By Jonathan Hicap
Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi assured residents that the city government has enough resources to provide food assistance for up to three to four months under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (right) instructs Social Service Department chief Analyn Mercado to ensure adequate supply of food packs for residents amid enhanced community quarantine. He inspected the repacking center at the Muntinlupa Resiliency Building on Friday. (Photo via Jonathan Hicap/MANILA BULLETIN)
He said their supply of basic commodities is adequate for indigent residents and daily wage earners affected by the crisis.
“The local government has a disaster preparedness plan and is equipped to respond to the public’s needs during this health emergency. Our distribution will not be a one-time event but will be continuous,” the mayor said.
Fresnedi led the distribution of an initial 1,500 grocery packs to residents in Barangay Poblacion. The city government is targeting to give 8,000 grocery packs per barangay.
He also ordered the early release of city employees’ end of the month salary to tide them over the crisis.
The city government urged people to stay home as barangays have started implementing tougher community quarantine measures including the closure of its borders following the rise in reported cases of COVID-19 in the city.
Barangay captains agreed to coordinate with their counterparts for the closure of their respective inter-barangay borders along Baybayin or the coastal area to prevent the movement of people across the barangays.
Fresnedi ordered them to strengthen lockdown measures and patrolling of residents who are still going out of their homes amid the ongoing enhanced community quarantine.
As of March 19, there are three confirmed COVID-19 cases in Muntinlupa, 96 persons under monitoring (PUMs), and 45 persons under investigation (PUI).
The Muntinlupa City Health Office confirmed that there are two residents of an upscale village in Muntinlupa who tested positive for COVID-19.
Muntinlupa health chief Dr. Teresa Tuliao said, “We are taking precautionary measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the area especially that the confirmed cases lived in close proximity to one another. The CHO is coordinating with PNP (Philippine National Police) to facilitate this stringent measure,” Tuliao said.
The village is on lockdown and visitors are not allowed to enter.
In addition, the city government launched on Friday its disinfection drive through the Muntinlupa City Disaster Risk Reduction Office and Muntinlupa Fire Station, starting in Alabang Viaduct, Starmall Terminal, City Terminal, South Station Terminal, and Alabang Public Market.
Triage areas and quarantine rooms are now installed at Ospital ng Muntinlupa and barangays, to accommodate patient-residents suspected to have contracted the virus for monitoring by the local health office.