The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday commended President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for his decisive actions that help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

During a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III praised the President for imposing measures to protect the country from the disease.

The President presided the IATF-EID meeting in Malacañang.

“Kaya ito po ay nagsasalamin ng mga desisyon na ginawa po ng ating mahal na Pangulo at dalawa po itong napakamalakas na desisyon,” Duque said during the meeting.

“At kanya po talagang nakatulong po ito sa pagpigil ng pagkalat ng COVID sa Pilipinas.”

Among the important measures, he said, was the imposition of absolute travel restriction to travelers coming from China last February.

Another vital measure was the President’s decision to put the whole Luzon island under enhanced community quarantine for a month, which was extended until the end of April.

“So ito po ang dalawang kadahilanan — pangunahing kadahilanan kung bakit po ang bilang ng COVID infection sa Pilipinas kung ihahambing sa ibang mga bansa ay mababa po talaga,” the health chief said.

The Philippines, Duque said, has the lowest infection rate compared with other countries even with wealthy nations, which were affected by the contagion.

The country’s infection rate at 3,764, as of Tuesday, is low, according to Duque. “Ito pong bilang na ito ay lumalabas dalawa ang total case per one million population. Isa po tayo sa pinakamababa.”

“At kung ihahambing po natin ang mga mayayamang bansa ay ‘di hamak na malayong-malayo po ang ating ranggo. Kung titingnan po natin ayan po malinaw naman po sa mga listahan na nakalagay po sa COVID world tracker ay isa po tayo sa may mababa na rate of infection,” he further said.

Duque also expressed his gratitude to the President for supporting the programs of the DOH aimed at defeating COVID-19 as well as to the country’s frontliners. PND