BATANG MAYNILA

Little by little, I guess our repeated calls for the residents of Manila to constantly practice “kusang disiplina” or voluntary discipline and strictly follow all health protocols in and outside their homes, are somehow beginning to pay off.

If it is any consolation, amid the continuing pandemic and lack of medicine or vaccine as a sure-fire cure against COVID-19, Manila’s city-run hospitals have registered a considerably low occupancy rate as of August 31.

Fortunately, this development is complemented by a marked continuing increase in the recovery rate of COVID-19 cases in the city, based on records from our city’s health department.

With our total beds at the city-run hospitals numbering 943, the assigned COVID beds total 321.  Of this number, the beds occupied are 165, which translates to an occupancy rate of 51 percent only as of August 31.

I do hope that these positive developments continue. And this will only happen if and when the residents themselves sustain cooperation and take good care of themselves in which case, they also in effect take good care of their loved ones who stay protected from COVID-19 for as long as they, too, keep themselves safe from getting infected with the lethal virus.

We need this elbow room so much so that our medical frontliners will not be overwhelmed in case of a possible surge, as the city’s quarantine status continues easing up.

For this, I thank and give credit to our beloved Manilans who, I presume, have now become fully aware of the gravity of the situation and the danger that COVID-19 poses to everyone.

Much of the credit, of course, also goes to our modern-day heroes, particularly our  medical frontliners who have been tirelessly taking care of the COVID-19 victims.

They have been actively requesting for all sorts of needed equipment, medicines, and other supplies, and this, apparently, resulted in the good recovery rate in the city to date.

For our part, we in the city government will definitely stop at nothing to improve on the services that are already currently being offered to the people of Manila.

In fact, alongside all the measures we have been implementing aimed at stemming if not totally eliminating COVID-19 in Manila, I and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna have decided to offer P100,000 cash reward for COVID-free barangays.

Those that will be able to maintain a zero COVID case within their area of jurisdiction for two months covering the period from September 1 to October 31, 2020, will receive the amount.

A couple of days ago, I also ordered the allotment of P2 million for the purchase of fuel oil for the free cremation of COVID-19 victims at the Manila North Cemetery (MNC).

Under the rules issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases, the bodies of patients who died of COVID-19 must be cremated within 12 hours.

While I am not totally happy with this announcement because it involves death, the new allocation will be for the benefit of those who cannot afford the high, varying prices of cremation. This free service, however, is limited to residents of Manila who pass on due to COVID-related deaths.

I cannot stomach how some unscrupulous individuals can be so callous as to gain profit out of other people’s misery.

I personally know how painful it is for the poor to experience a death in the family and have no money to take care of their deceased loved one. I experienced this first-hand when my grandfather passed away while I was just a young boy and our family was virtually penniless.

I was just starting a career in showbiz then and had to get away for a while to produce money. Sadly, by the time I came back, my grandfather had been buried and the money I earned did not make it on time.

This is why in our own little way, we want to ease the suffering of poor families who lose loved ones to COVID-19. In return, all we ask from the residents is their full cooperation in observing protocols to prevent transmission of the coronavirus.

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Gaya ng paulit-ulit  kong sinasabi, kailangan ko ang tulong ninyong lahat. Walang magmamalasakit sa Maynila kundi tayo ding mga Batang Maynila. Manila, God first!    

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For updates on latest developments in the city of Manila, please visit my Facebook account – “Isko Moreno Domagoso.”