This photo taken on April 6, 2021, shows a man wearing personal protective equipment walking into a makeshift ward built for COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Manila. More contagious variants of the coronavirus have been blamed for the surge in infections in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. (JAM STA ROSA / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Sorsogon Governor and senatorial aspirant Francis “Chiz” Escudero vowed to revive the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act should he win another Senate term.
Senate Bill No. 1573, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act was filed by the late former Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago in 2013.
“Alam niyo, mahigit walong taon nang lumilipas, naghain ng panukalang batas si Senator Miriam Santiago na nagbibigay sana ng sapat na kahandaan para sa ating bansa kaugnay ng mga pandemya tulad nito,” Escudero said during the BISErbisyong LENI program on Sunday.
(Over eight years have passed since Senator Miriam Santiago filed a bill which will give sufficiently prepare the country for pandemics like this.)
“Pero kung naisabatas sana ‘yun, magbibigay ito ng kahandaan sa bansa natin na harapin anumang uri, kapareho man o kakaiba, na pandemya tulad ng COVID-19,” he added.
(If that proposed bill was passed into law, we will be ready to face a pandemic like COVID-19.)
Sorsogon Gov. Francis “Chiz” Escudero (INQUIRER FILES)
Escudero underscored the importance of the measure.
“Opo, dahil kinakailangan po ‘yan, hindi lamang dahil may pandemya ngayon—at sana patapos na—pero para magkaroon tayo ng sapat na kahandaan din,” he said.
(Yes, because that is a necessity, not only because we are in a pandemic—and I hope it will already end—but also, to give us preparedness.)
Under the late Sen. Santiago’s proposal, a National Health Strategy for Public Health Emergencies, Task Force on Public Emergencies, and Medical Reserve Corps shall be established.
The Philippines on Saturday logged an all-time high 39,004 COVID-19 cases, driving the overall case count to 3,168,379.