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Binay: Lack of sustained perseverance lands PH's COVID-19 trials back to square one
Binay: Lack of sustained perseverance lands PH's COVID-19 trials back to square one
The lack of sustained perseverance in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the Philippines back to square one.
Senator Nancy Binay pointed this out as she expressed alarm over the surge of COVID-19 cases in the last few weeks and which experts predict could reach 8,000 daily by the end of March in Metro Manila alone.
Binay said the government’s varying messaging and its apparent lack of a clear exit plan is the reason why the Philippines is still struggling with the pandemic.
Even national leaders, the senator said, make full display of the “ningas-cogon” attitude and have forgotten that the threat of the coronavirus is still very real and fatal.
“What’s ironic is that after a year since the lockdown, we are still here. We are not progressing, like nothing happened—same problems, same issues, same recommendations—hard lockdown, curfew, liquor ban, etc,” Binay said in a statement.
She said the Department of Health’s (DOH) continuing attempt to downplay the surge and the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to reopen tourism, reopen resorts, cinemas and other establishments actually created an impression that the Philippines “is back to normal”—which is not the case.
The senator also said downplaying the COVID-19 surge diminishes the message that there is no need to be vigilant especially with the arrival of the vaccines.
“It’s the perception that ‘everything is OK’ is what makes it not ok,” she pointed out.
“How can we expect people to consciously follow health protocols when even our national and local government officials do not conscientiously follow minimum health protocols?” she reiterated.
“Even if you impose a curfew or liquor ban, if we see people in government freely traveling to beaches and resorts, and organizing public gatherings as if everything is back to normal, the people will surely relax health protocols,” Binay emphasized.
The lawmaker said it is imperative that the IATF and Malacanang fix its messaging “because the varying, irrelevant and inconsistent messaging” is creating public confusion and damaging whatever gains the country has gained in the fight against COVID.
“There should be consistency in messaging from our leaders and even with our social media influencers. We shouldn’t stop reminding and explaining the repercussions of not following minimum health protocols,” she said.
“We have to embrace the new normal and accept the fact that our way of life has already changed,” the senator added.