The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) held a briefing on 11 February 2020 for the members of the diplomatic corps and international organizations on the Philippine government’s efforts and guidelines to ensure public health safety amid the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease (2019-nCoV ARD).
A total of 62 participants from 40 diplomatic missions and 13 international organizations attended the event.
“This briefing was organized at the directive of Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. to inform our partners from the diplomatic community and international organizations that the Philippine government is implementing all possible measures to curb the spread of the 2019-nCoV ARD in the country, and to address any concerns you may have regarding your nationals,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Brigido J. Dulay mentioned during his welcome remarks.
During his remarks, he also called for continued coordination and cooperation between the Philippine government and the foreign missions in the Philippines to address the global health emergency.
To give the participants a comprehensive briefing on the Philippine response to the 2019-nCoV ARD, the DFA invited experts from the Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
In particular, Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire of the Public Health Services Team of the DOH, gave a presentation on the latest developments in the 2019-nCoV ARD cases in the Philippines as well as the Philippine government’s measures and protocols to address the disease.
Furthermore, Acting Port Operations Chief Grifton SP Medina of the BI and Atty. Eldric Paul A. Peredo of the CAB briefed the attendees on the travel restrictions being implemented by the Philippines to curb the spread of the virus.
After the individual presentations, the attendees were given an opportunity to raise their concerns and seek clarification on the prevailing risks of the 2019-nCoV ARD as well as the measures being taken by the Philippine government to ensure the safety of their nationals amid the outbreak.
To provide further information and aid in clarification, Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe of the WHO, Division Chief Alexander M. Oba of the BOQ, and Environmental Management Chief Rolando Rodulfo of the PPA also answered questions during the session.
The briefing was positively received by the members of the diplomatic corps and international organizations as the issue of the global health outbreak is of utmost concern at this moment. Previously, the DFA also held a diplomatic briefing on the Taal volcano eruption.
The 2019-nCoV ARD briefing was jointly organized by the DFA’s Office of the Secretary (OSEC), Office of the Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Concerns (OUCSCC), Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA), Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs (ASPAC), Office of Protocol (OP), Office of Strategic Communications and Research (OSCR), Office of Asset Management and Support Services (OAMSS), and the Intelligence and Security Unit (ISU).
(DFA Photos by Vanessa P. Ubac)
