Although she understands that the Department of Health (DOH) and Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) have a lot on their plates, Vice President Leni Robredo asked them to act swiftly on matters concerning the pandemic response of local government units (LGUs).

As the country is in an “emergency,” Robredo said it's important to expedite the process of responding to LGU woes—from changing the quarantine levels to adding personnel in health care facilities.

“Ako, naiintindihan ko naman, halimbawa DOH ang dami talagang inaasikaso ngayon, pero ano talaga, kailangan double time tayo kasi every day counts, eh (I understand for example DOH, they are really doing a lot now, but we need to act double time because every day counts),” she said during her weekly radio show.

Her office has been receiving a lot of LGU complaints that the national government is acting slow on their requests. And while she understands that both the IATF and DOH have been busy with other concerns, they need to make decisions faster.

“That’s why it is also essential that when there is a problem, we should respond immediately. If you’re still going to think about it, if there’s still bureaucracy, there are many lives that will be really affected,” she said in Filipino.

The vice president said her office has been requesting for the IATF to change the quarantine levels in areas where there is a surge in cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

This is just one example of how a delayed response can affect the whole LGU, she cited.

Talks of changing the quarantine levels in an area shouldn’t go through a long process, the lady official stressed, adding that what the IATF should simply do is to study whether it is right to accede to the request or not.

“Pero lalo kasi na tumatagal, iyong lokal iyong nahihirapan. Iyong lokal iyong nahihirapan mag-contain kasi siyempre iyong magdedecide kasi IATF, ‘di ba. So kapag hindi—mabuti sana kung iyong lokal puwede nang sila na lang mag-declare (The more that the decision is delayed, the more that the local is having a hard time. The LGU is the one having difficulties to contain because the IATF will be the one to decide, right. So, if they don’t—it’s better if the local can declare on their own).”

Another example is the mass resignation of nurses in Negros and other areas.

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/27/wanted-nurses-in-negros-oriental/

“Iyong reklamo talaga kahit gusto pa nila, iyong katawan umaayaw din eh kasi ang tagal na natin. Last year pa bugbog na ‘yung nurses natin. May mga doctor din. Bugbog na ‘yung mga health workers kasi walang pahinga since last year (Their complaint really is even if they want to, their bodies are surrendering already because it has been too long. Our nurses are being beaten since last year. There are doctors, too. Our health workers are beaten because they haven’t rested since last year),” Robredo said.

The least the government can do is to incentivize them so the compensation will be commensurate to the hardships they experience while working in the hospitals.