magkakamag-anak, bawal sa bahay pero puwede sa restaurant?
CABSEC NOGRALES: At least sa restaurant kasi we can enforce. Ang problema sa bahay kapag nakapasok na sa bahay, hindi na natin ma-enforce kasi siyempre iyong privacy, Right to Privacy na iyan eh, so we cannot check. At the restaurants at least the government is able to check ‘no.
For the safety of everybody, matsi-check ng gobyerno at mai-enforce natin ang minimum public health standards also because the restaurants have this obligation also to secure their employees and secure their customers at may magrireklamo. So, those are medyo public places where we can come in, where enforcement can come in.
Pagdating sa private places, hindi kasi. At dahil hindi natin ma-enforce iyan, the safest measure is to not allow itong gatherings in residences, kapag hindi ka nakatira doon sa bahay na iyon. Also remember ang pino-proteksyunan natin dito are senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, especially ‘no. So, this is something that’s very important to us.
Pagdating naman sa mga restaurants, di ba, we can already enforce na dapat fully vaccinated ka. By the way, strictly speaking under alert 3, we’re back to that system na person with comorbidities and senior citizens cannot leave the house uncles essential activities.
KAREN DAVILA: Ganoon ulit?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Balik tayo doon, ganoon ulit.
KAREN DAVILA: Can we repeat that, so let’s repeat. Once again: Senior citizens even if they are fully vaccinated at na-booster pa, they cannot leave their residence?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Yeah, we have to go back ‘no. So, sa alert level 3, nakalagay po dito, “Those below 18 year of age and those belonging to the vulnerable population shall be allowed access to obtain essential goods and services or for work in permitted industries and offices.” Individual outdoor exercises iyong allowed for all ages, regardless of comorbidities or status.
KAREN DAVILA: Yes, you can go to the park, you can run outside, puwede iyon? Kumbaga, Secretary, sorry to interrupt, ibig sabihin babalik ulit tayo, let say if a person is below 18 years old, tama ba ito? The person cannot go to the mall? Let say, tama iyon? Teenagers can’t go to the mall? Pero paano iyong restaurants? So they can’t also eat indoor?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Yeah, strictly speaking, if you go by the thing as alert level 3. But again, mag-uusap muna kami sa IATF because remember, when these rules were crafted and announced, that was the time na mababa pa iyong vaccination natin.
KAREN DAVILA: Correct.
CABSEC NOGRALES: So, it is something that we will revisit. Which is why ang technical working group is meeting today. We will have an IATF meeting tomorrow, so can we talk about this again. We will talk about this again, because remember during that time, mababa iyong vaccination natin, during that time hindi pa natin nababakunahan iyong below 18. But right now, things are different. Right now, we are allowing now, we are giving vaccination now to 12 to 18 remember. And then marami na sa mga senior citizens natin ang bakunado na. So, let’s wait for the announcement ng IATF. But again, anyway this is day one, January 3.
KAREN DAVILA: So there will be adjustments, because I was thinking, Secretary Karlo, I’m sure businesses would appeal that it doesn’t [have to] go back to before. Because now is the only time malls are recovering, retail is recovering, restaurants are recovering?
CABSEC NOGRALES: And mataas ang vaccination rate ng NCR. We understand that and that is the reason why, may meeting kami ng IATF tomorrow, one of the topics will be that, we will discuss that. But for today, January 3, being day one ng alert level 3 natin, ang pakiusap ko lang, after this New Year, let’s all as much as possible take very high extra precautions now.
KAREN DAVILA: All right, very quickly, before we talk about the lady who broke quarantine protocols. There are viewers asking right now. Is Spain blocked right now, is that correct? Can Filipino’s coming from Spain go back to the Philippines?
CABSEC NOGRALES: So right now, Spain, as we announced earlier, is on the red list. That being the case, as with all red listed countries, only Filipinos are allowed to fly back from red listed countries. But it’s only through a repatriation flight or a Bayanihan flight.
KAREN DAVILA: You’re kidding! But why that decision with Spain? The texter here said, France has an average of 200,000 cases a day, the US is almost 400,000 daily average and yet these Filipinos can go back. So why isolate Spain this way?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Yes. So, it’s not really we are isolating Spain ‘no. This is really because tumama talaga sa metrics natin and sa parameters natin for red listing. Remember that when we announced how or what are the parameters for red listing a country. We clearly said that we will be looking at the growth rate. So kapag ang growth rate ng cases ng isang bansa is at least 100% three to four weeks ago, and two-week growth rate of 100% three to four weeks ago, and a two-week growth rate of at least 50% one to two weeks ago, then it will hit the red list.
For Spain kasi, very steep iyong increase ng Spain, so much so that it hit the metrics. In fact, for Spain, ang three to four weeks ago niya was 100% and then naging 200%.
KAREN DAVILA: That’s Spain. Anywhere in Spain.
CABSEC NOGRALES: So, talagang 100% iyong three to four week’s growth rate and that was reported in the news naman. Three to four weeks ago, Spain had a 100% growth rate, then nag-doble pa siya in the past one to two weeks naging 200%. If you look at the other countries, it’s not the same. There is one country na nagma-minus na ang growth rate. May isang country 25% growth, naging 60% growth. So, hindi pa rin enough to get the parameters. One was 20% growth, naging 30% growth. So, we are looking really at the growth rate.
KAREN DAVILA: Where is the US? It’s not the number of cases daily that you looked at, it’s the growth rate of the virus?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Yes.
KAREN DAVILA: But what about the US?
CABSEC NOGRALES: We are looking at the virus, because parang, the science behind that, is if the testing is enough to cover naman, then that country can see naman what the positives are and then immediately, na-isolate naman, naka-quarantine iyan. But if the growth rate is too steep, the epidemiologist gets worried because baka you are cannot able to see the complete picture.
Like for the US ang growth rate niya is between 20% to 30%, it’s not steep enough for the epidemiologist to say na hindi nakikita iyong full picture. But if a growth rate is that high, 100% for the past three to four weeks, then biglang last one to weeks naging 200%, then that’s too steep a growth rate for us to be able to see the complete picture and that is more scary.
KAREN DAVILA: All right. So, Secretary Karlo, a clarification: If there are Filipinos from Spain who spent Christmas there, who spent New Year there, paano sila uuwi?
CABSEC NOGRALES: They have to get in touch—
KAREN DAVILA: Nakabili na iyon ng round trip ticket.
CABSEC NOGRALES: They have to immediately get in touch with our Philippine Embassy in Spain. Currently, the Philippine Embassy in Spain is now organizing the repatriation flights. But again, when they come here, then they will have to do the red list quarantine protocols.
KAREN DAVILA: Which is, what is the red list quarantine protocols again because I know we have already shortened quarantine protocols, remember?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Yup.
KAREN DAVILA: So, if you are coming from Spain, number one, get in touch with the Philippine Embassy in Spain; you can only come back using our repatriation flight. So not a commercial flight?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Not a commercial flight, they won’t let you board. They cancelled flights na from Spain.
KAREN DAVILA: Okay. So number three, how long is the quarantine in Manila?
CABSEC NOGRALES: If you are fully vaccinated, you’re supposed to go to a strict 10-day quarantine. Well, first of all, dapat may RT-PCR ka na 72 hours before boarding. And then, dapat negative, upon arrival you have to undergo a 10-days, strict 10-day quarantine regardless of a negative RT-PCR on the 7th day upon arrival. So they will swab you on the 7th day of your quarantine and regardless of kahit negative iyan, you have to complete the 10-days in the quarantine facility. Then after that, you will complete your 14-day quarantine in your home. So the next four days, strict quarantine at the home.
KAREN DAVILA: Okay. Now moving forward, let’s talk about the lady who essentially broke quarantine protocols, let’s talk about that. Where is she now?
CABSEC NOGRALES: I think, she still in isolation, she is still undergoing quarantine. Of course, the PNP and the CIDG are currently conducting their investigation. There is already an admission, there were already admissions I think by the lady herself and even by the hotel. Evidence gathering na iyan and then sasampahan na iyan ng kaso.
KAREN DAVILA: Let’s talk about this, the reason that they may not take this quarantine protocols seriously is because there is no punishment or penalty when they break them. So ano ang parusa dito, Secretary Nograles? This woman who actually partied in Poblacion, infected, supposedly, 12 others. Anong parusa sa kanya? It’s only P20,000 to P50,000, that’s frankly not a lot for giving another person COVID?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Ayaw kong pangunahan ano ang gagawin ng prosecutor dito. But we do know that we have a notifiable diseases law. But I don’t know, depende sa prosecutor, if there are other violations also na puwedeng i-file against the lady and establishment over and above…
KAREN DAVILA: He also bribed the hotel, di ba? So, there is a bribery there.
CABSEC NOGRALES: Again, ayaw kong pangunahan, so hayaan na lang muna natin iyong evidence gathering ng ating mga kapulisan at ng CIDG.
KAREN DAVILA: But do you believe quarantine violators, hotel quarantine violators should be imprisoned?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Again, you know, even if they say it’s a hotel ‘no, it’s not a living entity, there are officers ‘no and persons responsible and because of that, then obviously, iyon ang puwede nating sampahan ng kaso.
DAVILA: What about Gwyneth Chua, Gwyneth Anne Chua, do you believe that she should be imprisoned? She did admit already to paying people off, she admitted to breaking the protocols. Should people like this be imprisoned?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Well, sa Notifiable Diseases Law, it’s not just a penalty; may imprisonment din ito.
DAVILA: Yeah, yeah. Ang question kasi is if we will implement it. You can choose eh, fine or imprisonment. Some people it’s easy to pay the fine.
CABSEC NOGRALES: That’s up to the judge. That’s up to the judge to say. Again, I’m not saying this will be the only …I’m not saying this will be only case filed ‘no because it really depends on the investigation ng police, ng CIDG, and the prosecutor ultimately, what the prosecutor will file in court.
DAVILA: Oo, okay. Let’s talk about the hotel. I didn’t catch the name of the hotel. Do you have the name?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Berjaya.
DAVILA: Berjaya, all right. And what happens to this hotel, do they lose their license?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Again, there are penalties that can be imposed by DOT, presumably by the other government agencies kung saan sila dumadaan. So I don’t want to …ayaw kong pangunahan, but obviously with those admissions and all of the evidence that we’re getting, then we will implement to the fullest extent of the law or the laws possible. Kung ano ang applicable laws, we will execute them accordingly and, you know, they will bear the brunt of their actions.
DAVILA: Because, I mean, these are anecdotal reports as well, but have you heard smaller quarantine hotels actually allowing fully vaccinated travelers, those also na nag-negative sa RT-PCR flying into Metro Manila not to finish off the quarantine regulations, right? I’m sure you’ve heard of these hotels.
CABSEC NOGRALES: May mga naririnig tayo. May mga naririnig, but again hindi mo alam kung tsismis lang ba ito or naninira lang ba, sinisiraan lang ba. What we need are witnesses and what we need are affidavits. So kung mayroon mang nakakaalam, then please report to us immediately so that we can take the proper action.
But because of what happened, then we will, number one, we will ensure that whatever applicable laws that can be enforced, we will enforce; whatever can be prosecuted and who can be prosecuted, we will prosecute. And it’s not just, you know, civil cases to be filed but talagang criminal charges will be filed against those responsible whether it’s the violator or the establishment, we will do what is necessary to serve as an example also to all. Kung nag-iisip kayo mag-violate, then please don’t even attempt to because hahabulin ka namin and including those hotels, you are under contract, you have certain responsibilities and, you know, civil—not just civil suits, but criminal actions can also be filed against you.
DAVILA: Okay. My last, Secretary Nograles, will there be an assessment or reassessment of local travel? I mean, I find this quite interesting because I travel myself, and it’s nice to see, of course, restaurant, hotels in Boracay start to recover. But let’s face it, because it was the New Year, because many couldn’t travel for two years, there were certain provinces that now didn’t require RT-PCR before flying, just the vax certificate which was good generally. But then with the Omicron variant, I’m curious, where is the IATF heading with these new regulations?
CABSEC NOGRALES: We will have to, again, assess and reassess ‘no with regard to that. I cannot say for certain where our discussions will lead us but certainly, there are a lot of pros and cons that we have to weigh. And right now—before, when we didn’t have the vaccines kasi yet ‘no or we were coming in very slowly and vaccination was not that high, LGUs were very strict. So we’ll have to really engage with the LGUs again and talk about this whole thing about testing again or perhaps, maybe really ramp up, maybe what we want to talk about really more is ramping up more vaccinations, ramping up vaccination especially in the provinces and the regions na mababa pa ang vaccinations. Maybe we want to talk about vaccinating mga senior citizens and those with comorbidities. Maybe we want to start talking about booster shots and everything, in the same context as, well, in the same breadth as talking about the testing also.
So with Omicron, possibly, I’d also like to say, Karen, na we’re focusing so much on Omicron, we’re forgetting that Delta is still around.
DAVILA: Correct.
CABSEC NOGRALES: Delta is still around. Right now, parang nag-i-speculate tayo, ‘Nandito na ang Omicron. Omicron na siguro ito. Ang taas ng bilang.’ We have to remember that Delta is still around. So don’t forget ‘no. Don’t say na, ‘Okay lang iyan kasi Omicron sabi nila its milder.’ Guys, Delta, Delta is still around.
DAVILA: Okay. My last question is this, since RT-PCR tests are here to stay, many people questioned, I mean, in other countries, RT-PCR tests are free. If you feel paranoid, you get an RT-PCR tests; you drive through to it. Let’s face it, Secretary, dito sa Pilipinas, unless it’s the Red Cross or the one subsidized by the DOT, that’s the only time it hits a thousand something. But an average RT-PCR test in Manila or in the Philippines moves to 3,500 to 5,000. Can the President honestly order these private RT-PCR labs that there should be a cap? Because it seems that it has become private business, it’s become about profit for many of the labs, too.
CABSEC NOGRALES: We’ve actually put a cap. Rememberm, RT-PCR were expensive before until—
DAVILA: Yeah, eight to ten thousand. But let’s not go there. I mean, now it’s hitting 3,500 to 5,000. Can’t it be an average, let’s say, a max of 3,000 if you want it home service or an average is 1,000. I’m curious, is there a way to bring it down so that more people will get themselves tested? It’s, one, incorporated in the budget, and there are so many new machines kasi coming out right now used in different airports of RT-PCR labs that you know the result in a few hours; may iba in four hours you know it already.
CABSEC NOGRALES: Well, obviously, if the technology gets better and we’re able to access that technology for here, for the Philippines, then we will do it. Perhaps you’re right, maybe we can start assessing again the prices, although we went through that cycle, we went through cycles of putting those caps on the RT-PCR. So maybe, it can be something that we can explore again or the DOH can explore again.
That being said, sa amin naman, covered naman ng PhilHealth ‘no iyong RT-PCR if you’re in the hospital obviously, and then you get swabbed then that’s covered by PhilHealth. Ang hindi covered is if you take an RT-PCR on your own which some of us need to do ‘no for our protection, safety and also for [unclear] especially if you have symptoms. But if you’re in the hospital and then we have to get swabbed, that’s covered naman by PhilHealth.
DAVILA: Okay. My last question, because you mentioned PhilHealth, I know this wasn’t part of the conversation, in Iloilo, there are, I think, when we closed last year, I think ten or twenty private hospitals that want to cut ties with PhilHealth because PhilHealth hasn’t paid these Iloilo hospitals close to a billion pesos. And now with number surging, you might have hospitals in NCR that will also do the same thing. So what is the President going to do with PhilHealth? Why doesn’t PhilHealth just pay?
CABSEC NOGRALES: Yes, that’s the reason why we’re undergoing now the wave three of the debit-credit payment method. And the hospitals who earlier threatened to a PhilHealth holiday have suspended those plans because now they are back in conversation with PhilHealth and back to availing of the wave three of DCPM. At ito iyong panawagan din namin sa mga hospitals na let’s move forward and just avail of the DCPM 3 so that you can get fresh funds back to your hospitals and then the patients don’t have to suffer. Because ultimately kasi ang magsa-suffer diyan would be the patients doon sa PhilHealth holiday.
So right now, that issue, I believe, has been resolved through the DCPM 3 which hospitals are now processing and that would give them fresh funds. I believe it’s 60% agad, the 40% to follow after they comply with all of the requirements. And that DCPM payment method is being done so that magkakaroon na naman ng liquidity or fresh funds ang hospitals to be able to fund their operations.
DAVILA: Okay. All right, Secretary Karlo Nograles, thank you so much for all the information that you shared this morning and sad labor opening the year with Alert Level 3, but a Happy New Year to you, sir.
CABSEC NOGRALES: Thank you, Karen. And everybody, please stay safe again. Kung may nararamdaman kayo, please isolate yourselves from your loved ones muna and then please get yourself checked and tested and I hope that you are all negative. But let’s take extra, extra precaution, especially NCR, but that does not exempt the other provinces as well. Please we’re seeing a rise in cases, so everybody just be very, very careful today and the days to come. Maraming salamat, Karen.
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SOURCE: PCOO-NIB (News and Information Bureau-Data Processing Center
