“What can you say about the national government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic?”

“The national government’s response has been disappointing. We have always known that our country is vulnerable to these kinds of threats, especially since this administration has given little support to our public health system and workers, but the threat of this pandemic already appeared in late 2019. Our government, if only they had the foresight to take this threat seriously, had the opportunity to establish precautionary measures for international travelers, to prepare testing kits and quarantine facilities for its citizens, and to develop health care-centered solutions to the pandemic. Instead, we ended up with a military-led lockdown called an ‘Enhanced Community Quarantine,’ and even with such drastic measures already being implemented, they still want to give emergency powers to the President. We don’t need that. What we need is mass testing for COVID-19, enough support for the workers and families affected by the quarantine, and even more support for medical facilities and health workers. Enough with the attempts to gain power beyond the Constitution. The government should be able to accomplish these even without giving emergency powers to the President.”

Quiel Quiwa
President, Sanggunian ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila

“The administration seems to be completely disinterested in putting the Filipino people first. Their response has been governed by power and politics since day one. When they scoffed at suspending travel from infected regions, it became clear that they were serving China. When they demanded priority testing for asymptomatic politicians over following the mandated protocols for [persons under investigation], it became clear that the people our government is in unwavering service of, are themselves. While the poor starve and health workers actively risk their lives, the government has been slapping the red tape of bureaucracy on our local government units and the private sector’s efforts for fear of admitting their incompetence. The administration is flailing. They know it, and they can’t hide it anymore. Although it’s immensely frustrating to be a Filipino right now, I place hope in the growing number of people who have begun to speak against and stand up to the Duterte administration’s mishandling of the crisis. The collective outcry and the Congress’ subsequent rejection of the request for special emergency powers has shown me that despite the absence of checks and balances within our government, the people are now vigilant. We elected them and have the power to eject them. We will hold them accountable for their failures and crimes, and soon there will be no troll army big enough to silence the voice of a whole nation.”

Denise Marcelo
2 AB COM

“Our national government has failed us. With an influx of Chinese nationals, a poor healthcare system, and urban congestion, [they] somehow managed to believe that we would be fine. We responded too slowly.

When we saw the rise of victims and death from other nations while our numbers remained stagnant, our national government was silent. This was supposed to be a wake-up call, to realize that something is wrong and we have to do something. Yet we waited a few more days. Before Duterte’s announcement [of an enhanced community quarantine], there weren’t any active updates on securing testing kits or structured plans in addressing these issues. Even after then, how did they secure transportation or assistance to the front liners? To doctors who risk their lives and die for their incompetence? Messy implementation has ignored the thousands of workers who rely on their jobs for a meager three meals and a roof. Those who can’t survive off an advanced 13th month pay, what then are they to become? 

This issue…once again highlights the vulnerability of our society. When we respond too slowly or downplay a health issue, we harm those who have [a] limited capacity to protect themselves or their families. Our government hasn’t been doing enough. As we look back and face another global pandemic, let our government be a reminder that we have to be better than this.” 

Rhaelyne Bairan
3 BS PSY

“I personally think the response time the Philippine government had when announcing quarantine was adequate. Many countries did not have a quarantine or lockdown in a similar fashion until more cases were recorded, which is appreciated. However, the government did not have any measures in place to provide resources for the less fortunate. The announcement of the lockdown 48 hours before the lockdown allowed people to panic buy, leaving less for the rest. Public transportation being shut down during the lockdown [also] prevents health workers from moving. All the little things which can help the impoverished who are more susceptible to COVID-19 weren’t done well enough.”

Finn*
1 BS CS-DGDD

“The national government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic leaves much to be desired. Ideally, we should be determining as many cases as possible, isolating them, and subsequently providing [them] treatment and care while making records on patient recovery, immunity, and mortality to improve future response to the disease. While enforcing community quarantine is a step towards the right direction, it’s only part of the process. Quarantine alone cannot provide substantial impact without the enforcement of mass testing, support, and protection for the medical professionals addressing the situation. Without a plan, we fail to effectively ‘flatten the curve’ or delay the rapid spread of the disease and ensure ample time for recovery and room to develop vaccines and other preventive measures against COVID-19. Our healthcare systems need the government’s support now more than ever.

The national government’s quarantine measures are also ineffective in accounting for the impact this has had on their constituents. Many Filipinos currently find themselves without work [and are] forced to rely on donations and help from the private sector because they aren’t compensated by the government or their jobs, as many of them engage in contractualized work. With a lack of support from the state and media outlets telling Filipinos to merely follow quarantine measures to avoid getting sick, it seems like the average citizen has only been given two options: To go out and catch a disease that could potentially kill them or to suffer from hunger without any source of income. It would help if the government could clearly communicate not only their actions to the people, but also their intentions, so that all of us may understand the gravity of the situation and act on it accordingly.”

Riki G. Angeles
Associate Vice President for Secretariat, Loyola Film Circle

“While I do acknowledge that there have been shortcomings overall, I find myself having no issue for the most part with how the national government has chosen to respond to the COVID-19 crisis at hand. Having said that, I believe that there is no realistic reason to worry that such measures will segue into a state of martial law, and that anyone who peddles this belief is either mistaken or has been woefully misinformed. Mainly though, I question why our response had been so late, especially since other countries had already declared a state of emergency within their borders. Regardless, I appreciate the measures which have been taken to minimize the spread of disease via the strengthening and tight regulation of Metro Manila’s borders and to minimize civil unrest via the deployment of the military, but the overall shortage in medical supplies and manpower in these trying times can’t be stressed enough.

Overall, I think it’s fair to say that we must reassess our expectations on how the quarantine will be handled. By sheer numbers alone, it wouldn’t be realistic to expect a pro-poor response wherein we will be able to treat each and every informal settler and person residing below the country’s poverty line as well as we were to address those lying in the more stable socio-economic classes—especially given the scarcity of resources, medical equipment, spacing and overall, manpower present. And while such an outcome would be ideal, it’s ultimately idealistic and as such, unrealistic— especially since the reality of the matter shows that prioritization is and always has been inevitable, and that those otherwise expendable in this sense will be deemed an acceptable loss, so long as the rest of the country will be able to push through and recover afterwards.”

Paco Blanco
1 BS LM

“Granting special powers to Duterte is not necessary to solve the COVID-19 crisis in the country because from the very start, he has the executive power to create better policies that can address the health and community needs of Filipinos. However, in this time of crisis, the national government chooses to prioritize themselves, to neglect the threatening situations of Filipinos especially those who are in the outskirts of our society, and to underestimate the capabilities of the experts who can help in reducing the number of cases in the Philippines. 

Truly, this national government does not serve its purpose to protect the welfare of its people because as these officials continue to pursue this emergency power in the hands of Duterte, they could not even provide any concrete plans to address this issue. They could not even tell their people the number of testing kits for the masses, and the number of protective gears for health workers who are in the frontline truly serving the Filipinos. It seems that the Duterte administration is just taking advantage of this crisis, having the avenue for usurpation of power. Indeed, emergency power is not the answer to the incompetence of the national government. The government should now focus on providing the necessary resources, especially in provinces, in order to give health solutions rather than the enforcement of military power in the enhanced community quarantine. Learn from some of the local government units which are doing way better to put the safety of its communities above all else by having concrete, relevant, and efficient plans such as the initiative to administer mass testing, to acquire equipment, and to provide the needs of health workers.”

Noelle Anne Cubacub
Member Formation Committee Head, Ateneo Gabay

“The government is procrastinating. Pre-emptive measures could have been taken weeks in advance. It should have been as early as the first COVID-19 infection outside of China that the government developed disaster response protocols. Being restricted by time and a healthcare system that is subpar at best, our government had no choice but to declare enhanced community quarantine in an attempt to minimize movement and slow down the spread. In addition to this, there was no strategic direction from the top and Duterte left the local government units to decide what they should do. It was a solution made out of sheer desperation and people such as doctors, nurses, and poor people are bearing the brunt of their incompetence. Having seen forms circulating around Facebook asking input on the community quarantine plan, it is clear how late our government is to the party. For now, the only thing we can ask of them is transparency.”

Jack Rodriguez
4 BS ME

“I think overall, the response of the government is very poor, as is the sentiment of most activist groups. 

Firstly, in the health sector and budget, it clearly doesn’t have enough money for the operation. Although my mother—one of the health workers in the frontline—says that they get money when asked, their supply of masks [has] been running low, and with the recent news of VIP testing, it is clear that the health sector is lacking in funding or [is] not being given prioritization. Additionally, the allocation of budgets [has] been highly questionable, especially with the move of giving 14 [billion pesos] to the [Department] of Tourism in the midst of a worldwide pandemic highly discouraging travel. This money could have gone either to the health sector or most especially, the workers who, along with the frontliners, are most at risk during this crisis.

In terms of social issues, the government has adamantly focused on militarization rather than finding a medical solution. In most of his speeches, Duterte only mentioned the military, police, and possible penalties for violations, which are vague, rather than an active plan with the health sector in mind. The execution of the lockdown merely emphasized the said militarization and social distancing, which is elitist in current form as most of the less fortunate have no choice but to go to work in order to survive, and the government has shown little to no incentive to help them with social safety nets. The politicization and favoritism doesn’t help either with Isko Moreno having no backlash from the government for his allowance of e-tricycles, while Vico Sotto is condemned for doing so with regular tricycles. The latest move of Duterte’s grant for more power merely shows his goal for attaining more control in a crisis, rather than empowering the sectors that have the most to do with the crisis.”

Ambo*
1 AB COM

“I would say that the national government was over assuring yet underprepared. They kept on promising the people that the Philippines is ready—enough testing kits, enough budget for healthcare, and a laid out plan altogether. Right from the start, the government kept ignoring the warnings of other countries on how to tackle the threats of the coronavirus. It is quite obvious that the government is underprepared. Even when President Duterte announced the lockdown of Manila, the terms of the lockdown were not defined. He put more emphasis on placing armed military personnel in the streets than any medical provision or guideline.

Right now, the country is receiving test kits donations from Singapore, China, South Korea, and Japan. Health Secretary Duque said that the [persons under investigation] (PUIs) and symptomatic patients are to be prioritized in testing due to the limited number of test kits available. However, many public officials demanded to be tested in their own houses—not only themselves, but including their family members and staff. Some even want to be tested twice despite not showing symptoms nor being a PUI or [person under monitoring]. The steps the government is taking in tackling this national crisis are also leaving out the poor and the marginalized sectors, and neglecting the frontliners. With this poor management, I am afraid that the fight against COVID-19 will be longer and more disruptive than I thought.”

Colleen Creencia
Associate for Marketing, Ateneo Chemistry Society

“I think this government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by inaction and impersonality; inaction in that they refused to act when cases began popping up in nearby countries, and [impersonality] in that they are failing to help the most vulnerable and affected in our society with transport bans and poor distribution of resources.”

Jake Consing
Social-Political Response Coordinator, Sanggunian ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila

“I wish the government had acted sooner in anticipation of COVID-19, acquiring test kits and equipment sooner, as well as preparing facilities. The guidelines for the quarantine should have also accommodated those who rely on a small income to live, because their fears of not being able to sustain their families are justified. They’re also usually the ones more vulnerable, so sila rin dapat uunahin (so they should be prioritized). So I’m frustrated that politicians expect VIP treatment, when it should be symptomatic patients and the elderly first. It’s also disappointing that at the moment they’re focusing on allowing the emergency powers for the President, and asking local government units (LGUs) to fall in line even though these LGUs are already making extra effort to respond to the needs of their constituents.”

Gab*
2 BS LfSci

“The ongoing COVID-19 crisis does not only show a lack of necessary preparation for the different sectors expected to respond. It also shows how fragile our existing societal make-up is, and how fragile the marginalized are. 

Litong-lito na ang ating mga kababayan, at hindi klaro kung paano malalagpasan ang situwasyong ito. Aksiyon ang inaasahan at magpapakalma sa mga taong nahinto ang trabaho at frontliner na walang [personal protective equipment]. Kolaborasyon ng lipunan ang kailangan ngayon, hindi ang paglalaro sa kapangyarihan (Our citizens are confused, and it isn’t clear how we’ll surpass this situation. What people hope for is action that will calm those who had to stop working and frontliners who don’t have [personal protective equipment]. We need collaboration as a nation, not power plays). ”

Jb Bejarin
Vice President,  Sanggunian ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila

“As an advocate of the marginalized, I condemn the measures taken by the government as [a] response to COVID-19. The administration has been inefficient in containing the virus since the beginning, consequently leading the country to a lockdown which could have been prevented early on. This quarantine serves as a grave threat to many, most especially to those who belong in the lower class. The government failed to plan the lockdown accordingly to accommodate those who have inadequate financial capacity to prepare for this event. Many were not able to buy enough food and secure basic necessities that can last until the end of the extended community quarantine. 

Moreover, since the government suspended transportation services, people are now forced to walk long distances just to get to work and have a stable income for their families. Despite the risks of staying out, most of the citizens are left with no choice but to do so due to extreme poverty, leaving them with little to no food on the table. Other than that, the administration should acquire additional testing kits and make them available to all. It disheartens me that those who need it the most are deprived of the opportunity to get tested to give way to high-ranking officials and VIPs who are asymptomatic. Instead of prioritizing themselves first, the administration should keep their promise and serve the people, not the other way around. If the injustice and inequality continue, it can have severe long-term mental and physical effects on everyone that can terribly alter the way we would live the rest of our lives. While I acknowledge the steps that the government has already taken in response to this crisis, I believe that there is still a lot to be done.”

Jerika Nikole Famarin
Member Wellness Director, Tugon Ateneo

*Editor’s note: The names of these interviewees have been changed at their request in order to protect their identity and privacy.