Mayor Maria Angela Garcia, president of the Bataan Mayors’ League, says they want the lifting of the ECQ preceded by mass testing. Photo by Ernie Esconde
DINALUPIHAN, Bataan — The Bataan Mayors’ League and other local officials on Tuesday declared they would like to recommend that a province-wide mass testing for the coronavirus disease be undertaken prior to the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine on May 16.
The league is composed of mayors in 11 towns and a city in the province headed by Dinalupihan Mayor Maria Angela “Gila” Garcia.
The recommendation was arrived at a Zoom video conference held Monday night to discuss the issues and concerns over the lifting or extension of ECQ, the mayor said.
It was attended by mayors, Gov. Albert Garcia, Representatives Geraldine Roman and Jose Enrique Garcia III, provincial health officer Dr. Rosanna Buccahan, Bataan General Hospital chief Dr. Glory Baltazar, and provincial directors of the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, and the Philippine National Police.
“Isa sa mga gusto ng grupo, magkaroon muna ng availability ng mass testing na ang resulta ay hindi delayed. Kasi ang sabi ni governor, ang kalaban na Covid–19 ay hindi nakikita at kung hindi nakikita, kailangan ma–determine kung nasaan ito.
Ito’y makikita lang sa pamamagitan ng swab testing o mass testing ng mga constituents,” Garcia said.
According to the mayor, they based their recommendation on a study made by the University of the Philippines which results were released about two days ago.
Garcia noted that Covid-affected areas are categorized into Grades A, B and C. Under A – may no longer need quarantine, B – can be under general community quarantine and C – ECQ may be extended.
Bataan was categorized Grade C.
The mayor said Bataan at the present has good record in Covid–19 lab tests but during the discussion in the video conference they found it was still not enough so they decided to recommend mass testing.
“Sana makapag-establish muna ng mass testing para makita yong liit o laki ng Covid–19 issue and concerns bago ma-lift ang ECQ para sa gayon protektado, mas maprotektahan ang ating mga kababayan,” Garcia emphasized.
She said the provincial government has already entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Red Cross and the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga for the mass testing of Bataan residents.
BGHMC is also in the process of seeking accreditation as a Covid–19 testing facility, she said
“So once ma-establish ang mga testing facilities, makakapag-conduct na ng mass testing para makita na, ma-manage ang hindi nakikita. Kung hindi makaka-offer ng mass testing, hindi makikita kung nasaan ang problema. Isa ito sa mga rekomendasyon ng grupo,”Garcia said.
The mayor clarified that theirs was only a recommendation and they do not want to preempt the decision of President Duterte who upon recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid has announced Tuesday that ECQ in Bataan with other Central Luzon provinces and cities was lifted to general community quarantine.
“Kung ano man ang pronouncement ng Pangulo, titingnan natin kung ano ang pakikipag-uganayang dapat gawin mula kay governor patungo sa IATF national,” she said.
