BALANCING HEALTH & ECONOMY. Officials from the Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Visayas (OPAV) are earnestly convincing local officials to loosen the stringent protocols in order to create a balance between the need of health and economy. Photo shows key personalities (present in the event) making their appeal during the briefing at the Capitol among Bohol mayors, Bohol Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF) officials, and the DOH and OPAV representatives. in the photo are (from left): DOH regional director Dr. Jaime Bernadas, DOH-7 chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, OPAV Asec. Anthony Gerard Gonzales, and Gov. Arthur Yap (joining the briefing via Zoom). The DOH and OPAV officials are proposing the need to impose less stringent protocols to open Bohol’s borders and balance health and economy while maintaining vigilance against the Coronavirus disease (Covid). Photo courtesy of Primer

Tagbilaran City, Bohol – Gov. Arthur Yap orders BIATF to prepare an Emergency Operations Center as the need to harmonize national IATF and Local protocols is imminent. Yap appealed to all to consider the difficulties that everyday Boholanos suffer due to differing local LGU policies especially on the issue of quarantine periods. Yap was referring especially to Boholanos who are working outside of Bohol who want to come home just to see their families in these difficult times. “We must harmonize rules and make coming home more reasonable and practical for returning residents. It is so insensitive and heartless not to consider their need to come home to see their families,” according to the Governor.

Yap was responding to the situation when returning residents only have a few days they can take off from their work outside Bohol. With the present discordant policies on periods of quarantine, many Boholanos have had to forego coming home to visit their loved ones, give up calling in on the sick and even not being able to join important events like attending wakes and burials, due to inconsistent quarantine periods.

Thus, Governor Yap, issued an order to BIATF members during the consultative meeting held at the Provincial Capitol last Feb. 12, 2021 together with Bohol Mayors and their respective MHOs including the City Health Officer, representatives of DOH Region 7 led by Regional Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas and Asec. Anthony Gerard Gonzales of Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, to study the possibility of harmonizing policies in Bohol soonest. However, Yap has clearly said that no harmonization is possible if an Emergency Operations Center cannot be first established and strengthened to help address the needs of the LGUs when confronting the sudden spike of cases. An Operations Center will be needed to monitor, isolate and treat infected local residents as Bohol re-opens its doors to the return of more residents, Tourism and Business.

The EOC will be tasked to monitor all health and health-related events on a 24/7 basis, including all local events, mass gatherings, and other related events with potential impact to Bohol. The EOC will likewise monitor all implementation and response efforts, prepares timely reports as needed by the situation and properly disseminated to the Governor, Mayors and other concerned offices, and coordinate all health-related response efforts to major health emergencies. It will also facilitate the issuance of appropriate warnings to health facilities in anticipation of impending emergencies, coordinate and monitor the mobilization of technical experts and all types of medical teams needed in emergencies and coordinate and monitor the mobilization of all logistical requirements needed. It should utilize various information and communication technologies (ICT) in the dissemination of early warning and other appropriate information to stakeholders and the public and shall address public queries appropriately.

Bohol to balance health-economy

Regional health and presidential alter ego officials would want protocols loosened to balance safety and economy, but mayors and local health officers are presently cool to any changes in policies and quarantine periods standing pat on draconian policies that have so far given Bohol an impressive record of containing the spread of the virus in the province.

The Mayors and their MHOs, are especially concerned lately due to active COVID-19 cases in the province that have again risen as in the third quarter last year, with highly-populated Dauis and Ubay now having the most count.

For his part, Gov. Arthur Yap would like to be sure that whatever decision the local chief executives will make has to be based on science and must be realistic. “Our obligation and duty is not only focused on preventing people from getting sick, but also ensuring that our way of life is preserved. What is it to live, when life has become unbearable because our economy has shut down and people have no financial security anymore?” Yap asks.

Department of Health (DOH) Regional Office chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche and Asec. Anthony Gerard Gonzales of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) suggested lesser-stringent protocols during the mayors’ meeting and briefing with the Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) and city/municipal health officers ((C/MHOs) on Friday.

Loreche presented a thorough report on the profile of the coronavirus, giving the mayors and MHOs a wider understanding of how the virus works.

The regional DOH expert explained how local health protocols can be adjusted and reconciled with the national, giving chances to more Boholanos to come home and spend time with their loved ones, as well as re-opening the local economy.

But most mayors, initially expressed strong resistance to the suggestions brought out by the DOH. 

Uncompromising in the guidelines they have set in their LGUs, the mayors are inclined to keeping their protocols.

They said their municipalities do not have the same capability nor funding as the other richer LGUs.

Backed by their MHOs, local doctors also believed the 14-day quarantine and negative PCR test result should stay as the main, crucial requirement from anyone who wants to come home to Bohol. 

BOHOL SYSTEM LAUDED, BUT…

Gonzales lauded the effort of the province containing the virus by its stringent protocols to keep the cases at its least or minimum. 

“Nindot and inyong patakaran para i-contain ang COVID. Nindot ang inyong contact tracing, ang inyong isolation strategy, ang inyong containment strategy,” he praised.

But the deputy presidential assistant was also clear in “pleading” to balance health and economy. 

“It has to be balanced. It has to be both. It cannot be one or the other,” Gonzales said. 

He urged everyone to continue the containment, but also not be afraid to open up the economy of the province.

The OPAV official cited that “in Cebu, 80% of the businesses are now fully operational and yet there are 2000 active cases.”

As of yesterday, Bohol recorded 120 active cases after registering over 200 cases at one point last year.

Gonzales encouraged the mayors to open up Bohol to get the local economy up and running.

“The virus will always be there, we just have to learn to live with COVID,” he said while again challenging everyone to weigh health with economy.

OPEN UP WITH

RULE HARMONY

Yap expressed full support in opening up the borders and economy as he agreed on harmonizing local and national rules. 

This can make Bohol more conducive to returning residents, tourists, businessmen and APOR without endangering the local community while the viral threat stays.

The governor hoped to come up with adjustments that will make sense to everybody so that no one will be left behind.

“The rules should be sensible and nobody would say that the local government is making life difficult”, Yap said

He added, “We have to be fair to the returning OFWs, to the LSIs, to the APORs, and we have to be fair to the tourists.”

The Governor reiterated his want to make sure that any next step the local executives will take in agreement has to have scientific basis and be realistic. 

CAUTIOUS WILL

As long as there is balance, even if there are infections, Bohol has to let people come in, the governor said.

He asked: “What are we going to do to address the living and healthy? What are we going to do for our brothers and sisters who want to come home for two weeks to spend time with their families and must go back to work?”

“They need to come to rest and be with their loved ones.” said Yap who then asked the MHOs to take care of them and help balance safety and the economy.

The Capitol official lauded all for doing everything they could in keeping the province safe.

But he again said a lot of Boholanos outside the province need to come home to their families also.

“They cannot take all their time when you put them in quarantine facilities all because we are afraid. We cannot be afraid. We have to decide what we can do for them. We have to balance everything,” the governor said.

Initiates Marathon Consultation 

with C/MHOs, Mayors and BIATF Members

Yap assured he will consult the mayors and their health officers before issuing an executive order. 

On Monday, the Governor has set another meeting with C/MHOs, BIATF Medical Cluster and Mayors, and DOH-R7 to further discuss the policies to be implemented in line with the considerations aforementioned above. Yap wants to engaging Bohol’s Medical Community and Frontliners as well because all steps towards greater re-opening must be done without sacrificing public health, according to him.

He said, “I will give time to the City/Municipal Health Officers and the members of the BIATF Medical Cluster to throw questions to the representatives of DOH Region 7 so that all queries will be answered and all fears are allayed.”

The Mayors of Bohol will also be present and will have their own time to ask questions so that all will be on the same page. Yap added, “The marathon consultation will help the Local Chief Executive to have a better understanding before we come up with changes in the protocols which hopefully will be beneficial and fair for all.”

The mayors’ meeting with the DOH and OPAV officials was also joined by MGen. Melquiades Feliciano, National Task Force chief implementer for the Visayas, Vice Gov. Rene Relampagos, Provincial Administrator Kathyrin Fe Pioquinto, DILG-Bohol Dir. Jerome Gonzales, PNP provincial commander Col. Joselito Clarito and BIATF spokesperson Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez.