Cayetano lauds gov’t response, measures vs COVID-19 pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — As more cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is confirmed in the country, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano opened the special session on Monday by lauding the government’s response to the pandemic.

According to Cayetano, he asked a health expert close to the World Health Organization (WHO) what would have happened if President Rodrigo Duterte “did not do anything” including the imposition of the community quarantine and later on, its elevation to enhanced community quarantine over Luzon.

Cayetano said the health expert disclosed that around 35 million Filipinos would have been infected if it were not for the government’s response to the disease.

Of this number, 700,000 would have died, the House Speaker said.

“So we face the nation today, tayo ba bilang mga Pilipino, willing ba tayo na magkasakit ang 30 million Filipinos? Bawasan nyo pa ho, gawin nyo pang 10 million ang na-infect o 20 million, willing po ba tayo na 400,000 or 200,000 na Filipino mamamatay? Hindi po,” Cayetano said.

Congress convened in a special session to approve a bill declaring a national emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic and authorizing Duterte “for a limited period and subject to restrictions, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out the declared national policy.”

“Today, we want to show the world that there will be unprecedented cooperation between the executive and the legislative. That there will be unprecedented cooperation internationally. That today, you will see congressmen, government and mayors working hand in hand,” Cayetano said.

“We will help the mayors, we will help the LGUs (local government units) deliver these resources to the hands of each and every household,” the House Speaker added.

As of writing, there are 380 cases of COVID-19 in the country.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus that first emerged in China’s city of Wuhan in Hubei province in late 2019.

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses named the novel coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2.

The virus causes mild symptoms such as fever and cough for most people but can cause serious illness such as pneumonia for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.

Coronavirus is a family of viruses, which surfaces have a crown-like appearance. The viruses are named for the spikes on their surfaces.