Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairperson Benhur Abalos on Monday (Sep. 27) said the pilot implementation of the Alert Level System in Metro Manila yielded a positive effect.
In today’s Laging Handa public briefing, the MMDA chief said, based on his assessment, the Alert Level System generated a positive effect since the National Capital Region’s (NCR) COVID-19 data improved and the region’s economy recovered following the allowed operations of indoor and al fresco services in restaurants, and personal care services.
“Ang assessment ko po ay napakaganda. Napakaganda talaga ng pilot project na ito in the sense na, number one, sa Alert Level # 4 nabuksan natin maski papaano ang ating ekonomiya, at the same time, nag-iingat ang tao.”
With this, Abalos hopes that the Alert Level System in the region will be eased from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3.
He pointed out that the NCR’s reproduction rate and growth rate have decreased, according to the data of the Department of Health (DOH) and the OCTA Research group.
“At iyong mga numbers mismo ng Department of Health at ng OCTA will say na ang reproduction rate ay bumaba, iyong growth rate ay bumaba. Although may sinasabi sila about iyong daily attack rate kung medyo tumaas ba o bumaba ‘no. Pero what is important po rito ay sa makikita natin, lahat ng ating mga mamamayan sa Metro Manila ay talagang nakikisama, ang mga tao ay nag-iingat pero ang ating ekonomiya naman ay masigla at least sa apat na iyon – restaurant, sa hair spa, sa beauty salon at sa hair spa [sic].”
Moreover, he presented data that shows the decrease of active cases in Metro Manila from 40,000 on Sep. 15 to 29,000.
“Iyong active cases kung titingnan natin, it was at a high of about 40,000, Sept. 15. Ngayon po, bumaba na tayo ng 29,000. Ito po ay binibigay sa amin ng mga LGUs. So I’m basing it on this,” he said.
“I’m just hoping, kasi nga marami pang metrics po rito. Ang sinasabi nila malaking bagay daw iyong tinatawag na hospital care utilization rate – kung puno ang mga ospital mo. Sumunod po rito ay iyong daily attack rate, iyong mga iba pong metrics pa lang ang ginagamit. Pero basing it here, I’m just really very hopeful na sana ay maka-graduate ang Kalakhang Maynila,” he added.
Report from Patrick de Jesus/NGS- bny
