A plurality of Filipinos remain stressed out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than half of those surveyed feeling “great stress,” according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll released Saturday.
READ: 5.2 million Pinoys suffer hunger in lockdown
The July 3 to 6 poll found the coronavirus crisis had brought “great stress” to 51 percent and “much stress” to 35 percent of adult Filipinos.
The latest figure is 3 points lower than the 89 percent logged in a similar survey in May 2020.
Meanwhile, those who felt “little or no stress” rose by 14 percent, which is 3 percent higher from the previous poll.
In the survey, those who said they experienced great stress was at 55 percent among those who lost or never had a job, compared to 46 percent among those who have jobs.
The SWS noted that 56 percent of those living in Metro Manila and the Visayas experienced great stress, compared to 49 percent in Balance Luzon and 46 percent in Mindanao.
The non-commissioned survey also revealed that those with much less education were more stressed out by the crisis.
The condition is also similar among men and women, which is 52 percent and 49 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, the most affected age group were people between 25 and 54 years old, followed by those 55 and older, and the 18 to 24 range.
Contact tracers
Mayor Joy Belmonte on Saturday said imprisonment and hefty fines awaited officials of private subdivisions and condominiums in Quezon City who would hamper the campaign against COVID-19.
Belmonte’s statement came after officials of a condominium in Brgy. Sto. Cristo and a subdivision in Brgy. Matandang Balara prevented the entry of contact tracers into their premises.
“We will pursue the filing of charges against officials of subdivisions and condominiums who will refuse to cooperate with regard to the local government’s effort against COVID-19 virus,” said Belmonte.
Critical zones
Two more barangays in Pasay City were declared as critical zones, bringing to 17 the number of villages in the city placed under tight watch following the surge of COVID-19 cases there.
The latest in the list were barangays 175 and 185 where more than 20 active cases of coronavirus disease patients were recorded.
Mayor Imelda Rubiano said the city government was enforcing stricter health protocols in the 17 barangays declared as critical zones. Movement of all residents will be restricted only to purchase of essential goods and residents must have their valid access pass when going out to buy essentials.
Health declaration
All employees at Paranaque City Hall are now required to execute a health declaration form before reporting for work.
Mayor Edwin Olivarez said the directive would serve as an initiatory step to prevent the spread and possible transmission of the coronavirus disease to their co-workers, in particular, taxpayers and to the public, in general.
“This is to primarily determine whether or not you are fit to work on a given day,” said Olivarez in his one-page memorandum addressed to employees including employees of government agencies in the city hall.
Mining industry
Meanwhile, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau said the country’s mining industry was doing its share to help during the pandemic with a P402-million relief fund that had so far benefited more than 1.4 million households and frontliners across the country.
Mining firms have pooled together the remaining funds for their respective Social Development and Management Program to assist their host and neighboring communities during the community quarantine imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.The MGB reported that as of July 8, some 1.2 million households had been provided with food packs, vegetables and garden kits through the relief fund.
READ: World hunger worsening as coronavirus weighs and obesity rises: UN
READ: Government sets anti-hunger program in CL