TACLOBAN CITY – The national government has granted this city some PHP73.9 million to boost its response capabilities in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin said the city council has already approved the supplemental budget equivalent to its monthly revenue allotment.
“It is now with our executive department. We hope that this fund (would) be used immediately to address issues and concerns regarding the Covid-19,” Yaokasin said in a statement on Friday.
The Bayanihan grant to cities and towns from the national government will be solely used for Covid-19-related response, he said.
This includes the purchase of personal protective equipment, vitamins and medicines, hospital equipment, disinfecting supplies, and expenses for food, transportation, and accommodation of medical front-liners and other local personnel involved in the Covid-19 fight.
Yaokasin said it could be used as well to augment the city’s calamity fund, purchase relief goods for affected households, and establish isolation facilities for suspected and probable carriers, stand-alone or mobile testing laboratory, temporary shelter for the homeless, and other Covid-19-related expenses.
The financial grant was sourced from discontinued projects of some government agencies under Republic Act 11465, or the 2020 General Appropriations Fund, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Meanwhile, to protect its borders from the highly contagious disease, the city has intensified its movement restrictions until April 28.
Tacloban City, home to about 250,000 people and the major commercial district of Eastern Visayas, remains free from Covid-19, according to the Department of Health.
The Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center here, the region’s referral hospital for coronavirus patients, caters to confirmed cases from other provinces.
As of Wednesday, the city had nine suspected carriers of the virus – five were in the hospital and four were on strict home isolation. (PNA)
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