The Department of the Interior and Local Government XII (DILG XII) is urging the public to support the country’s frontline workers by imposing ‘self-restrictions’ as the country continues to battle COVID-19.

In a statement on August 3 during the regular Monday convocation, DILG XII Regional Director Josephine Cabrido-Leysa, CESO III urged the employees and the public to “act as if we are on ECQ”, despite the Region being under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) for quite sometime now.

As cases of Covid 19 surged especially in Metro Manila area, health workers publicly sought for a “time-out” to enable them to rest. Such a call became the basis for President Duterte to declare the MECQ in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Director Leysa encouraged the public to refrain from attending mass gatherings or public worships, visiting recreation facilities, salons and barbershops, or dining in restaurants, to help contain the spread of the disease.

She also called on citizens to do their transactions online, if it were feasible, to minimize or avoid face-to-face contact, and to always wear face masks when in public places.

During the early days of this month, President Rodrigo R. Duterte announced that he is placing NCR, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) following the medical sector’s appeal for the government to reimpose tighter movement restrictions around the metropolitan area which hosts around 13 million residents.

As of August 3, the Philippines has reached more than 100, 000 COVID-19 positive cases; 2, 000 of which have died while 65, 557 cases have recovered.

The Director then re-echoed her plea to all personnel and staff of the Regional Office, including those in the field offices, not to ‘relax’ or ‘drop their guards’ despite the negligible cases being recorded for the whole of Region XII.