TODAY, I address the people of Capas and the nation as well as we enter the bigger picture by which God and the nation demand from us. Ito ay ang malugod na pagkandili sa mahigit kumulang na 500 bayaning Filipino na nanggaling sa Yokohama, Japan.
The 500 Filipinos are crew members of the cruise ship Diamond Princess where a considerable number of its passengers and crew were found to be positive of Covid–19 virus. It is to be emphasized that these Filipinos were subjected to a rigorous medical examination by the Japanese government before they were allowed to disembark from the cruise ship where they were quarantined for several weeks.
Pagkatapos ng masusing pagsusuri ang 500 Filipino ay idineklarang negatibo sa Covid–19, sampu ng mga pasaherong Amerikano, Australyano, Germans at Canadians na kanya–kanya nang iniuwi ng kani–kanilang mga bansa at sasailalim din sa panibagong 14–day quarantine katulad ng ating mga kababayan. Ang quarantine ay naglalayong masigurado nang walang alinlangan na negatibo sa Covid–19 ang mga kababayan nating galing sa barkong Diamond Princess.
The entry of Capas through New Clark City as the ideal venue for a 5–starlike quarantine comes at a time where LGU Capas did a massive information drive on Covid–19, whilst at the same time extended mitigation measures to allay the fears of Capaseños against the disease.
Clearly, there lies the bigger picture: It is the clarion call which must be heeded, the call to serve and empathize with our overseas foreign workers, and Capas becoming the catalyst for a safe Philippines from Covid–19.
We are heeding the call and there is no turning back as Capaseños will never back out from the challenge being posed to us.
Bilang ama ng Bayan ng Capas, kailan man ay hindi ko hahayaang manganib ang buhay at kalusugan ng aking mga nasasakupan kung kaya’t personal kong sinigurado na ang mga panibagong parating na iku-quarantine ay pawang sinertipikahang libre sa anumang karamdaman.
Maluwag naming tinatanggap ang mga kababayan nating sasailalim sa 14–day quarantine sa New Clark City. Sa mga ganitong pagkakataon ay muling maipamamalas ng Bayan ng Capas ang tumanggap sa malaking hamon sa kanyang makabagong kasaysayan na nagmula pa noong tumanggap ng malaking hamon noong Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig na naglagay sa bayang ito sa kasaysayan. We are throwing our unequivocal support to the whole-of-governmentapproach of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and we throw it without reservation and qualifications.
As the chief local executive of Capas, I can only assure you of our commitment to host those who are to be quarantined like what we did to the first batch from Wuhan, Hubei, China. I am confident that i have fully explained this issue to my constituents and had thus far consummated various education and mitigation activities purposely to inform them of the nitty gritty of Covid–19 to include the provision of protective masks, medicines, alcohols, and a semi- permanent medical team within the communities surrounding the New Clark City.
I appeal to BCDA and DOH to assist us in these endeavours to assure our people of their safety. –Statement of Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan, Feb. 21, 2020
