MARAWI CITY (PIA) – Vice Governor Mohammad Khalid ‘Mujam’ Adiong of Lanao del Sur cited the efforts of the provincial government to respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Adiong said the provincial government has implemented health safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus in the province.
“Since March 15, when the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was declared, we implemented curfew and health protocols, and established quarantine control points and checkpoints,” he said during the Laging Handa Network Briefing with Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.
The Vice Governor shared that the provincial government, through the Provincial Inter-Agency (PIATF) on COVID-19 has clustered its efforts to ensure that concerns from all the sectors are well responded.
Under the economic cluster, rolling stores and Market Convergence were established to ensure that residents of Lanao del Sur have access to basic commodities at affordable prices.
“Noong nag ECQ (enhanced community quarantine), medyo nahirapan sa pagtravel [Lanao del Sur residents] sa neighboring cities [to buy basic necessities], so ang ginawa ng provincial government ay nagkaroon ng rolling stores at kasunod nito ay market convergence kung saan ang aming mga kababayan ay dito po bibili sa itinayo naming market convergence sa pinakamababang presyo,” Adiong said.
[During ECQ, we had difficulty in traveling to neighboring cities so the provincial government set-up rolling stores followed by a market convergence where our ‘kababayans’ can buy at the lowest possible price.]
This move not only ensured the continuity of food supply but it also helped stabilized prices of prime commodities amid the community quarantine.
The provincial government also activated its Provincial Price Coordinating Council to monitor the implementation of the price freeze and the suggested retail price of prime commodities.
Moreover, it distributed vegetable seeds and farming tools to households and built seedling nurseries in the municipalities of Ditsaan Ramain and Masiu.
For the social welfare services, the provincial government conducted relief operations in the 39 municipalities of the province including the city of Marawi.
Adiong said they are now in the second wave of relief distribution.
For the health cluster, the provincial government established the Ligtas COVID Community Quarantine Facility in Marawi City.
The facility is now being used to accommodate asymptomatic patients who are mostly returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and locally stranded individuals (LSIs) that availed of the government’s Hatid Tulong program.
Aside from giving out personal protective equipment to frontliners, it also provided Php10 million fund support to Amai Pakpak Medical Center for the establishment of a biomolecular laboratory.
Recently, the provincial government organized a sweeper flight from Manila for Meranao LSIs and ROFs bringing home 129 residents. (APB/PIA ICIC)
