Army’s ‘loudspeaker operations’ meant to keep people indoors, calm during COVID-19 quarantine

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Army is turning to a piece of equipment that had been familiar in at least two wars in Mindanao to call out residents refusing to stay home for the enhanced community quarantine against COVID-19.

The loudspeaker, the Army in Southern Tagalog believed, would be effective in reminding residents to stay at home.

The campaign was initially rolled out in some towns in Rizal province on Thursday (March 19) and will be employed in the entire region.

“In these trying times, we need the support and cooperation of our people,” said Maj. Gen. Arnulfo Burgos Jr., commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division based in Rizal.

The loudspeaker operations were employed during the Zamboanga siege in 2013, the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, and the war in Marawi in 2017.

“We are once again tapping the ever-reliable capabilities of these humble equipment,” said Burgos. He said, through the loudspeaker, the Army hopes that “we will be able to make our people rise above their individual comforts, rally around our government and move them to make sacrifices.”

“We believe that through these loudspeaker operations, we are able to explain to our people the essence of that presidential directive thereby igniting every citizen’s sense of patriotism and civic duty to do their share and cooperate,” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire island of Luzon on a lockdown on Tuesday (March 17) as a response to the rapidly spreading disease. Under enhanced community quarantine, people are expected to be stuck at home.

Edited by TSB