An 89-year-old woman of Barangay Maligaya, Palayan City receives from Mayor Adrianne Mae Cuevas the second batch of the city government’s cash assistance. Photo by Armand M. Galang
PALAYAN CITY — The city government is geared up to conducting testing of people showing symptoms of the coronavirus disease and those belonging to the vulnerable sector in villages starting May 10, the local chief executive said Tuesday.
Mayor Adrianne Mae Cuevas said the testing will start with health workers and policemen in the frontline on May 8.
Cuevas said they have set criteria to prioritize testing, with manifestation of symptoms on top of them: “I-asses din yung family members kung meron yung mga signs doon o wala. Kung wala, i-check namin yung criteria kung sila ba ay suspected, yung may vulnerability.”
The LGU, according to the mayor, is going to procure more testing kits using the fund download as additional internal revenue allotment (IRA) by the national government. They have already bought 10,000 kits, she added.
The testing to be conducted by a medical team will be held in time for the distribution of additional relief packs by the city social welfare and development.
This developed as the city government started on Monday the second batch of the P3,000 cash assistance to each of 13,000 households here.
The first batch was distributed in April.
This batch is intended as “start-up” fund for residents, Cuevas said. The enhanced community quarantine was extended until May 15 though.
“Itong second batch, yan sana yung panggastos nila ngayon at pang-start-up while they go to the office. Hindi naman kaagad kasi kayo makakasahod nang 1-15 kahit construction worker ka, minsan magpopondo ka ng ilang araw,” the mayor explained.
Meanwhile, Gov. Aurelio.Umali, chair of the Nueva Ecija inter-agency task force, is pushing for the establishment of a little local testing center that would expedite testing of people who might need to undergo the tests for Covid-19.
Umali met with health officials, including Dr. Edwin Santiago of the Department of Health, Dr. Josefina Garcia, provincial health officer, and Dr. Ronaldo Ramos of the Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center.
Santiago expressed support for the use of the Lions Club Hall at the Freedom Park in Cabanatuan City which is one of the places proposed by the governor. The other one being the Nueva Ecija Medical Society Office at the Old Capitol Compound, also in Cabanatuan City.
Umali stressed that establishing a testing center is essential in fighting the virus.
