Social Distancing? Yes. Social Solidarity? The better!

Social Distancing? Yes.
 Social Solidarity? The better!

(Or: For the need to support the labouring folk in the time of Corona)

Background

Ever since the public report of COVID-19 in China last January 2020, the Duterte regime has downplayed it for more than two months and allowed Chinese travelers to enter the Philippines, mostly as tourists, gamers, and employees of offshore gaming services. 

By initially downplaying this matter, it shows how Duterte is totally unprepared to deal with this pandemic, from few scores as admitted by the Health Department, no systematic testing and counting have been made due to a budget cut on health services as well as lack of personnel and resources. With this problem, the virus has spread nationwide, with reports coming from various towns and provinces about fatalities due to the virus. 

At present, an "enhanced community quarantine"  is announced by President Duterte and in effect on the midnight of March 17. This "community quarantine", obviously a lockdown, is a means to control, or restrain people in pursuit of controlling the situation caused by this virus outbreak. However, instead of mobilising health personnel and resources "taken pride" by the government, the regime instead treating it as a "peace and order" situation, mobilising the armed forces and the police followed by threats of arrests according to the authorities.

But despite this mobilisation, there shows a lack of public health personnel and resources over wide areas, there is no testing for COVID-19 at the community level, and even lack of kits despite government promise to distribute kits coming from both abroad and from the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Health, whom produced abit minimal some kits for COVID-19. Meanwhile, local pharmaceutical companies like United Laboratories (UNILAB) and Pasucal Laboratories Inc. are silent on this matter, despite issuing information regarding the outbreak and its precautionary measures, making local health care services dependent on imported medicines from India while waiting for possible vaccines contra COVID-19.

And to think that despite these situations, would say that it is unsurprising that the regime itself bears utter contempt on this matter. True that there is a need for control with all the necessary precautions, but with failure to mention on the need to deploy health workers at the community level, of concentrating the deployment of both police and military personnel, coupled with fresh memories of operations "tokhang" and other infamous police actions,  and lack of a concrete measures regarding COVID-19, it is unsurprising that the regime may weaponise the pandemic in order to intimidate and coerce the people in his orderist tendency. 

The need for an immediate support

Thus, in line with the recent note this person made regarding the government's response to COVID-19 virus, the people demand a seven-point action to control this virus outbreak.

These set of demands, based from the views of the folk through the "seven health demands" and other pleas for emergency assistance, expressed the lack of immediate support from the government and its foolhardy responses, as well as stating a much needed and community-based alternative to situation gone aggravated by interest.  Here as follows:

1.) Calling for an immediate medical aid instead of mere military/police action to control the situation. Checkpoints should be accompanied with medical support other than ensuring peace and order from entering-leaving the vicinity. Makeshift treatment facilities are also included.

2.) Ensuring both public and private workers and employees their occupational safety and health especially in government agencies of outmost importance, Business Process Outsourcing, and establishments related to food and medicine production/distribution, banks and remittance centres, and utilities (water, electricity, telecommunications). Financial assistance and mandatory paid sick leaves to those who can't work due to the pandemic.

3.) A free, massive COVID-19 testing kits and services to be undertaken (from quarantine to treatment of patients affected by the virus).

4.) Rechannel government funds particularly from the president's confidential and intelligence fund to the health sector, and in extension, social services.

5.) Price control for basic needs (food, medicine, utilities), moratorium on lease rentals, reprieve on utility bills.

6.) Immediate repairs for lines affecting utilities especially water distribution services, a sufficient water and electric supply to ensure people's needs.

7.) Support for local scientists and health workers, and in extension, cooperation between state, academe, and industry out of national interest to resolve this virus outbreak.