Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos has expressed satisfaction on the pilot implementation of the alert levels system in Metro Manila almost two weeks after it started.
"Ang assessment ko po ay napakaganda. Napakaganda talaga ng pilot project na ito in the sense na number 1, sa alert level 4, nabuksan natin maski papaano ang ating ekonomiya at the same time nag-iingat ang tao (My assessment is very positive. The pilot project is very positive in the sense that under alert level 4, we were able to at least open up the economy at the same time the public are being cautious)," Abalos said during a televised press briefing Monday, Sept. 27.
The MMDA chief cited the improvement of the reproduction rate of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Metro Manila which went down from 1.18 in Sept. 12-18 to 0.98 at present.
He also noted the drop in active cases from around 40,000 on Sept. 16, when the alert levels system was enforced, to more than 29,000 on Sept. 26.
With this development, Abalos can't help but to hope that by October, the entire National Capital Region will shift to alert level 3, which allows higher capacity of establishments' operation and laxer restrictions.
"I'm always data driven. Tinitingnan ko three or four days ago talagang gumanda naman ang reproductive rate, growth rate ng active cases (I checked three or four days ago that the reproductive rate, growth rate of active cases showed positive improvements)," he said.
"Hindi po ako doktor, ayokong pangunahan ang mga eksperto. It will be ultimately the DOH who would say kung dapat tayo alert 3 or 4...I'm just really very hopeful na sana ay maka-graduate ang kalakhang Maynila (I'm not a doctor, I don't want to preempt the experts. It will ultimately be the Department of Health who would day if we stay under alert level 4 or shift to level 3...I'm just really very hopeful that NCR will finally graduate from this)," he added.
Abalos also reiterated that by October, 82.30 percent of NCR's population will be fully vaccinated and 90.88 percent by December.
At present, a total of 7,119,728 of the region's population are now fully vaccinated while 8,617,486 have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.