President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took the helm of the Philippines in the middle of a health crisis, the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The crisis caused problems that waylaid the programs of his predecessor, President Rodrigo Duterte.
While the threat of COVID-19 has been in decline, Filipinos expected Marcos to implement during his first 100 days programs and changes to bolster pandemic readiness and improve public health services in the Philippines.
IATF REMAINS
Hundred days after his inauguration, Marcos has yet to name a Health Secretary. While the position remains vacant, Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire has taken the lead in the Department of Health as officer-in-charge.
President Marcos has also decided to retain the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Disease (IATF). Duterte, previously, utilized the IATF to make policies in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marcos also decided to retain the COVID-19 alert level system, a mechanism that determines the restrictions in an area depending on several factors including the COVID-19 reproduction rate.
STATE OF CALAMITY EXTENDED UNTIL THE END OF 2022
President Marcos extended the declaration of a state of calamity throughout the Philippines until December 31, 2022. Proclamation No. 57, which the President signed on September 12, approved the recommendation made by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The proclamation allows national and local government units 'to continuously deliver COVID-19-related interventions, such as mass vaccination programs; assistance funds, including the Quick Response Fund; disaster preparedness and response efforts to contain the spread of the virus; price controls for basic necessities and prime commodities; and basic services for afflicted people.
"All government agencies and LGUs are enjoined to continue rendering full assistance to and cooperation with each other and mobilize the necessary resources to undertake, critical, urgent, and appropriate disaster response aid and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the threat of COVID-19," Proclamation No. 57 reads.
"All law enforcement agencies, with the support from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, are hereby directed to continue undertaking all necessary measures to ensure peace and order in affected areas, as may be necessary," the proclamation further states.
EASING OF FACE MASKS POLICY
While President Marcos decided to retain some policies and practices enforced by the previous Administration, he also chose to lift some of them. On September 12, President Marcos signed Executive Order No. 3 which allows the voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor spaces. The order meant that the general populace no longer has to wear face masks in open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation.
However, then-Press Sec. Trixie Cruz-Angeles explained that the order still encourages those who are not fully vaccinated, senior citizens, and immunocompromised individuals to continue wearing face masks. She also urged the public to continue physical distancing.
Marcos signed the order upon the recommendation of the IATF. Prior to the signing of the order, several local government units, including Negros Occidental and Cebu City, eased their policy regarding the wearing of face masks
PINAS LAKAS CAMPAIGN
On July 26, the DOH launched the 'Pinas Lakas' campaign to increase the number of individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot across the Philippines. DOH initially planned to reach 50 percent first booster coverage among the general population during the first 100 days of the Marcos Administration.
However, Vergeire announced on September 22 that DOH adjusted the target of the campaign to 30 percent for the first 100 days of the current Administration. As of October 4, DOH reported that 19,900,786 booster shots have been administered throughout the Philippines. The recipients include President Marcos, who received his booster jab on August 17 at SM City Manila.
President Marcos also revealed that he considers procuring new types of COVID-19 vaccines to protect the Filipino people against the Omicron subvariants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes respiratory illness.
