Gov’t to public: Stay within your city, don’t be picky in buying essentials

MANILA, Philippines — The government is appealing to the public Thursday not to be “picky” in buying essential goods and not to insist on getting supplies from larger supermarkets that are located outside of their localities amid the Luzon-wide lockdown against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Kung mamimili lang dahil mamimili ka ng gusto mo kaya gusto mo pumunta sa ibang lugar, sa ibang siyudad kung mahahanap naman sa city mo or sa lugar mo doon nalang,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a virtual press briefing.

“Huwag nalang tayo picky kumbaga,” he added.

Nograles, who also serves as the spokesperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) handling the government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, also asked the public to just follow the quarantine rules and not look for ways to get out their homes as the Luzon-wide lockdown reaches its “last stretch.”

He said violating the rules now will put to waste the sacrifices of the first four weeks of the quarantine.

“Lahat ng sakripisyo natin mababalewala lang dahil naghahanap tayo ng paraan para makalabas dahil ‘doon sa ibang lugar kasi ‘yung paborito kong ganito ganyan, or sawa na ko sa mga nabibili ko dito’,” he said.

“It just destroys everything,” Nograles added.

The government earlier announced it will enforce a stricter implementation of the lockdown measures after it had observed an increased number of violators and vehicles on Edsa and on major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier placed the entire Luzon, home to about half the country’s total population, under a month-long enhanced community quarantine to contain the further spread of COVID-19. The quarantine was extended until April 30.

The measure stopped all public transportation and strictly enforced home quarantine as work for the majority of the region’s residents was suspended. People are only allowed to go out to buy food and other basic items and in cases of emergency.

With just over two weeks before the lockdown ends, Nograles said the government is now crafting the “do’s and don’ts” for the “new normal” after April 30.

Currently, there are 5,453 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, 353 of them have recovered while 349 have died.

/MUF