DOH wants extension of COVID-19 state of calamity in PH

Department of Health Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire during the press conference at the Department of Health central office on August 16, 2022. INQUIRER.net file photo / Noy Morcoso

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) wants to extend the state of calamity for COVID-19 in the country, its officer in charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, said on Friday.

The DOH said they recommended extending the state of calamity to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council since it is set to lapse this month.

This is in line with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. pronouncement that he is likely to extend the state of calamity until the end of 2022. 

“The President has pronounced … he said that most likely, we are going to extend the state of calamity until the end of the year,” Vergeire said in a press briefing.

“So with that pronouncement, what we did was to communicate with the NDRRMC,” she also said, pointing out that the NDRRMC is in charge when it comes to the recommendation of the calamity to the president.

Vergeire said they have already forwarded their recommendation to extend the state of calamity to the NDRRMC.

“We already forwarded our recommendations to NDRRMC together with the different basis kung bakit natin siya pinapa-extend [as to why we want it extended],” she said.

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.

According to the proclamation, the state of public health emergency could “remain in force and effect until lifted or withdrawn by the President.”

Duterte had 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 2020 but was extended twice and will end on September 12 this year.

JPV