Mayor, Vice Mayor appeal for barangays’ best effort in COVID fight; Urges tighter protocol enforcement

Mayor Evelio Leonardia has appealed to the barangay captains and other officials of Bacolod to pledge their best effort in the campaign against COVID-19.
The appeal was made by the mayor during a virtual meeting of Task Force COVID, which he chairs, with the barangay captains and kagawads yesterday July 28.

The mayor also appealed for a tighter implementation of basic health protocols like proper wearing of face masks and social distancing in order to level up the fight against the COVID pandemic.

“Please inculcate in the hearts and minds of the people that what we are facing right now is not a joke. Implement tighter enforcement of basic health protocols regardless of politics because our lives are at stake,” Leonardia said.

He said that it is a necessity for barangay captains to undergo an updated orientation for them to see the bigger picture of our situation.
For his part, Vice mayor El Cid Familiaran, chair of Task Force Disiplina, appealed to the barangay officials to strengthen the implementation of the basic health protocols.
Under City Ordinance No. 926, effective August 1, 2020, any person caught not wearing the required face mask or not observing the mandatory social distancing shall be penalized with a fine of P200, or an equivalent of eight hours of community service for every violation.

Familiaran explained that the main purpose of the fines and penalties is to educate and discipline their constituents.

To better implement the basic health protocols, city and barangay officials should be helping each other, he added.

“Let us take this seriously. If we fail this time and will be placed again under ECQ, all of us will be affected and we will suffer,” Familiaran told the barangay officials.
Leonardia also asked the city council to make some revisions and amendments to the City Ordinance on social distancing and proper wearing of face masks to strengthen the roles of
the barangay officials on their implementation.

“The key here is for us not to allow the increase of our COVID cases. If there are confirmed cases in your area and that is under lockdown, you have to make sure that no one leaves the lockdown area,” mayor said.

“We never had a situation like this before and we also never had a chance to prove our leadership in a continuing crisis like this, but in our own conscience, we believe that it is our duty and responsibility to see to it that we can minimize, if we cannot completely contain, the coronavirus,” mayor said.

“Let us avoid any violation of the health protocols because it is one of the big factors that we all need,” the mayor added.

Joining the virtual meeting were Vice Mayor Familiaran, Councilor Cindy Rojas, Councilor Renecito Novero, Councilor Lady Gles Pallen, City Administrator Em Ang, City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Carmela Gensoli, DSSD head Pacita Tero, Executive Assistant George Zulueta, Lt. Col. Lester Leada of the Bacolod City Police Office, IATF spokesperson Dr. Grace Tan, and barangay captains and kagawads.* (City PIO)