DILG Usec. Jonathan Malaya. Screengrab from RTVM video
MANILA, Philippines — What would it take for the whole Philippines to be placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) by October?
It would be if more people will comply with minimum health standards such as wearing of face mask and face shield, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said on Wednesday.
Malaya, during the online launch of BIDA ang May Disiplina: Solusyon sa COVID-19 campaign, cited a study from the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) that compliance with minimum health standards can lower the Philippines’ possible COVID-19 case projection “if the country transitions itself to MGCQ by October.”
“Kung gusto natin mag-MGCQ by October, kailangan natin pataasin ang [percentage ng] minimum health standards,” he said.
(If we want to transition to MGCQ by October, we need to raise the percentage of minimum health standards.)
“At lumalabas din po sa kanilang pag-aaral (And the study also shows that) that the number of cases can be controlled regardless of the community quarantine level, so long that there is high compliance to minimum health standards,” he added.
Malaya, citing the Neda study, said that the current percentage of minimum health standards is only at 50 percent.
“I think for us to go to MGCQ, kailangan mapataas natin ito (we need to raise this) to at least 80 percent,” he said.
“And that is the purpose now of what we are doing, we’re organizing all of these brigades. We’re doing education information campaigns, we’re doing a lot of things para marating natin itong (so we can reach this) 80 percent na ito,” he added.
“If we are able to reach an 80 percent compliance by the public, I think we will have more confidence and we can now go to MGCQ.”
Currently, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Batangas, as well as the cities of Bacolod and Tacloban are under general community quarantine (GCQ).
Iligan City, meanwhile, is currently under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), while the rest of the country is under MGCQ.
All current community quarantine statuses are until Sept. 30, President Rodrigo Duterte announced in a taped speech aired Monday.
As of Tuesday, the country’s COVID-19 cases are at 224,264, with 158,012 recoveries and 3,597 deaths.