By Genalyn Kabiling
As a precaution against the threat of the new coronavirus, Malacañang is now gathering medical information from employees and visitors before they enter the main Palace for an engagement with President Duterte.
Malacañang Palace (Photo by Richard V. Viñas / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The Office of the President-Events Management Cluster has required Palace guests to accomplish a health declaration form honestly and completely prior to their entrance.
The health declaration forms were distributed to the Palace media and visitors before entering the main Palace. Duterte is scheduled to lead the oath-taking of government officials in Malacañang Thursday afternoon.
In the declaration form, a person must state their name, sex, age, contact number, email address, home address in the country, as well as existing health condition.
The person must identify the foreign countries he or she worked in, visited, or transited in the past 14 days.
It also asks the person if they have been sick in the past 30 days, and if they were in close contact with farm animals or exposed to wild animals in the past two weeks.
"Did you have any of the following in the last 14 days: fever, colds, cough, sore throat, or difficulty in breathing?" read one of the questions on the health declaration form.
The Palace employees and visitors are advised to ensure the information given is "true, correct, and complete." The form noted that the failure to answer any question or any falsified response may have serious consequences based on Article 171 and 172 of the Revised Penal Code.
Presidential Security Group chief Brig. Gen. Jose Niembra said the health declaration form is a precautionary measure for all people entering the Palace. The latest health measure will cover Cabinet members, officials, employees and guests, he added.