Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Tuesday acknowledged the delicate balance the local government here has to employ in Covid-19 response while under enhanced community quarantine and on Alert Level 4 in terms of its health care system status.
Andanar, responding to questions over Magnum Radio, said this city is a “very unique case” because it is the melting pot in Region 10 where Northern Mindanao commerce passes through.
“The mayor (Oscar Moreno) has a tough job and decisions to make. It’s not easy to become the mayor in the city because whatever decision he makes affect not only Cagayan de Oro City but the entire province and the entire Northern Mindanao as well,” he said.
Moreno, in another online press briefing, said he was thankful that Andanar sees how the local government is responding to the pandemic.
“At least, Secretary Andanar saw the complexity (of the situation), while others only see things that they want to criticize,” he said.
As of Monday, Cagayan de Oro still has 2,146 active Covid-19 cases.
Andanar also shared the World Health Organization’s (WHO) observation that the Philippines, in general, is “doing the right thing” in managing Covid-19 cases.
“We have managed to maintain a low mortality rate of Covid-19, so we are doing the right thing,” he said.
Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO representative to the Philippines, said in a television interview last month that based on income capacity, population size, and topographical challenges, the number of Covid-19 fatalities is “comparatively lower than many other countries” despite its “very limited capacities”.
Of 1,676,156 infections since March last year, a total of 29,220 have died, or 1.74 percent of total cases, as of Tuesday.
Source: Philippines News Agency