By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu said the formula used to bring down the number coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 cases in Cebu will be implemented here.
Cimatu, together with Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino and Gen. Melquiades Feliciano, were sent by President Rodrigo Duterte to the city after Mayor Evelio Leonardia asked for help to curb the upsurge in COVID cases.
In a recorded video furnished by the Bacolod Public Information Office to the media here late Thursday night, Cimatu said “We are here to help Bacolod, help the people, help the mayor because the Mayor sent a letter to the president asking for assistance, manpower, and other equipment including how to stop the rising cases in Bacolod.”
“This is the formula that we had adapted in Cebu, bring down the battlefield to the barangay, and the barangay captains do the rest. The average cases here in Bacolod is 30, while during that time in Cebu it was 350 cases per day, pero ngayon 10 to 15 na lang, Here 30, we can easily bring down, with the cooperation of the people.”
Cimatu was also sent to Cebu on a special mission to help them at the height of the COVID crisis there.
Feliciano was also a partner of Cimatu in the Cebu mission.
Cimatu and his team are expected to help Bacolod City manage the number of virus infections that have overwhelmed hospitals and medical personnel.
“We will go back to Cebu, but we will be back on Tuesday, and we will be full time here in Bacolod, and Iloilo. We move from Bacolod to Iloilo and vice versa. It will be a daily activity that we will do,” Feliciano said.
Dino on the other hand said that “Meron ng formula dyan, it may not be a perfect formula for this COVID, but at least we have a very good plan for Bacolod. The help will be here very, very soon, in fact tomorrow meron kaming military health workers, military doctors, military nurses who are coming. I think we’ll be bringing two teams, the first batch will be 12 members.”
The three met with Leonardia and joining them were Provincial Consultant Alfredo Benitez, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, Councilor Cindy Rojas, Councilor Renecito Novero, City Administrator Em Ang, Secretary to the Mayor Atty. Edward Joseph Cuansing, City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan, City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Carmela Gensoli, and Dr. Grace Tan.
Also in attendance were Lt. Gen. Roberto Angcan, commander of Central Command; Lt. Col. Jones Brisal Otida of the Central Command; Col Michael Samson, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade; Bacolod City Police Office director Col. Henry Biñas, and Philippine Coast Guard-Negros Occidental chief, Lt. Commander Jansen Benjamin.
During the meeting, City Administrator Em Ang presented data on the current COVID-19 situation in Bacolod, including the number of cases per barangay, the status of operation centers, the implementation of lockdowns, and the molecular laboratory operations, among others.
