Lockdown: The Philippines’ Response to COVID-19
REPORTING FROM CEBU CITY, PH
On January 30, 2020, the Philippines Department of Health reported the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country with a 38-year-old female Chinese national. On March 7th, the first local transmission of the virus was confirmed.1 As of April 13th, the Philippines has reported 4,932 confirmed cases, 242 recoveries, and 315 deaths.2
The epicenter of the outbreak is situated in Metro Manila, the nation’s capital and home to about 12 million people. To try to contain the spread of the virus and flatten the curve, President Rodrigo Duterte declared an “enhanced quarantine” on March 15th to seal the city from all land, air, and sea travel. What was once the busiest city throughout the nation’s 7,641 islands has now become a ghost town as school, work, and public transport is suspended and residents are forced to stay at home.
The nation’s fifth-most populated city, Cebu City, isn’t immune. On March 13th, Mayor Edgardo Labella suspended classes for students in all levels and encouraged social distancing. In a matter of only 14 days, Cebu City went from a slow crawl to a screeching halt, as a month-long “enhanced community quarantine” was implemented. The city’s borders have been sealed, all public transport stopped, nonessential businesses closed, and families ordered to stay at home. Only one person per household may go out for groceries or other essentials, provided they have a government-issued pass to do so.
Afraid? Yes, we are afraid of the virus, but I think hunger and insanity will kill us first before we die from the virus
Many Filipinos fear death—not from catching the virus, but from hunger and anxiety. While social distancing is key in controlling the spread, for a nation made up of daily wage earners and large families cramped in one-room “homes,” staying indoors is nearly impossible. “My savings can only hold up for a week. I hope the groceries from the government are delivered. If not, we’ll have nothing to eat,” said one public transport driver. Another citizen was asked if he was afraid of catching coronavirus, to which he replied, “Afraid? Yes, we are afraid of the virus, but I think hunger and insanity will kill us first before we die from the virus.”3
1https://www.who.int/philippines/emergencies/covid-19-in-the-philippines, 2https://www.doh.gov.ph/2019-nCoV, 3https://www.vice.com/en_asia/article/m7qwbx/poor-filipinos-affected-coronavirus-lockdown, 4https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/255126-coronavirus-cases-philippines-maps-charts-data .