Cabinet officials on Friday praised the Taguig City government for its health initiative and strict enforcement to fight the coronavirus disease in the city.
“We all saw how Taguig City and its officials conducted their aggressive tracing, testing and treatment and partnership. Their efforts are really a role model (in containing the disease)," said Health secretary Francisco Duque III in a recent meeting with various government officials at the Bonifacio Global City.
National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also commended city officials led by Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano for their effective drive against the deadly virus.
“This action demonstrates the balance between the economy and health. Mayor Lino shows decisiveness can save lives and the economy at the same time," Galvez said, referring to the enforcement of a localized lockdown.
Galvez said Taguig was also able to save its economy from losing some P16.7 billion if it had opted to do a two-week BGC lockdown instead of a localized lockdown.
He said this lesson shows that local executives can use granular in implementing targeted lockdowns, adding that Taguig City can serve as a role model in Metro Manila and nearby provinces in Regions 3 and 4 and even those in Davao and Cebu Cities.
Año also hailed the city's best practices, saying he would invite Mayor Cayetano to speak about these and the "successful experience" of Taguig in other cities or municipalities.
Bases Conversion Development Authority chair Vince Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the national action plan, also praised the city for constructing a 500-bed quarantine facility in Taguig Lakeshore, noting that it is the biggest facility constructed for such purpose for an local government unit.
Mayor Cayetano said the city's response to prevent the spread of COVID-19 include the intervention in a
BGC construction site which experienced a spike in cases of the disease.
He said the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CEDSU) investigated a clustering of workers with symptoms as early as June 18, resulting in the lockdown of the area on June 23, that prevented an outbreak.
Of the 700 workers tested, 327 were found positive and with continued monitoring and tracing this number now stands at 385.
Cayetano said the city wants localized lockdown not in a barangay but only in particular place to not disrupt the businesses and employment of its residents.
The city government recorded 1,663 confirmed cases.
Cayetano bared that 90% of the active cases in the city were asymptomatic, prompting them to have more quarantine facilities to prevent the further spread of the disease in the households.
He also also reported that Taguig already conducted more than 18,000 tests; and committed to testing 10 percent of the city population to meet the national government's target.
Taguig's testing capacity is now at 2,000 a day, with 128 swabbing personnel deployed.
