PCOO chief calls on Filipinos to unite as one nation to end COVID-19 pandemic
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY – Secretary Martin Andanar of the Presidential
Communications Operations Office (PCOO) called on the Filipino people from the
different parts of the country to unite as one with President Rodrigo Roa
Duterte and as one nation in the fight against the dreadful coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19).
"We heal as one as a nation. Let
us fight together and go with the direction of President Duterte so we could
altogether end this pandemic. We could not do this alone, we need all
your support and cooperation," he said.
In time with the secretary’s radio interview over Bombo Radyo Butuan’s
Bombo Hanay Bigtime program hosted by Rey Brangan, the communications chief
also appealed to the Caraganons and the Filipinos, in general, to continuously
give their support to President Duterte and his administration until he
finishes his term.
Secretary Andanar further emphasized that the
president still has a lot to be done and more developmental programs and
projects will be completed to give people an improved way of life.
In the fight against COVID-19, he stressed that the Filipino people
should not be complacent considering that the Delta variant is still recorded
in some parts of the country. "Whether you are in the remotest areas or in
other parts of the country, please be careful and take precautionary measures
against the spread of COVID-19 especially with this Delta variant," he
said.
With regard to the efforts
of the government in the fight against COVID-19, Sec. Andanar bared
that per the World Health Organization (WHO) the Philippines as a developing
country is really doing good. He consequently supported this by citing the
latest data in which there are already 38,000,000 million doses of vaccines
that have arrived in the country.
"In our fight against
the spread of COVID-19, the best thing to do is still to follow the health
protocols imposed by the World Health Organization and the Department of
Health. The government's vaccination program is also aimed to protect the
people from the dreadful virus," Andanar said.
According to the secretary, the
super-spreader Delta variant of COVID-19 has indeed disrupted the supposed
recovery of the economy not just in the Philippines but in the whole world.
“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has done his best in addressing all the
issues and concerns of the Filipino people. He continued to lead us the way for
the next 11 months until we could fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since his assumption in 2016 until the present, the president has been true to
his commitment to solve criminalities, including corruption, the poverty
incidence from 24% down to about 14%, but because of this pandemic and some
lockdowns, unfortunately, the level turns out high again. However, despite
these challenges, we still need to move forward and let us be one with the
president and as one nation because if we will not do this, nothing good will
happen to us," Andanar added. (JPG/VLG/DMR, PIA-Caraga)
