FULL TEXT: Duterte's address on 'enhanced community quarantine'

• Published date: 17 March 2020
• Publication title: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Presidential Communications Operations Office

Presidential News Desk

GUIDANCE OF

PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

DURING THE INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE MEETING ON THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)

I have to address our countrymen because they might minimize iyong contagion. They might just - paano-ano lang, palaboy-laboy lang. And the problem is they continue to go out, when our purpose is really to just maybe secure them in their homes so that they could not go out and transmit the disease.

Mahirap kasi itong COVID-19 is - even the mere contact of the skin and if you do not take the precautionary measures then you will get it and you will die.

Ang ano ko sa mga kababayan ko baka nga minamaliit ninyo 'yung problema at contact kayo nang contact and suddenly sabay-sabay itong puputok then we will have a problem. Talagang problema ito.

So whether or not it is severe or it is just a minor - maybe not as really as serious as the other medical crisis noon, we are put on notice that it is really dangerous for now. There's danger.

So kayo, if you want to test the waters and end up getting sick well… Kasi ang sinasabi namin huwag kayong lumabas muna ng bahay. I understand that the workers who are working in Manila or outside, in Manila residing outside but working inside, just the same you continue to spread the disease by saliva, contact and everything. So kung hindi kayo magtulong, medyo mahirapan tayo dito pagka baka sabay-sabay puputok 'to.

The problem is really economy. Iyong sanang mga malalaking enterprises dito, maybe you can consider paying the 13th month pay or just paying them maski kalahati sa sweldo nila kung walang trabaho as a way of showing your solidarity with the Filipino at this critical time.

Or food. Ito namang food si Rolly will have to go around iyong mga ano siguro, Rol, you utilize all vehicles of government available, just go around and maybe asking if there is somebody starving or in need of food. What I would like to assure you ang ano dito is: saan kami kukuha ng pagkain 'pag hindi kami lumalabas? Now, it behooves upon the barangay captain. Itong mga barangay captain makinig kayo, this is a mandatory duty, it does not have to have a law because the proclamation itself suggests that there is really a need for you to work with government. And if you violate this, then you can be liable for dereliction of duty or other [regulatory?] measures which you are supposed to do and do not do it and then you violate a law.

The barangay captains should call a number and at least food, rice and some - ano 'yung ulam pwede ninyong ibigay sana para sa ating mga kababayan.

Now, I have been assured by Ramon Ang mismo of San Miguel and the other food conglomerates that there will be sufficient food, that there will be no hunger in the coming weeks because we have enough supplies. I was assured in a text - I forgot who got. [Sino 'yung may text sa aide ko?] [Senator Christopher 'Bong' Go: Ako, sir.] Ah nandiyan sa iyo? Bong, pakibasa mo na, Bong. I would like to ask Senator Go to read the statement of Ramon Ang. [livestream cut]

I'd like to express my gratitude publicly to Mr. Ramon Ang for his good grasp of the problem. Nakuha niya. It's not a matter of food, it's not a matter of getting back your capital, it's not a matter of business. But it's a matter of helping one another.

Mukhang - it leaves a bad taste in the mouth but I'd like to mention the big companies 'yung maalaala ko lang. We have had our… I know that meron tayong undercurrent but that is not a personal one for you and for me, but it's one for the people. It was an issue of people's interest.

But I'd like to address 'yung mga mayayaman like, for example, well, ikaw Pangilinan and the Ayalas and sila Coson sa itong mga big companies, Robinsons, you might be able really to alleviate the situation by just understanding also the plight of the workers who are not working now and lawfully are not really in a position to demand.

But I said kayo na lang umiintindi, and if you try to help, kindly tumulong na lang kayo. I will designate somebody after this meeting because there will be changes in the structure. Hindi naman nagbago - hindi 'yung structure lang ng Task Force.

So with that, may I be allowed to just read my speech or my talk with the people of the Republic of the Philippines.

My dear countrymen,

As of 9 am, today, the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines has risen to 140, with a death toll of 12. Still low. It is a figure that is rising day by day. Beyond our borders, the whole world has been shaken by the spread of this disease. At first, it was China and the East Asian region, which is still in the midst of the crisis as we speak. But now, according to the World Health Organization, the epicenter has shifted to Europe.

Wala rin tayong magawa. Alam mo we want to do business, we want to make money, we want to move but there is no interaction now and there is no trade to speak of and there are no flights going out, in, and for you to do business. In other words, if you go there, you are alone and please understand that we are talking to you honestly and in good faith.

To address this crisis, I placed the entire country under a State of Public Health Emergency.

And that is why mayors now can go ahead and issue ordina - not really ordinances but executive orders to make the environment of their municipality more conducive to a healing process.

Hindi mo na kailangan nang mag-convene ka pa ng government, mga city council because with this public health emergency, you can ask the mayor responsible to execute the laws of the land, the ordinance plus the - the laws of the national government.

So hindi mo na kailangan dito na mag-ano pa, maghingi pa kayo, maghintay pa kayo ng… Because I've - I have read somewhere or maybe I've heard it in - over the ra - TV, radio, na 'yung ibang munisipyo naghihintay pa. With this emergency, hindi na po kailangan.

Just go ahead and the mayor will do it for us para walang is… Tsk. Tawag nito? Let me… Para wala masyadong ruckus, walang debate, isa lang - one line lang ngayon, mayor lang muna. And he can come up with any measure to...