BAGAC, Bataan — Officials of this mountain townadjacent to the West Philippines Sea on Monday admitted they faced a tough fight in maintaining their record of zero confirmed case of the coronavirus disease.
“Ang panawagan namin ay ang walang sinuman na dapuan ng Covid kaya nakikiusap kami ng pakikiisa, panalangin at bukas na isipan ng bawat isa,” Mayor Rommel del Rosario said.
Their continuing call, he said, is “One Big Fight: Zero Covid Bagac.”
“Sa pagtutulungan ng lahat at sa awa at paggabay ng Diyos, malaki ang pananalig ko na mapapanatili namin ang record na ito sa aming bayan. Sana tumigil na rin ang salot na ito hindi lang sa Bataan kundi sa buong mundo,” the mayor said.
Michelle Mendoza Pillagara, secretary to the mayor, said the sangguniang bayan under the chairmanship of Vice-Mayor Ron del Rosario is in full support of the mayor to have a Covid-free municipality.
She said that the mayor ordered strict implementation of the enhanced community quarantine after meeting with barangay leaders, the religious sector, operators of beach resorts, Philippine Coast Guard, police, firemen and marshals, among some other groups.
The mayor and the SB later upgraded it into extreme ECQ when other areas in Bataan got more infectionsfrom the virus.
Pillagara said the town established two quarantine facilities where returning residents from Metro Manila and overseas are quarantined for 14 days before they can proceed to their respective homes.
She said the mayor made unannounced regular inspections of checkpoints, including in the barangays, to see to it that the ECQ procedures were strictly followed. Surveillance camera for emergency response, emergency hotlines were activated, she said.
Personal protective equipment, face masks, gowns, alcohol, and medicines were provided health workers and frontliners. Relief goods were distributed, Pillagara said.
On April 17, Mayor del Rosario issued an executive order subjecting the entire municipality to total lockdown for disease surveillance, monitoring and assessment in relation to Covid–19.
Bagac with an estimated population of 32,031 people in its 14 barangays remained as one of the three towns in Bataan with negative Covid case. The others are Dinalupihan in the northern portion of the province and Morong in the west.
Latest reports showed that there were 81 patients tested positive of the virus in nine towns composed of Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga, Pilar, Orion, Limay and Mariveles. Of this number four died while 15 recovered.
