The Department wishes to clarify that the views expressed by Usec. Epimaco Densing III on ANC yesterday about the government’s response to the surge is his own personal opinion and does not reflect the position of the DILG.
The Department as part of the National Task Force COVID-19 is devoting all of its time, efforts, and resources together with other government agencies in containing the surge through the intensified implementation of the Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat and Reintegrate (PDITR) strategy under the National Action Plan. With the support of the LGUs, we have scaled up the contact tracing program to actively trace and test all close contacts, establish more isolation facilities, increase COVID beds in LGU-run hospitals, and the planned establishment of LGU-based triage centers. The plan is in place and we are currently focused on its implementation on the ground.
We stand behind the efficacy and safety of all FDA-approved vaccines and we are committed to the success of the national vaccination and deployment program which is the ultimate solution to the pandemic. We have scaled up vaccination with 2,596 sites across the country currently doing inoculation. With the arrival of 1M doses of procured vaccines, the total number of available vaccines have doubled and the doses distributed across the country have significantly increased with more than 1.5M doses delivered to the regions. We have also done simultaneous vaccination of A1 to A3 priority groups as quick substitution list.
We are confident that with the support of the public, we will be able to contain this surge and heal as one.
USec. Jonathan E. Malaya
Official Spokesperson
