The country should first establish its own infectious disease hospital before it transitions to the "new normal," according to vice presidential candidate Willie Ong on Tuesday, amid calls to downgrade Metro Manila to Alert Level 1.
Ong said that while he supports the return of face-to-face interactions and the new normal, there should be safeguards in place to prevent another surge and lockdown.
"Bago tayo mag-face-to-face, mag-new normal, dapat tinatayo na 'yung infectious disease hospital at dapat nag-iimport na tayo ng mga libreng gamot sa COVID," he said.
(Before we go to face to face, to the new normal, we should be constructing an infectious disease hospital and we should be importing free medicine against COVID.)
"Just in case na mahawa yung anak natin, may ospital na pupuntahan, may doctor na titingin. Just in case mahawa tayo, meron tayong pupuntahan," he said.
(This is so just in case our children will get sick, we have a hospital to go to, and there will be doctors to assess them. And just in case we get sick, we have a place to go.)
According to Ong, health workers, including doctors and nurses, should also be given proper compensation so they are encouraged to stay in the Philippines.
"Kailangan nating magtayo ng mga ospital. Itong magagandang gamot sa COVID at iba pa na hindi pa binibili ng gobyerno, ako ang bibili … 'yan lang ang sa kalusugan," he said, as part of his promises should he get elected.
(We need to build more hospitals. These good medicines against COVID that are not yet purchased by the government, I will buy them … and that’s just for health.)
"Pag nagawa ko 'yan malaking bagay na 'yan," he added.
(If I accomplish that, that is already a big contribution.)
Ong, who is the running may of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, said that he is also looking into food security and safety if he wins in the national elections.
If elected vice president, Ong said it will be his role to support the president in his programs and to accept the president's orders to him.
"Siyempre bilang vice president, dapat susuporta tayo sa president, I think 'yun ang unang trabaho ng vice president, suportahan ang president, kung anong uutos sa kanya, kung ano ang kakulangan," he said.
(Of course as vice president, we should support the president. I think that’s the first duty of the vice president, to support the president, whatever his orders area, whatever the gaps are.)
