ARE WE READY FOR THE WORST?
--- Hontiveros urges DOH to step up

In light of the Philippines having the first 2019 Novel Coronavirus death outside of China, Senator Risa Hontiveros stressed that the Department of Health (DOH) should be prepared for the worst case scenario.

"Handa ba tayo? We don't want our countrymen and women to panic. But we have to assure them and answer the most fundamental question: are we prepared for the worst?" Hontiveros asked during a hearing in the Senate on Monday.

The Senator also urged the DOH to implement a stronger community health surveillance system. "Kung hindi nagpa-check-up, hindi pa natin malalaman na may coronavirus na pala sa bansa?" asked Hontiveros referring to the 38-year old Chinese woman who is the first nCoV case in the country.

"Ang worry ko dito ay marami-rami na ring kaso ng mga kagaya ng ating first confirmed case. Pwedeng mamasyal pa kung saan-saan, at dumarami ang contact points," Hontiveros remarked. The first nCoV case in the country also reportedly traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete before she was diagnosed in Manila.

"Alam ba natin kung ilan na ang nakapasok sa bansa bago ang ating travel ban?" Hontiveros furthered.

The Senator urged the DOH to advise travelers from China who arrived in the Philippines in the past three weeks to report to local health authorities.

"Alamin natin kung ilan at nasaan na itong mga nakapasok bago ang lock down at travel ban, lalo na yung mga galing sa Tsina in the past 2-3 weeks, magkaroon ng mandatory reporting, i- monitor ang kanilang kalagayan at mabigyan ng angkop at sapat na healthcare interventions," she detailed.

"The Department of Health DOH needs to step up. Hindi mo masisisi ang ilan nating kababayang mag-alala kung hindi naman ka-level ng Japan ang healthcare system mo," she remarked. "We need to assure the public that we are prepared," Hontiveros concluded.

OPENING STATEMENT

Mr. Chair, I am in this hearing today not only as a legislator but as a concerned mother and a concerned citizen.

Bibihira lang ito mangyari, but I do genuinely welcome the President heeding the call to impose a China-wide temporary travel ban. I was one of the first to recommend it. Siguro sa usapin ng public health emergency and preparedness, we should all be on the same side.

Ang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit ako nanawagan ng temporary China-wide travel ban, Mr. Chair, is to give time to our local health authorities to properly set up safeguards in our health systems to effectively respond to 2019 nCoV.

Ngayon, nakakalungkot at nakakabahala at the same time na ang pinakaunang namatay sa nCoV sa labas ng Tsina ay nasa Pilipinas.

I think this hearing should boil down to one thing: handa na ba tayo? We don't want our countrymen and women to panic, that's why we have to assure them and answer the most fundamental question: are we prepared for the worst?

Mr. Chair, I'd like to go back kung paano tayo nagkaroon ng first confirmed case of nCoV in the country.

*May I please confirm these details with the DOH, she is a 38-yr-old Chinese woman, who traveled from Wuhan to Hong Kong on January 20 and arrived in Cebu on the 21st. Is this correct, Mr. Chair?

*Is it also correct that she was asymptomatic, ibig sabihin, walang sintomas: walang ubo, walang sipon, walang lagnat?

*Is it also correct that she travelled pa from Cebu to Dumaguete on the 22nd?

*Is it also correct that she spent three days in Dumaguete before flying to Manila on the 25th?

*And then January 30, 9 days after niya lumapag sa Pilipinas, she became the first confirmed case of nCoV in the Philippines. Is it also correct that she voluntarily went to the hospital to have herself checked? At iyon ang dahilan kung bakit siya naconfirm, tama ba?

*Ngayon, ang China-wide travel ban ay nitong Linggo, February 2. Ang worry ko dito Mr. Chair, ay marami rami na ring kaso ng mga kagaya ng ating first confirmed case. Pwedeng mamasyal pa kung saan-saan, dumadami ang contact points. Mr. Chair, alam ba natin kung ilan na ang nakapasok sa bansa simula nung nag-lockdown ang Wuhan noong January 23 at bago ang ating travel ban? Nakapag-report ba sila sa ating mga health authorities, alam na natin kung ilan at sino sa kanila ang may simtomas, at nasaan na sila sa bansa ngayon? Namomonitor ba natin sila?

*Ano'ng gagawin kapag ang isa sa mga travelers na ito ay magkasimtomas pero hindi magrereport?

*Paano kung may isang Pinoy, nagkaroon ng contact, at nagkaroon ng simtomas, pero dahil Pinoy tayo, takot tayo sa ospital at sa gastos at kung simpleng ubo, hindi naman automatic nagpapa-check-up. Handa ba ang DOH sa ganitong scenario?

Mr. Chair, nakakabahala ang mga ganitong sitwasyon at scenario. I am grateful to the hard work of our Department of Health, I am sure hindi pa kayo natutulog and on call 24/7, and the public would be grateful if a stringent community health surveillance be put in place right now.

Alamin natin kung ilan at nasaan na itong mga nakapasok bago ang lock down at travel ban, lalo na yung mga galing sa Tsina in the past 2-3 weeks, magkaroon ng mandatory reporting, imonitor ang kanilang kalagayan at mabigyan ng angkop at sapat na healthcare interventions.

May mga nagsasabi na huwag magpanic, Mr. Chair. Tama naman iyon. Pero hindi mo rin masisisi ang ilan nating kababayan kasi hindi naman ka-level ng Japan ang ating healthcare system. So, I really believe we really need to do all of these necessary precautions.

*Kaugnay nito, Mr. Chair. Sa ilalim ng RA 11332 o Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Disease, may dapat nakatalagang Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU) sa bawat LGU, health facilities, point of entries?

*Ilang ESU ang naitayo simula ng maipasa ang batas? Ilan ba ang target na maitayo? Ilan ditto ang functional?

*Lahat ba ng ating established ESU ay may kakayanan at handing tumugon kung sakaling magkaroon ng local outbreaks?

Mungkahi ko Mr. Chair na i-audit ang kasalukuyang bilang ng mga ESU at siguraduhing functional ang mga ito sa susunod na mga araw at linggo lalo na sa mga lugar na pinaglagian ng mga bisitang nanggaling at dumaan sa China at sa mga lugar na may confirmed cases ng nCoV.

*Kaugnay nito, gusto kong malaman mula sa DILG kung naihanda ba nito-policy guidelines, programs, plans-ang ating mga LGU sa kanilang mga responsibilidad sa ilalim ng RA 11332? May baseline ba ang DILG at DOH kung anong capacities ang kailangan ng mga LGU in relation to RA 11332?

*Mr. Chair, nitong Linggo, naglabas ang DILG ng memo upang gabayan ang ating mga local chief executives sa kanilang paghahanda sa mga lokalidad at komunidad. Gusto kong malaman kung may maasahan bang tulong o suportang pinansyal o teknikal ang ating mga LGU mula sa ating national government upang makatugon sa posibleng nCoV local outbreak?

Mahalaga para sa atin ang mga inter-LGU collaboration for public health emergencies and preparedness, gaya ng posibleng local outbreak ng nCoV, kaya minumungkahi ko na paigtingin ng DILG-DOH ang pagtutulungan upang makapag-abot ng assistance to our LGUs, lalo na iyong mga low-income.

*Noong nakaraang linggo, nanawagan ako ng full assistance para sa ating mga OFWs na mangagailangan ng tulong sa kanilang repatriation kung kinakailangan. Maari bang magbigay ng update ang ating DFA kung ano na ang plano at aasahan mula sa mga magbabalik bansa mula sa mga lugar na apektado ng nCoV outbreak? Ano ang ginagawang paghahanda para dito? Lalo na sa kanilang reintegration sa kanilang pamilya at komunidad?

*Sa mga maapektuhan nating kababayan na nasa bansa, may na-designate na bang mga public and private health facilities bilang point of care lalo na sa mga posibleng pasyenteng may preexisting conditions? Saan ang mga designated point of care? At kung may hinahanda bang benefit package ang PHILHEALTH para sa maapektuhan ng nCoV?

*Bilang bahagi ng entry point sa ating healthcare system, kumusta ang paghahanda ng ating mga private hospital sa posibilidad ng outbreak? What are the regulatory powers is the DOH exercising to ensure their cooperation and compliance with the standards and do we have a baseline on the capacities of private clinics and hospital?

*Mr. Chair, sa ibang usapin, na-convene ang Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (as provided for EO 168, s. 2014) nito lamang katapusan ng Enero. Tama po ba?

*Mula January 20, simula ng nagkaroon ng reported case ng nCoV sa ibang bansa at pagkakaroon ng person under investigation, medyo natagalan ang pagku-convene? Gusto ko malaman, what are the reasons for the delay? *Mr. Chair, matapos ang ating kinakaharap na public health emergency, nirerekomenda kong magpatawag ng pagdinig upang tingnan kung sapat pa ba ang kasalukuyang Task Force set up para health emergency responses o kailangan na nating pag-isipan ang isang public health emergency authority to harmonize policies programs, and plans in the exercise of effective leadership and efficient governance future health emergencies.

*Mr. Chair, mahalaga ito sa tingin ko bilang nitong nakaraang 2018, nagkaroon ng joint external evaluation to assess our international health regulation capacities. It recognized that the PHL has developed capabilities in public health emergency preparedness and response demonstrated at the national level and in the human health sector.

Ilan sa mga recommendations ay to develop over-arching national action plan for health security; designating an overall high-level, multi-sectoral body, with leadership from the health sector and set direction for continued implementation of national action plan; fostering institutional capacity of health sector to lead; and further optimize public health emergency preparedness and response action at regional and local levels.

*May we ask for an update on priority actions taken on these recommendations. If not now, may we request for a written update from the agencies concern and submit it to the body for consideration to aid us in crafting strategic national policy when it comes to public health emergency preparedness.

At this point Mr. Chair, I would like to commend our health professionals and frontline workers-from DOH, to the Epidemiological Bureau, to the Bureau of Quarantine, to our dedicated health workers in RITM and San Lazaro Hospital and others-for taking the lead in our defense against the 2019 novel coronavirus especially given the public demand and pressure.

Thank you for putting public's health and safety as your top priority.

Moving forward, I urge the DOH to ensure a fully functional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit in all local government units; to designate a public and private health facilities as point of care nationwide, especially for high risk groups; and to develop PHILHEALTH benefit package as part financial risk protection.

I would also expect our DILG to provide assistance local government units, specially lowincome, to effectively roll out collaborative preparedness and mitigation plans; and for concerned government agencies, such as DSWD and OWWA, to develop assistance to vulnerable groups like our OF.

Our experience in dealing with the 2019-nCoV showed the need to develop a strategic response and an overarching national action plan on public health emergencies and international health regulations and to institutionalize an authority/body, with the health sector as a lead, to harmonize policies, programs, and plans in the exercise of effective leadership and efficient governance of public health emergencies.

Once again, I join our health authorities in calling on the public to continue to frequently hand wash, avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infection, and practice cough etiquette.

Be safe, be well.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.