Cebuanos can now heave a sigh of relief after the Duterte government assured that Cebu City will be given “first priority” when it comes to distribution of medical supplies and hiring of workers related to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Cebu City 2nd District Rep.  Rodrigo Abellanosa welcomed Malacañang's pronouncement that when it comes to ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies, Cebu will now get first priority to address the surge in coronavirus cases.

"That's a very welcome development for Cebu City, especially the deployment of more health workers to our hospitals," Abellanosa said as more than 6,000 cases of infections have been recorded in Cebu City.

"Aside from being overwhelmed with a rising number of COVID patients, some private hospitals are losing health workers to infections and resignations due to the extreme hazards and low pay," he noted.

Abellanosa cited the Cebu City government's plan to give cash incentives to private health workers.

"It is good that the City Government has thought of giving a monthly cash incentive of P10,000 for three months to health workers in private hospitals," he said.

Last week, Abellanosa called on the Department of Health (DOH) to address with dispatch the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, the depleting number of medical workers, and scarce medical supplies in their city which remains under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until July 15 following the increasing cases of COVID-19.

"With the daily unabated number of positive cases in Cebu City, the local health care system naturally breaks down. People are dying even before they could get admitted and tested," he laments.

"DOH should bring in more health workers now," he stressed as the City's medical personnel, ambulances, equipment and supplies "are running very low".

Abellanosa also sees the need to establish regional quarantine facilities, saying that "this pandemic continues to be a knee on our neck."