A provincial government official admits that the doctors’ group was not consulted prior to the signing and release of the latest executive order (EO) of Gov. Arthur Yap further loosening the entry protocol for every person who wishes to enter the province.
Despite the lack of consultation with the doctors regarding the new set of protocol, the provincial government went on to implement the new EO immediately after the governor signed it.
During the regular virtual press conference on Friday, March 5, 2021, Provincial Administrator Kathyrin Pioquinto said that the provincial government was unable to discuss the latest EO with the doctors before the new set of protocol was implemented.
“Honestly, we had no official consultation with them [the doctors],” she told The Bohol Tribune.
She added that the significant differences between EO 12 and EO 17 are the removal of the rapid antigen testing protocol, and the need for repeat testing for those already with negative Covid test results prior to their arrival in Bohol.
On March 3, 2021, Gov. Arthur Yap signed EO 17 series of 2021, which laid down the new entry protocol essentially removing the need for the entry documents such as the medical certificate and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Covid shield clearance and the need for a repeat polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test if a person entering Bohol has tested negative prior to arrival. The EO provides a person options to take the test upon arrival in Bohol.
The new EO, however, retains the need to secure a letter of confirmation from the receiving local government unit for monitoring and contact tracing purposes.
The full text of EO 17 series of 2021 is published on page 3 of the main section of The Bohol Tribune.
“With respect to the doctors, we have been talking to them, pero kalit man nigawas [ang EO] prior to any consultation [with the doctors],” Pioquinto said.
She explained, “Gov. Art signed Executive Order No. 12, which was actually crafted pursuant to the guidelines issued by the DOH [Department of Health] Region 7, so there were series of consultations for two weeks, then nag issue si Gov. and signed [EO 12] some time on Feb. 19. Then, na-preempt ang implementation niya [EO 12] kay nigawas ang IATF [Inter Agency Task Force] resolution 101,atong Feb. 26, ug na news na sya online ug daghan ang nangutana on Feb. 27. So karon, naay quandary ang mga mayors and yes we have been discussing sa among Viber group nga kinahanglan nga reconcile na dayon para ma-uniform na ang application [of protocol] sa IATF ug dinhi sa Bohol. So that is the story behind it.”
Based on the explanation, it was the need to reconcile the local protocols with the IATF‘s that prompted the governor to sign EO 17, even without consulting the doctors here in the province first.
The Bohol Tribune reached out to Dr. Jefferson Ong, president of the Bohol Medical Society (BMS) to ask whether or not the doctors were consulted prior to the signing of EO 17.
In the telephone interview yesterday afternoon, Ong said he and the members of his organization were not consulted prior to the signing of EO 17.
“Wala gyud mga formal meetings [about the latest EO],” Ong revealed.
The head of the BMS maintained that this is not the right time to loosen the protocol and the protocol implemented during the early days of the pandemic should remain in order to prevent any possible surge in cases.
“Kadtong protocols nga gipagawas nato sa una kwan gyud to sya we really stand by it as the minimum gyud. So kaning recent nga pag strip down sa mga quarantine protocol, testing protocol ug uban pa, these are due to economic pressure,” Ong told The Bohol Tribune.
He added that the loosening of the protocol is premature and something that should not be done at this point in time.
He urged the authorities to hold on to the old protocol a little longer and to loosen only when it is already safe to do so.
In the same interview, he also questioned the readiness of the province to handle surges in cases and the readiness of the emergency operations center if cases Covid positive people increase in number.
There are no real preparations prior to the implementation of loosened entry and testing protocol, he added.
“Honestly, in my point of view, wala gyud koy nakita and I think all the other doctors will agree with me nga wala gyud nakita nga muingon ta nga extra effort to prepare the province in case naay surge [of cases],” Ong said.