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Doria, Charles Jeff G. FCH 101

This document discusses the roles and responsibilities of different sectors in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. It states that President Duterte needs to show strong leadership and transparency to curb public anxiety. It also outlines the roles of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Department of Health, local governments, PhilHealth, healthcare workers, and communities in coordinating the response through information sharing, resource allocation, policy implementation, and addressing vulnerable groups' needs. The document concludes that without initiative and coordination across all sectors led by the President, the country's response will fail similarly to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

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Charles Doria
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72 views

Doria, Charles Jeff G. FCH 101

This document discusses the roles and responsibilities of different sectors in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. It states that President Duterte needs to show strong leadership and transparency to curb public anxiety. It also outlines the roles of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Department of Health, local governments, PhilHealth, healthcare workers, and communities in coordinating the response through information sharing, resource allocation, policy implementation, and addressing vulnerable groups' needs. The document concludes that without initiative and coordination across all sectors led by the President, the country's response will fail similarly to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

Uploaded by

Charles Doria
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Doria, Charles Jeff G.

FCH 101

Grief defined the year 1918 as the deadly Spanish flu spread across the globe and
claimed the lives of as many as 100 million people. Now, in 2020, we are once again reminded
of our mortality in the face of an unseen threat as nations race to contain the COVID-19
pandemic. Advances in medicine, public health, as well as in information and communication
technologies give us a better fighting chance in achieving the primary goal of saving as many
lives as possible and improving the quality of life of the vulnerable sectors during this health
crisis. Be that as it may, the success of minimizing the effects of the pandemic is ultimately
dictated by the ability of the government and its people to coordinate with each other in
mobilizing the country’s resources and services. Although countries may instate different
policies in managing COVID-19, there at least exists a standard set of responsibilities expected
to be fulfilled by different sectors of the society.

I believe that the COVID-19 response must be initiated by the highest appointed public
servant of the land. As the head of the state, President Rodrigo R. Duterte is yet to exhibit
exceptional leadership skills in this pandemic. He is expected to compensate for his lackluster
response by first, educating himself about the basics of the disease and infection coupled with
the understanding of crisis management to minimize human and economic losses. His main job
is to execute and expedite the policies geared towards ensuring that the national resources are
being used properly. I am a firm believer that transparency is the best way to curb the growing
anxiety of Filipinos during these trying times. Hence, it must be more than imperative for Duterte
to release accountability reports to reassure everyone that our efforts are not all for naught.

Management of the coordination between other government committees is entrusted to


the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in cooperation
with local government units (LGUs), the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth. The IATF
is expected to centralize all governmental efforts by facilitating the communication between all
departments. For instance, they are in-charge of relaying information between the Department
of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the release of subsidies and relief goods to different
sectors of society. The chair department of the IATF-EID is the DOH whose expected functions
include, but are not limited to, consolidation and reporting of COVID-19 epidemiology statistics,
regulation and certification of health facilities, development of apt policies for disease control
such as contact tracing and mass testing. Health care workers such as nurses, medical
technicians and doctors represent a valuable human resource who serve in the frontlines. The
regional and local enforcement of policies such as physical distancing as well as upstream
communication of new cases and other special concerns falls into the shoulders of LGUs.
Meanwhile, PhilHealth is expected to provide health subsidies for the underprivileged sectors of
the society who cannot afford the cost of diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.
The community and its people play a vital role in mobilizing resources and improving
crisis response. Proper engagement of the members of the community by providing them with
the necessary information and equipping them with supplies such as soap, masks, and PPEs
drastically increas their preparedness for the disease. For instance, common misconceptions on
the use of masks can be corrected by volunteer workers or health care workers since they are
respected members of the community. Focal persons may also encourage other people to
immediately report any signs or symptoms to local health care facilities for improved rate of
testing and tracing. Moreover, the special needs of the vulnerable members such as persons
with disability (PWDs), pregnant women, children and the elderly are addressed at the level of
the community if proper dialogue is initiated between the community leaders and their residents.

In conclusion, the governing agencies led by the President are expected to engage and
mobilize all sectors of the country to generate, transmit and consolidate accurate information
regarding resource availability as well as their health status for better policy-making and crisis
response. Without initiative and willpower from the leaders of the nation, the citizens are left in
the dark to fend off for themselves against an invisible enemy. If that ends up to be the case,
then our circumstances as Filipinos combating COVID-19 in 2020 are no less different from the
situation of victims of the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918.

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