DILG ORDERS CRACKDOWN ON PROTOCOL VIOLATORS

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has ordered a crackdown on violators of health and safety protocols on containing the spread of Covid-19 and urged local government units (LGUs) to lead the campaign.

DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya on Tuesday said the department issued a circular that also directed the LGUs to submit a list of areas in their jurisdictions where testing for Covid-19 needs to be conducted.

He urged the LGUs to each pass an ordinance penalizing the violators.

Malaya said the DILG deployed 180 policemen in Pasay City, reportedly experiencing a surge in virus cases, to enforce health and safety protocols to stop Covid-19 from fanning out.

On a positive note, the majority of adult Filipinos tend to use masks and face shields to avoid contracting Covid-19, while some only practice physical distancing and staying at home for the same reason.

Results of the academe-based Octa Research’s Tugon ng Masa (Answer of the Masses) national survey showed that 91 percent use masks, 90 percent regularly wash their hands and 82 percent wear face shields.

Seven out of 10 Filipinos, or 67 percent, observe physical distancing, while 60

percent said they stay at home to prevent the spread of the virus.

Twenty percent, or 2 out of 10 Filipinos, will consult a doctor when they are not feeling well, according to the survey.

It also showed that 89 percent regularly wear masks when going out of the house, 64 percent use face shields and masks and 68 percent regularly observe physical distancing when engaging with other people outside the house.

Nearly three-fourths of Filipinos said they have become close to family members during the pandemic while half of the respondents lost their job or source of income because of the pandemic.

Forty-six percent said their salaries have decreased during the health crisis.

Three out of 10 Filipinos, or 28 percent, said they have experienced emotional problems such as stress and extreme sadness during the pandemic, with adult Filipinos in Metro Manila having the highest number at 40 percent and class E the highest among socioeconomic classes at 35 percent.

The survey, which had 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above answering face-to-face questions nationwide, had a confidence level of 95 percent with a plus or minus 3 percent margin of error.