Bongbong Marcos may continue COVID-19 emergency till year-end

Updated 3:07 p.m.

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong”  “Marcos Jr. is inclined to continue the state of public health emergency in the country due to COVID-19 until the end of the year.

Marcos made the remark on the sidelines of the PinasLakas vaccination campaign in Manila on Wednesday.

“Yes, we were just discussing it with [Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario] Vergeire because maraming mga binibigay sa international medical community kapag state of emergency… at kung itigil natin “ung state of emergency, matitigil “un,”  “Marcos said when asked if he is inclined to extend the state of a public health emergency.

(We’re discussing it with Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire because the international medical community is extending a lot of help when a country is under a state of emergency… if we stop that, the assistance will stop too.)

“But if we can change — we are looking at amending the law in terms of procurement and all of that in the middle of an emergency. But that will take time. So malamang (So maybe) we will extend it until the end of the year,” the President added.

In March 2020, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation No. 922, which declared a state of public health emergency in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The proclamation states that the state of public health emergency shall “remain in force and effect until lifted or withdrawn by the President.”

Consequently, in March 2020, Duterte also signed a separate proclamation declaring a state of calamity in the Philippines due to COVID-19.

The state of calamity was only supposed to last until September that year but was extended twice and will end on September 12 this year.

/MUF/abc