DILG-NCR 2020 Annual Report

OCnOVID-19 RESPONSE GRIT AND RESILIENCE 2020 DILG NCR Accomplishment Report



TABLEOFCONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE v 01 PREVENT REGIONAL DIRECTOR 11 DETECT 23 ISOLATE ACRONYMS vii 29 REINTEGRATE THE PDITR STRATEGY ix 35 OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE 41 ANNEX



MESSAGEFROMTHEREGIONAL DIRECTOR 2020 was—in the words of the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres— a “year of trials, tragedies and tears”. Today, there is still more to be learned about the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We are not out of the woods yet, but we at Department of the Interior and Local Government-NCR (DILG- NCR) take solace in the grit and resilience of our frontliners---including the frontliners in the delivery of public service—for forging ahead. As NCR’s lead agency in the Regional Task Force COVID-19’s Governance Cluster, DILG-NCR—along with the 17 local government units (LGUs) and DILG field offices in the metropolis —is eternally grateful to the men and women working in our hospitals, health centers, isolation units, quarantine centers at the height of a pandemic. These include our doctors and nurses, surveillance officers, contact tracers, data encoders, barangay health emergency response teams as well as local chief executives themselves who courageously do the rounds of their barangays to see what else can be done. As an attestation of our gratitude, we tried, in our own small way, to capture their exemplary contributions through our publication of #We Heal As One: NCR LGUs’ Solutions to Beat COVID-19 and Tales from the Frontlines: Heroic Acts Amid the Pandemic. This year, we also saw Coordinated Operations to Defeat the Epidemic (CODE) Teams, which are composed of key national government officials, going down to each LGU and engaging in dialogues with our local chief executives to find solutions to issues arising from the pandemic. Meanwhile, we at DILG-NCR continue to bring our performance one notch higher by ascertaining that our decisions are data driven. This explains why, as this report attests, we have relied on technology and innovation, and process improvements in all our programs. Such agility, innovation, collaboration, and cooperation among NCR LGUs, DILG field offices, and national government agencies are what governance in times of a crisis is all about. We may have missteps along the way, but with such broad-based participation, we are resolved to learn, rinse and repeat, and eventually become better versions of our pre-pandemic selves as institutions. Maria Lourdes L. Agustin, CESO III



ACRONYMS CODE Coordinated Operations to Defeat the Epidemic COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 DepEd Department of Education DICT Department of Information and Communications Technology DOH Department of Health DSWD Department of Social Welfare and Development ECQ Enhanced Community Quarantine EOC Emergency Operations Center FASSSTER Feasibility Analysis of Syndromic Surveillance using Spatio-Temporal Epidemiological Modeler for Early Detection of Diseases GCQ General Community Quarantine IATF Inter-agency Task Force IATF- EID IATF for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases IATF-ICT IATF Sub-Technical Working Group on Information and Communications Technologies Solutions KIRA Katuwang na Impormasyon para sa Responsableng Aksyon LGCDD Local Government Capacity Development Division LGU Local government unit LSIs locally stranded individuals MDMS Management of the Dead Monitoring System MECQ Modified enhanced community quarantine MMDA Metropolitan Manila Development Authority PDITR Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat, and Reintegrate ROFs Returning overseas Filipinos RRP-NCR Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan for the NCR



The PDITR STRATEGY This report tackles the Department of the Interior and Local A. The Regional Inter-Agency Task Force Government-National Capital Region’s (DILG-NCR) contribution to the country’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 As the new strain of coronavirus was spreading to more countries in (COVID-19) in 2020 based on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the first months of 2020, the Philippine government convened the the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) Inter-agency Task Force (IATF)—the body created in 2014 to ensure National Action Plan strategy. efficient government response in assessing, monitoring, containing, controling, and preventing the spread of any potential epidemic. Called the Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat, and Reintegrate (PDITR) strategy, the IATF’s game plan refocused on risk mitigation to The IATF then prescribed the creation of its regional counterparts—- help the Philippines move toward the New Normal—a strategy the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force—with the respective regional that aimed to strike a balance between responding to the directors of the DILG as chair and Department of Health (DOH) as COVID-19 pandemic and restoring the economy. co-chair. In line with the directions of the 2020 National Action Plan, the PDITR strategy by the end of the year had prevention and containment as its main components. The DILG-NCR’s involvement in the nation’s fight to end the pandemic is largely hinged on its role in two groups: The regional counterpart of the IATF called the Regional Inter- Agency Task Force and the Regional Task Force COVID-19–NCR.

TIMELINE The Regional Inter-agency Task Force in the NCR is currently composed of the following agencies: Chair: DILG-National Capital Region Co-Chair: DOH-Metro Manila Center for Health Development December 2019 January 30, 2020 Members: Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) A cluster of pneumonia cases of The World Health Organization Office of Civil Defense–NCR (OCD-NCR) unknown etiology was reported in the declared the Novel Coronavirus NCR Police Office (NCRPO) Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a Department of Labor and Employment–NCR (DOLE-NCR) Province of Hubei, China, particularly Public Health Emergency of Department of Trade and Industry–NCR (DTI-NCR) in the city of Wuhan. The outbreak was International Concern. It was Department of Social Welfare and Development–NCR (DSWD-NCR) later determined to be caused by a new subsequently declared as a Department of Education–NCR (DepEd-NCR) strain (SARS-CoV-2) of coronavirus not pandemic. Department of Tourism–NCR (DOT-NCR) Department of Environment and Natural Resources–NCR (DENR-NCR) previously identified in humans. March 7, 2020 Department of Budget and Management–NCR (DBM-NCR) Joint Task Force–NCR (JTF-NCR) January 29, 2020 The DOH announced its first Coast Guard District NCR–Central Luzon (CGDNCR-CL) case of local transmission in The Philippines reported its first the country. Department of Transportation (DOTr, represented by the Assistant confirmed case of COVID-19 (i.e., Secretary for Special Concerns) a foreigner with travel history to March 16, 2020 Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT, Wuhan, China). The entire Luzon was placed represented by the Infostructure Management Bureau) under enhanced community March 8, 2020 quarantine to prevent the Department of Energy (DOE, represented by the Energy Policy and spread of COVID-19. Planning Bureau) President Rodrigo Duterte declared a State of Public Health Emergency Department of Justice (DOJ, represented by the DOJ Senior State throughout the entire Philippines. Counsel) March 27, 2020 Also formed was the Regional Task Force on COVID-19, which serves as the operation command in each region. Through IATF Resolution No. 16, s. 2020, the Regional Task Force COVID-19 and the Local Task Force COVID-19 organizational structures were approved and adopted.

B. Regional Task Force COVID-19–NCR The Regional Task Force COVID-19–NCR Organizational Structure Based on the National Action Plan Phase II Framework for the period Chairperson:   Danilo DL Lim July to September 2020, the Regional Task Force COVID-19–NCR is Vice-chairperson: RD Maria Lourdes L. Agustin assigned to ensure the following: DILG-NCR • Contain and manage emerging new cases; RD Romulo M. Cabantac, Jr • Sustain the gains and continuing capacity-building and OCD-NC. resiliency (health and economy); RD Corazon Flores • Rebalance health and economic objectives using the Hammer- Health Cluster (MMCHD) and-Dance Theory; RD Maria Lourdes L Agustin • Localize the response – Lead with people’s support and Governance Cluster (DILG-NCR) vigilance; PMGen Debold M. Sinas • Keep the fatality rate low, including non-COVID-19 cases. Law and Order Cluster (NCRPO) In the NCR, the Regional Task Force COVID-19 is led by the chair of Dir Michael M. Gison the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), with the Economy Cluster (MMDA) DILG-NCR regional director and Office of Civil Defense-NCR director as vice-chairpersons. RD Romulo M. Cabantac Jr. Logistics Cluster (OCD-NCR) The region’s task force has eight response clusters, as prescribed by the IATF. Below are the clusters with some of their key functions. RD Vicente Gregorio B. Tomas Food and Non-Food Item Cluster (DSWD-NCR) 1. HEALTH CLUSTER - led by DOH-NCR /Metro Manila Center for Health Development RD Maria Lourdes L. Agustin • Ensure implementation of standards of care, infection Management of the Dead Cluster (DILG-NCR) prevention and control procedures • Ensure the physical, mental, psychosocial well-being of the RD Susan de Leon affected population including the health workers and other Crisis Communications Cluster (PIA-NCR) frontliners • Set up additional isolation, emergency treatment units and alternative shelters for the COVID positive patients, PUIs and PUMs IMT: BGen Alfredo Andres Vice-Chairperson for Response MMDA RD Vicente Gregorio B. Tomas IOC: RD Romulo M. Cabantac, Jr. DSWD-NCR OCD-NCR

2. GOVERNANCE CLUSTER - led by DILG-NCR • Identify and secure facilities and locations for isolation and • Ensure operational functionality and continuity of all public quarantine offices that provide essential services • Coordinate the need for funding support for continuity of 7. MANAGEMENT OF THE DEAD CLUSTER - by DILG NCR public services • Undertake proper disposal of the dead • Establish network with non-government stakeholders to • Provide psychosocial services to bereaved families ensure continuity of public services • Provide capabilities for funeral parlors on management of • Monitor activation of business continuity plans of organizations dead bodies that contribute to the delivery to essential public services 8. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS CLUSTER – by PIA-NCR 3. LAW AND ORDER CLUSTER - led by NCRPO • Lead the coordination of communication arms of public and • Maintenance of law and order private offices • Ensure strict enforcement of the Quarantine Act (RA 9271) and • Disseminate appropriate, accurate, and timely messages other relevant laws utilizing all available platforms • Implement crowd control measures • Address local “fake news” and other falsified information • Provide border closures, as needed The IATF also prescribes the organizational structure of the Local 4. ECONOMY CLUSTER -  led by MMDA Task Force at the local government unit (LGU) level. Both the regional • Ensure supply allocation and price control/freeze and local task forces share the same roles and responsibilities, which • Activate and monitor business continuity plans are expected to align with the objectives of the national task force. • Provide timely recommendations to protect the economic The local task force also consists of eight response clusters. interest 5. FOOD AND NON-FOOD ITEMS CLUSTER -  led by DSWD-NCR • Provide emergency relief (food and non-food items) to families in areas under community quarantine, if necessary • Ensure continuous and sufficient production and supply of food and essential non-food items 6. LOGISTICS CLUSTER - led by OCD-NCR • Ensure availability of resources, supplies, and facilities for all clusters • Facilitate emergency procurement processes • Consolidate and account all donations and assistance and report the same to the next higher task force

2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT 1 PREVStrEatNegTy

SERVING AS CONDUIT BETWEEN LGUs AND IATF GROUP ON ICT SYSTEMS As head of the Regional Task Force COVID 19–NCR Governance directors. Prior to the orientation, the systems were pilot tested in Cluster, DILG-NCR attends the weekly cadence meeting with the IATF Quezon City. Sub-Technical Working Group on Information and Communications Technologies Solutions (IATF-ICT) to receive updates on some of the For the IATF-ICT, the end goal is to harmonize its systems with IATF technology-driven solutions to issues brought by the pandemic. existing systems in the LGUs so as to make information exchange seamless. An interoperable system can help LGUs reach data-driven In the early months of 2020, not much was still known about the decisions, such as when to implement an enhanced community new coronavirus strain and the illness called COVID-19. For instance, quarantine or where to prioritize mass testing efforts. some of the signs of COVID-19 and the common flu were similar that most households were unsure of their next steps when experiencing The IATF-ICT is chaired by DICT and have the Department of Health symptoms. (DOH), Department of Science and Technology, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Anti-Red Tape Authority, One way to help the public take appropriate action at the onset of Department of Education (DepEd) and National Privacy Commission symptoms is by offering digital solutions that are easily accessible or as members. free. Among the IATF-ICT’s technical solutions that aim to monitor 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT and contain COVID-19 cases are Tanod COVID, KIRA KontraCOVID, StaySafe, and FASSSTER (See sidebar). As and when ICT deployment becomes ready, DILG-NCR serves as the conduit between the NCR LGUs and the ICT Group and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) consultants. This includes, on one end, initiating virtual briefings to familiarize LGU functionaries on IATF online systems and, on the other end, arranging consultative meetings between local chief executives and IT leads and their teams for the possible adoption and migration of LGU-initiated systems application to the IATF systems. For instance, the virtual briefing on August 25, 2020 introduced the four IATF systems to attendees consisting of the city mayor and administrators, city health officials, IT officials, and DILG-NCR city 2

TOOLS IN THE IATF COVID-19 ARCHITECTURE 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT Tanod COVID, launched by the IATF sub-technical working group in April 2020, offers Filipinos a way to report their symptoms to their local government unit via text messaging. Tanod COVID, thus is the official SMS channel for citizen reporting in the IATF unified COVID-19 architecture. This SMS tool is also one of the features of the Feasibility Analysis of Syndromic Surveillance using Spatio-Temporal Epidemiological Modeler for Early Detection of Diseases (FASSSTER), a platform originally developed to predict and visualize possible scenarios of outbreaks of dengue, typhoid fever, and measles and now, of COVID-19. FASSSTER was developed by the DOH, Department of Science and Technology– Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, and the Ateneo de Manila University. An alternative citizen reporting platform is KIRA (Katuwang na Impormasyon para sa Responsableng Aksyon) KontraCOVID, a chatbot on FB Messenger, Viber, or the contracovid.ph website that helps household members self-assess their symptoms. Both KIRA and Tanod COVID are aimed to also help LGUs monitor cases in their localities. Another option available in DOH’s toolkit even prior to the pandemic is telemedicine. Given the travel restrictions during the lockdown, the IATF revisited the significance of online consultation, particularly in terms of continuous healthcare while decongesting hospitals of face-to-face consultations. Recent discussions on telemedicine have focused on how to scale up the telemedicine capacity for COVID-19 response. Finally, in April 2020, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Multisys Technologies Corporation, adopting the StaySafe.Ph application as the country’s official contact tracing, health condition reporting, and social distancing system. StaySafe.ph is designed to engage its users to take steps against the spread of COVID-19 (by including reminders on health protocols) and to aggregate all reports available in desktop and mobile versions. It is being developed by Multisys Technologies Corp in collaboration with PLDT-Smart Group and PLDT Enterprise and the IATF for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF- EID), and National Task Force Against COVID-19. It is expected to be rolled out in 2021. 3

2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT CODE TEAMS VISIT LGUs, DIALOGUE ON SOLUTIONS 4 On August 29, 2020, the Coordinated Operations to Defeat the Epidemic (CODE) Team in the NCR commenced its series of LGU visits, with the city of Quezon as the first stop. These visits aim to help national government agencies understand where they can support each of the region’s LGUs in COVID-19 response activities. Photo credit: DA Communications Group

Date CORE TEAM visitors1 LGU August 29, Secretary of Health Francisco Duque III, Bases Conversion Quezon City 2020 and Development Authority (BCDA) and testing czar Secretary Vivencio Dizon, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Danilo Lim, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje, DILG Undersecretary Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri, and Assistant Secretary Manuel Felix August 29, MMDA Chair Danilo Lim, Department of Health Municipality of 2020 (DOH) Undersecretary Dr. Gerardo Bayugo, DSWD Pateros Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje, DILG Assistant Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte presented Secretary for Peace and Order Manuel Felix, and MMDA the city’s best practices against COVID-19 Public Safety Office and Disaster Risk Reduction and during the visit of the CODE Team led by Management Head Michael Salalima. DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III. September Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases Valenzuela City 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT Photo credit: @QCgov, official Twitter account of the 1, 2020 (IATF-EID) Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr., BCDA San Juan City Quezon City Government. Chief and testing czar Vivencio Dizon, Dr. Queenie Dyan Muntinlupa City September Raagas of the DOH, and Department of Science and From planning to the actual conduct of visits, the respective DILG-NCR 3, 2020 Technology-NCR Regional Director Jose Patalinjug III. Pasay City field offices assisted and coordinated with LGUs and the visiting teams as well as documented the relevant issues raised during the meetings. September DOH Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo, DSWD Las Piñas City 4, 2020 Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje, Special Adviser to Each CODE visiting team consisted of a different set of national National Task Force Against COVID-19 Dr. Teodoro government officials. In Quezon City, for instance, the CODE Team was September Herbosa, DOH-NCR Regional Director Dr. Corazon led by Secretary of Health Francisco Duque III. With him were Bases 5, 2020 Flores, and Robin Lim of the DILG Central Office Disaster Conversion and Development Authority and Testing Czar Secretary Information Coordinating Center. Vivencio Dizon, MMDA Chair Danilo Lim, Department of Social Welfare September and Development Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje, DILG Undersecretary 7, 2020 Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri, and Assistant Secretary Manuel Felix. Tugade and BCDA Chief and Testing Czar Vivencio Dizon, DOH Undersecretary Leopoldo De Vega, DILG Assistant Meanwhile, the visit to Caloocan City was led by Defense Secretary Secretary Francisco Cruz, and key officials from the DOH, Delfin Lorenzana; to Malabon, by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III; DOTr, DSWD, and Joint Task Force-NCR and to Valenzuela City, by IATF-EID Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and DILG These meetings provided an opportunity for LGUs to discuss their Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III, Special Adviser situations and PDITR initiatives as well as for the CODE team to share on National Task Force Against COVID-19 Dr. Teodoro COVID-19 response best practices in other cities. In some visits, the J. Herbosa, DSWD Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje, DOH agenda included an oath-taking ceremony with Barangay Disiplina Assistant Secretary Maria Francia Laxamana, and DOH Brigades volunteers, which is a component of the “BIDA ang May Director Maria Paz Corrales Disiplina: Solusyon sa COVID-19” national campaign. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar, DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain, DILG Undersecretary Marjorie Jalosjos, Dr. Faith F. Alberto of the DOH, Dr. Eleanor Galvez of the National Task Force – National Incident Command, Dr. Paz Corrales of DOH- NCR, Michael Salalima of the MMDA, and representatives from the DSWD, Philippine National Police, and Philippine Navy 1  The above is not meant to be an exhaustive list. The CODE Team also visited other cities in the NCR 5 such as Caloocan City and Malabon.

Source: Philippine Information Agency Source: DILG Philippines Facebook Page. 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT TOWARD A STRONGER ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN: DILG’S MAY DISIPLINA JOINS DOH’S BIDA SOLUSYON In mid-August of 2020, the DILG and the DOH launched their the DILG-NCR Facebook Page. Photos from the activity were also national campaign called “BIDA ang May Disiplina: Solusyon sa uploaded on the DILG-Marikina Facebook Page. COVID-19” in Marikina City. Meanwhile, the virtual launch of the campaign on September 2 The preparatory work for the launch, which also included an oath- was led by Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso, one of the original taking ceremony for Barangay Disiplina Brigade volunteers, was ambassadors of DILG’s May Disiplina Muna campaign. His presence facilitated by the DILG-NCR and its field office in Marikina City. in the online event and in DILG’s “Kwentong Lokal” show in DZMM To create traction for the event, the launch was streamed live on Teleradyo was coordinated with the DILG Manila field office. 6

The DILG-NCR participates regularly in the campaign’s preparatory The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas counts among the 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT meetings to provide direction and information on the next steps of the private sector organizations that lent their expertise and resources campaign. to the DILG–DOH initiative. Meanwhile, joining celebrity Alden Richards—the DOH’s original Bida ang May Disiplina is an amalgamation of two existing programs: BIDA Solusyon Ambassador—as Bida ang May Disiplina ambassador The DILG-initiated “Disiplina Muna” campaign and the DOH-led are public personalities Diether Ocampo, James Deakin, Paolo “BIDA Solusyon sa COVID-19”. Bediones, Regine Tolentino, and Jiggy Manicad. From the local chief executives, Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong, The DILG’s Disiplina Muna national advocacy campaign, first Dipolog City Mayor Darel Dexter Uy, and Ormoc City Mayor Richard launched in the city of Manila on November 6, 2019, was originally Gomez—along with Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso—count applied to issues such as road clearing, listo sa sakuna (disaster among the key advocates of the campaign. preparedness), anti-smoking, ease of doing business, liquor ban, The Barangay Disiplina Brigade, on the other hand, is an initiative tourist spots clean-up, and the Barangay Anti-drug Abuse Councils. that supports DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-116, which enjoins Following the partnership with DOH and the private sector, the barangay-level officials, volunteers, and concerned residents to original campaign has become a platform in the battle against promote the spirit of volunteerism while ensuring that minimum COVID-19 as well. health standards are followed in the community. On September 16, 2020, Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso, one of the LCE Bida and May Disiplina ambassadors. the DILG and NCR then entered into a partnership Screengrab from Manila Information Office’s Facebook Live. with the private sector and local celebrities through a Memorandum of Agreement called “BIDA ang May Disiplina: Harnessing Private Sector Support to Defeat COVID-19.” The agreement formalized the joint national advocacy campaign, which aimed to influence more Filipinos to exercise self-discipline and abide by required health protocols. 7

COVID-19 AND THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF HEALTHCARE PROTOCOLS  2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT The COVID-19 pandemic carried with it other concomitant effects not The online event was attended by key personnel from the LGUs’ City only on humans’ health. It has also had unintended consequences Environment and Natural Resources Office, Sanitation and Housing on the environment. Offices; and field office focal persons. Acknowledging the increased volume of healthcare wastes generated By the end of 2020, all LGUs had complied with the provisions of since the pandemic hit—especially in Metro Manila, the COVID-19 Memorandum 2020-147 and submitted their reports on time, based epicenter in the country—the DILG issued Memorandum 2020-147, on the monitoring done by the DILG-NCR. calling on all local government units to abide by the guidelines on how to treat the growing amount of wastes from healthcare facilities, While there were some constraints identified by a few LGUs (e.g., quarantine centers, and other temporary treatment and monitoring the lack of facility for handling face masks and permanent storage facilities. For one, the health protocol put in place to contain the site for the healthcare wastes), many best practices were recognized. spread of the virus meant that healthcare-related wastes—used For instance, Pasig used a hook lift bin and dedicated bins in all masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment—should isolation or quarantine centers and COVID-19 related health facilities. be segregated and treated differently from general wastes to avoid Caloocan established its City Environment and Management contamination and spread of the coronavirus. Department recycling training corner. Las Piñas conducted regular monitoring and inspection of heathcare waste collection. On November 24, 2020, the DILG-NCR conducted an online orientation on proper waste management based on the national agency’s guidelines and reiterated the LGUs’ role in the proper handling of healthcare waste, including those at home and in the workplace. 8

LGU Best Practices 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT Navotas City • Issued a City Ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Requiring the Proper Handling, Storage, Collection, and Disposal of Personal Protective Caloocan Equipment and Disinfecting/Disinfectant Agents and other Special and Hazardous Waste in Mitigation of Health-Related Risk from Pasig City COVID-19 and Imposing Fines and Penalties in Violation Thereof”. Valenzuela City San Juan City • Granted ₱500/day hazard pay, and free RT-PCR and PPEs for all waste Muntinlupa City workers. Marikina • Granted ₱10,000 service recognition incentive to all waste workers. Las Piñas Manila, Marikina, • Implemented continuous IEC campaign on proper waste segregation and San Juan with emphasis on COVID-19 healthcare waste disposal. • Established the City Environment and Management Department recycling training corner. • Used Hook lift bin and dedicated bins in all isolation, quarantine and COVID-19-related health facilities. • Scheduled disinfection in all isolation facilities and establishments. • Passed Ordinance No. 67 series of 2020 regulating and monitoring the disposal of Covid-19-related wastes. • Conducted information and education campaign on segregated collection and door-to-door collection and LIGTAS 5K (new normal waste management guidelines) and COVID-19 health protocols; • Allocated an additional ₱982,000.00 for the funding of the COVID-19 Waste Disposal Plan. • Conducted regular monitoring and inspection of healthcare waste collection. • Distributed yellow trash bins to barangays to serve as storage/ container of COVID-19-related healthcare wastes. Notes: RT PCR = Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; PPEs = Personal protective equipment; IEC = Information, Education and Communication. Photo credit: Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels 9



2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT 11 DETStrEatCeTgy

MONITORING SHEETS MATTER: FINDING THE STORY BEHIND THE NUMBERS 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT As early as March 2020, the DOH issued Memorandum No. 2020-151, Because accurate and timely results derived from the monitoring and which called for an expanded testing for COVID-19—i.e., testing of reporting systems are key in decision-making, the DILG-NCR worked all individuals who are at risk of COVID-19. To reinforce the directive, to have the LGUs’ monitoring templates streamlined into one format the DILG issued Memorandum No. 2020-073, enjoining key agencies, for efficiency. It also saw the need to align the technical notes on including LGUs, to assist in the conduct of the expanded testing. the definition, scope, and coverage of each of its monitoring forms’ indicators with the new case classification issued by DOH. Preparations involved increasing the (a) number of contact tracers; The DILG-NCR’s monitoring template included fields on the number of and (b) the number of trained personnel to conduct swabbing and COVID-19 confirmed, suspected and probable cases and contacts, with specimen collection. The expanded testing also identified those corresponding deaths and recoveries in the NCR. Such template was later to be prioritized for testing. These included patients with mild adopted by DILG offices nationwide. symptoms classified as persons under investigation; and those with travel history or contact with a COVID-19-positive person. DILG Memorandum No. 2020-077 requires LGUs to set up their own LGU task force composed of contact tracers, testers, and patient management and monitoring teams. In April, all LGUs were required—through DILG Memorandum No. 2020-077—to set up their own LGU task force against COVID-19, Source: #We Heal as One: NCR LGUs’ Solutions to Beat COVID-19. including contact tracing teams, diagnostic and testing teams, and patient management and monitoring teams. To make sure that all cases were followed through, LGUs were also required to submit a daily action report based on the data gathered on the ground. Thus, the DILG-NCR activated its monitoring and reporting system to supervise the compliance of the 16 cities, one municipality and 1,709 barangays to the enhanced community quarantine or modified enhanced community quarantine protocols and response actions. In the process, the DILG—in coordination with the DOH– Epidemiology Bureau—developed an enhanced template on contact tracing through a DILG Memorandum entitled “Revised Harmonized Contact Tracing Reporting Template for the Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) Situation” on July 24, 2020. 12

Select Data Gathered by the DILG-NCR Field Offices on COVID-19 Total Organized Contact Tracing Teams in the NCR (As of Cases and Actions December 2020) PARTICULARS City Municipality Barangays City/Municipality No. of Organized No. of Number of CT Teams Members Members Trained 1 No. of COVID 19 Task Forces established 16 1 0* 2 No. of functional BHERTs N/A N/A 1,803 NCR 2,446  12,117  12,117 N/A N/A 1,628 3 No. of BHERTs provided with Personal Source: Excerpt from Table 1 of DILG Status Report No. 233: Contact Tracing for Protective Equipment 16 1 1,709 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation 4 No. of reactivated Councils/Committees Contact Tracing of Confirmed Cases in the NCR (As of December 2020) 5 Local Disaster Risk Management Coordinating Council/Committee 6 Local Solid Waste Management Council 16 1 N/A No. of Confirmed Cases Cumulative No. of Close Contacts Traced Traced and Assessed No. of LGUs that utilized their QRFs for 16 1 1,060 158,901 1,059,655 7 assistance to indigent families and daily Source: Excerpt from Table 1 of DILG Status Report No. 233: Contact Tracing for wage Earners Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation 8 No. of LGUs that issued policy on the 16 1 734 implementation of Strict Home Quarantine 9 No. of LGUs implementing closure of 16 1 N/A Based on the above numbers, the NCR had a case-to-close contact identified establishments ratio of 1:7 in 2020. This ratio was calculated based on the cumulative number of close contacts traced and assessed divided by the 10 No. of LGUs enforcing suspension of mass 16 1 N/A number of confirmed cases traced. public transportation 11 No. of LGUs monitoring skeletal and social 16 1 N/A Local government units with the highest case-to-contact ratio distancing measure achieved were Valenzuela (1:15), Pasay (1:11) and Manila (1:10). No. of LGUs complying with the directive on 16 1 1,709 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT 12 unrestricted movement of frontline workers “Close contacts” are defined as individuals who were exposed to and cargoes a confirmed COVlD-19 case two days before the case’s onset of illness (or if the case is asymptomatic, on the date the specimen 13 No. of LGUs that provide transportation to 16 1 1,539 was collected) until the case tests negative. These are individuals skeletal workforces in their AOR who had lived with, cared for, traveled with, or transacted with a confirmed case who had: (a) direct contact with a confirmed case; No. of LGUs that are complying with the or (b) face-to-face contact with a confirmed case for at least 15 minutes; or (c) was with a confirmed case in an enclosed space for 14 directive on the handling of suspected of 16 1 1,709 at least two hours. confirmed COVID 19 as per guidelines of DOH 15 No. of LGUs with designated Isolation Units 16 1 169 No. of LGUs that provide basic needs to 16 1 1,708 16 PUMs, PUIs, and COVID-positive patients such as food, vitamins, etc. * Notes: In the current policies, only BHERTs are required from the barangays, and COVID TFs 13 are required from the City/Municipal level.

BRINGING DOWN THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT AN IMPROVED PROCESS Credit: Maureen Gonzales IN THE HIRING OF CONTACT TRACERS In the second semester of 2020, the city of Manila was Based on the WHO recommendation of a 1:800 ratio for contact tracers per allocated 2,300 additional contact tracers. Of these, 1,969 community population, the Philippines had to have an estimated 130,000 contact successfully passed the initial screening process of the Manila tracers in 2020. This meant that whatever difference there was between the current Human Resource Selection Board’s Secretariat based on number of contract tracers and the ideal count had to be recruited—and trained— their educational background and career experience, among as soon as possible. others. Next, the applicants were interviewed by the Selection Board via the Zoom platform to assess their communication Aside from the sheer number of manpower needed, the need for contact tracers skills, investigative capability/surveillance skills, stress was also urgent. Certain parts of the recruitment process had to be streamlined so tolerance, drive to serve, and personal attributes. as to meet the hiring requirement at the least amount of time. A total of 259 barangays in the city of Manila did not record a single COVID-19 case from December 2020 to January Thus, through its Regional Information and Communication Technology Unit, the 2021, according to the Manila Health Department. Of these, DILG-NCR developed the Contact Tracing Web Portal during the third quarter of 32 barangays hurdled the city government’s zero-case 2020 to hasten the selection and hiring of contact tracers in the NCR. challenge twice (September-October 2020 and December 2020-January 2021), entitling each to a P200,000 reward The portal serves as the repository of all submitted applications for the contact from the mayor’s office. tracer position. Its dashboard traces the status of applications: from encoding, Condensed from the report of LGOO III Patricia Rovie Q. Salamero 14

assessment, drafting of Human Resource Selection Board Resolution, the portal that had met all the requirements were forwarded by the Personnel Section validation, to generation of contracts. It also sends regional office to the field offices. updates to registered emails on the status of an application. In 2020, each of these 17 field offices had set up its own City/Municipal Aside from the development of the portal, a few enhancements Human Resource Merit Selection Board, which was responsible for were made in the selection process. First, applications filed through assessing the qualifications of an applicant. Shortlisted applications were then forwarded to a newly created group, the Regional Evaluation Committee, to help validate the credentials of candidates endorsed to 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT the Regional Human Resource Merit Selection and Promotion Board. 15 By the end of the year, DILG-NCR had completed the hiring of 8,060 contact tracers specifically for the NCR within three months, along with 18 administrative staff tasked to help monitor the contact tracers’ activities and handle other administrative assignments. LEARNING TO FEEL FOR THE PEOPLE “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” - Marie Curie Junie had been working in a bank for about a year before the pandemic broke out. When the bank decided to reduce its workforce during the quarantine period, Junie was among those laid off. Little did he know then that this would start his journey as a contract tracer—a journey that fired his patriotism in the process. From a friend, he learned about the hiring of applicants for contact tracers in the NCR. In less than three months, he was hired to work with the DILG Quezon City field office. He found the nature of his job challenging as it required all data collected to be as accurate as possible. In his interaction with residents, he began to understand the concerns of residents he interviewed. It opened his eyes to the extent of the havoc this pandemic brought to their lives. This all the more drove him to commit to help the communities in Quezon City. Condensed from the report of LGOO III Phoebe-Jem Tamondong

LGCDD RAMPS UP CONTACT TRACERS’ SKILLS VIA E-LEARNING PLATFORM 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT On October 2, 2020, the DILG-NCR issued Regional Memorandum The DILG-NCR gave contact tracers from the 17 LGUs access to its Circular No. 2020-03 entitled “Regional Guidelines in the modules in Google Classroom on October 1, 2020. On Day 1, a total Implementation of the Online Training on Building Resilience of of 834 contact tracers began their training. They, on average, were LGUs for the New Normal: Embracing COVID-19 Contact Tracing able to complete their course in two days at their own pace. Work in the National Capital Region”, which laid out the guidelines The figure below shows the total number of NCR-based contact for the implementation of a basic training course for contact tracers. tracers trained in the remaining three months of 2020. The course, which consists of nine chapters spread across four Source: DILG Terminal Report entitled: “Online Training of the Hired Contact Tracers of modules, was developed by the DILG-Local Government Academy in DILG-NCR: Building Resilience of LGUs for the New Normal”. collaboration with the Philippine Public Safety College and the DOH. As a capacity development program, it was meant to strengthen the competencies of existing contact tracers in local governments. However, ramping up the training of a critical mass of new hires in a short period by itself is already a tall order. In 2020, this was all the more made challenging by the community quarantine protocols that made face-to-face training less viable. Given the exigent need for contact tracers who could hit the ground running once ramped up, the DILG-NCR’s Local Government Capacity Development Division (LGCDD) thus turned to the asynchronous mode of learning using Google Classroom to train their new hires. Google Classroom is a free web service developed by Google for institutions that provide capacity development interventions. With this web service, the DILG-NCR was able to streamline the file- sharing process between LGCDD as administrators and the contact tracers as well as allow trainees to go through the modules at their own pace and without having to breach existing health protocols. 16

DILG Pateros Contact Tracers Chris, Joe, Dani, Van and Cel reflect on their experiences as contact Jay and Rence discuss their takeaways with a municipal health officer in the Pateros Elementary School tracers at the Gabaldon Hall, a mini auditorium in the Pateros Elementary School, which currently e-Library, a venue where the contact tracers gather and tabulate the COVID-19 data. serves as the contact tracing hub. JOINING THE FRONTLINE The newly hired contact tracers from the Municipality of Pateros come from various Unforgettable Experience 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT backgrounds, and have different reasons for joining the Contact Tracing Program. Once in the field, the new hires sometimes could not help but sense some residents were Joe, a Criminology graduate, and Rence, a former call center agent, both retrenched unconvinced that they were legitimate contact tracers. They experienced being mocked or 17 by their previous employers due to the pandemic, learned about the Program through ridiculed at times. Some residents remained doubtful even if the new hires were wearing referrals in the municipality. Chris, a fresh graduate, and Cel, a sales person, saw the job officially issued identification cards from the DILG Pateros field office. posting on the DILG Pateros NCR official Facebook Page. Dani, who worked as a “job order” employee at the Municipality of Pateros, cited how the photos posted on the DILG Pateros NCR Office Facebook Page helped validate and Transition and Deployment promote their existence in the LGU. Whenever residents resisted giving them contact Cel learned to change her working style when she became a contact tracer. A former sales tracing-related information, Dani and her teammates would refer the respondents to the executive, she realized that she to had to be more patient with her co-workers in her new municipality’s official Facebook Page. The strategy worked. role. When she was appointed as a team leader of contact tracers, she slowly realized how challenging it was to deal with different personalities and work ethics in the team. Of the Coordination with the Municipal Health Office more-than-30 members in her team, there were those whom she had to call out for their Dr. Dexter Orijola, the contact tracing focal person in Pateros, was initially overwhelmed lackluster interest in carrying out their tasks. when 153 contact tracers were deployed to his area of responsibility. He initially thought Chris, a fresh graduate, was not exactly gung-ho when he signed up for the program. that the sheer size of the group was too much to handle. Claustrophobia, or the fear of enclosed spaces, kicked in once he learned he had to enter However, from this group he slowly got to know those who were innately passionate and the narrow alleys and streets of Pateros. He managed to perform well, but turned anxious driven to serve. While there were occasions when his patience was tested, there were whenever he found himself in small spaces. silver linings from the experience. The Municipal Health Office learned valuable lessons Former call center agent Rence was assigned to tabulate data (i.e., the number of on the management of a huge group of contractors and felt it is now ready for the next COVID-19 cases in the municipality) gathered from his LGU. He was also tasked to remind batch, should the Contact Tracing Program be reinstated in Pateros. his teammates to regularly update their own records so as to avoid backlogs and delays. Today, Doc Dexter looks forward to rehiring some of the contact tracers from the first Since he was used to the corporate set-up where certain quality standards were strictly batch. followed by employees, he initially struggled to motivate some of his team’s tracers who were not as determined to finish their tasks as he did. Text by Ronald R. Portales, LGOO III

2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT THREE BOOKS LAUD LGUs, FRONTLINERS’ CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 A DILG-NCR three-volume publication in 2020 highlights the The follow-up book contains 43 additional LGU initiatives. Some of initiatives of LGUs in the NCR as well as the various acts of heroism those programs featured in both the first and second volumes were during this time of pandemic. included in a documentation on LGUs’ good practices by the Bureau of Local Government Development, one of the bureaus under the DILG. The first volume, entitled #We Heal As One: NCR LGUs’ Solutions to Beat COVID-19, describes 23 notable initiatives of the region’s LGUs The last of the series entitled Tales from the Frontlines: Heroic to address the issues brought by COVID-19. These activities/projects Acts Amid the Pandemic puts the spotlight on the frontliners and are on various categories: governance, health, food and non-food their heroism. These are 50 stories that describe the contributions items, economy, law and order, logistics, crisis communications, and and sacrifices of individuals and organizations, both from the management of the dead. government and civil society, as they carried out their duties. 18

Funeral Facilities Cemeteries Deaths Today’s Deaths Meanwhile, the DILG-NCR, as the lead agency of the Regional Management of the Dead and Missing Persons Cluster of the ROLE OF MDMS IN THE MANAGEMENT Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT OF HUMAN REMAINS DUE TO COVID-19 had earlier developed —through its Regional Information and Communications Technology Unit—the Management of the On April 16, 2020, the DOH and DILG issued Joint Memorandum Circular Dead Monitoring System (MDMS). No. 1, s. 2020, which provides additional guidelines to the earlier released DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-063, on the management of human The MDMS is an online system initially created to monitor the remains for individuals classified as persons under investigation and dead per LGU in the NCR during times of disaster. Particularly COVID-19 positive cases. during this time of pandemic, it serves as the repository of death cases assisted by funeral parlors or crematoriums—regardless The supplemental guidelines require all remains of suspect, probable and of whether the cases were referred by hospitals or had been COVID-19-confirmed cases to be identified, documented and properly under home quarantine. labeled with identity label/biohazard tag on the cadaver bag, as well as cremated or buried within 12 hours from the time of death. These also The system features, among others, the ability to generate instruct how the bodies of individuals who died of communicable diseases statistics and graphs on the number of funeral facilities and without claimants (or cannot be claimed by relatives) are to be disposed; number of remains handled by said facilities; details on the funeral and enumerate the circumstances when LGUs are to shoulder the cost of homes and crematoriums; and maps of cemeteries, funeral homes burial. Other guidelines in the memo are intended to prevent overpricing and crematoriums in the NCR and their capacity status. of cremation and funeral services and to avoid compromising the health of the responders and the public in general. The Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division is the lead operating unit assisting the DILG Regional Director in her role as the head of the Management of the Dead and Missing Persons Cluster as well as managing, disseminating and monitoring the population and veracity of information in the system. 19

Photo Credit: Kevin Gatchalian 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT THE 2020 DGA WINNER FOR BEST On August 18, 2020, the city opened its Mega Contact Tracing Center COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE at the City Social Hall, which today is manned by a 160-member team of data encoders, contact tracers, and disease surveillance officers, (CITY LEVEL) to complement the existing personnel of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit. Of the contact tracing initiatives of LGUs, that of Valenzuela City counts among those that stood out. For one, the city’s innovation The mega center features facilities and equipment similar to a call is more than just in the application software it uses. It won first center set-up. It espouses a “contactless” COVID-19 contact tracing place in the 2020 Digital Governance Awards (DGA) for COVID-19 protocol since its tracers reach out to and gather information from Pandemic Response (city level), specifically for its integrated contact COVID-19 contacts of cases via phone. tracing system (the operative word being integrated). 20

The extent of disease transmission can be detected from the 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT congregation of cases plotted on GIS maps, enabling the city to decide which areas need to be placed under community lockdown 21 to contain the spread of the virus. Other highlights of the digital contact tracing tool used by the mega center are: − Centralized and fast search of patient information for monitoring and updates − Mapping/Heat Map/GIS Plotting for seamless identification of COVID-19 transmission − Laboratory monitoring for updates on patient status − Hospital and isolation facilities monitoring for patient referral − Patient close contact monitoring − Patient location on map (reverse geo-locate) − Patient NPS/OPS swab results − PDF-ready Case Investigation Form (CIF) − Patient linking and close contacts chart While it follows the Contact Tracing Strategy Flow of the DOH, the mega center had made enhancements by adding two steps in the process (see chart). These steps involve: a. Contact tracers coordinating with the barangay contact tracing team; and b. Barangay contact tracing team verifying the close contacts of COVID-19 cases. This enhanced process ensures that prior to scheduling of COVID-19 swab tests of identified high-risk cases, the Mega Contact Tracing Center had gathered accurate and correct information as these were earlier verified with the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams. The center features a dashboard of the city’s confirmed, probable and suspect cases, number of recoveries and deaths, active confirmed cases, new cases, as well as data per barangay and individual case information.

Then, less than a month later, Valenzuela launched ValTrace, its Mapping / Heat Map / GIS Plotting for seamless identification homegrown COVID-19 database software created through a public- of COVID-19 transmission private partnership with a third-party developer following the confirmation of the first positive COVID-19 case in the city. The ValTrace app comes with a QR Code generator so that Valenzuelanos can present their generated QR code—and a QR code scanner for business establishments’ use—before entering indoor establishments. Thus, this eliminates the need for visitors to fill out paper-based contact tracing forms. For the city itself, the app has made the process of tracing more efficient. Perhaps the best use case for ValTrace is its replication potential. On December 4, the city signed an Interconnectivity Agreement with Pasig City, which allowed their respective apps—ValTrace for Valenzuela and PasigPass for Pasig—to be recognized by establishments in each other’s city. 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT On September 29, 2020, ValTrace surpassed its target of 450,000 registrants. By the end of the year, 930,972 city residents and 689,048 non-residents had registered on the app. Source: City Government of Valenzuela 22

2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT 23 ISOSLtrAatTegEy

2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT ECHOING THE LOCALIZED CONTAINMENT STRATEGY DOWN TO LGUs In July 2020, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 issued To ascertain that future LGU actions would be aligned with the guidance its guidelines on how and when LGUs can implement a localized entitled “Operational Guidelines on the Application of the Zoning lockdown—an alternative to the blanket quarantine that was imposed Containment Strategy in the Localization of the National Action Plan across the region in the early months of 2020. Against COVID-19 Response”, the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force and Regional Task Force in the NCR conducted a virtual orientation on the 24 zoning containment strategy on June 26, 2020.

Around 150 key local government officials in the city and barangay • Buffer Zone (BZ) - areas without new cases but are adjacent 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT levels, including city administrators and punong barangay from to an area categorized as Containment Zone; the 17 Metro Manila LGUs, attended the online activity. Also present were representatives of member agencies under the • Areas Outside Buffer Zones (OBZ) - areas without new cases NCR’s Regional Inter-Agency Task Force and Regional Task Force. and not categorized as Containment Zone or Buffer Zone. The zoning containment strategy aims to limit the spread of the Those under the critical zones are placed under enhanced community coronavirus in specific areas where a spike in COVID-19 cases quarantine (ECQ)---or lockdown; the containment zones, under is detected—be that a barangay, purok, street, house, market, modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ); buffer zones, building, etc.— without halting economic activities. There are under general community quarantine (GCQ); and all other areas, varying levels of quarantine that may be declared by local task under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ). forces, depending on the risk (i.e., cluster of cases) and stage of The Regional Inter-Agency Task Force in the NCR, which is chaired transmission prevalent in their area. by the DILG-NCR, had approved a total of 32 resolutions pertaining to the localized enhanced community quarantine by the end of The strategy identifies four containment zones: December 2020 (see Annex A). • Critical Zone (CrZ) - areas where the initial number of cases or clustering of cases have been identified within the past Photo credit: Philippine News Agency seven days; • Containment Zone (CZ) - areas without new cases but are near a geographic unit categorized as Critical Zone; 25

LCEs IDENTIFY, RETROFIT VENUES INTO ISOLATION UNITS What does it mean for local chief executives (LCEs) to be local crisis Case Classifications Symptoms Facility managers? In this time of COVID-19, that role requires an ability to manage multiple considerations in the handling of COVID-19 cases, Contact (PUM) Asymptomatic Isolation Facility both inside and outside healthcare settings. Ligtas COVID Center Suspect (PUI who has not Mild For instance, in its March 29, 2020 Memorandum Circular 2020-064, tested or is waiting for test Severe and Critical Appropriate Health Facility the DILG directed all LCEs to identify government facilities that can Ligtas COVID Center be temporarily converted into isolation and quarantine facilities. results) These were to temporarily house persons under investigation (i.e., Appropriate Health Facility asymptomatic individuals) as well as manage those that are COVID-19 Probable (PUI with Mild Ligtas COVID Center positive with mild symptoms. inconclusive test results) Severe and Critical Ligtas COVID Center These facilities may be any enclosed but well-ventilated structures, Asymptomatic Appropriate Health Facility including empty houses or buildings, where persons can be isolated from each other. Hotels, resorts and other similar establishments can Confirmed Mild also be tapped as special care facilities and the rooms converted into isolation units. Severe and Critical Kalinga Center at the San Juan Science High School, which serves as a Source: DILG Advisory dated July 15, 2020. COVID-19 Overflow Quarantine Facility. isolation Source: #We Heal as One: NCR LGUs’ Solutions to Beat COVID-19, vol. 2. Inventory of Isolation Units with Corresponding Bed Capacity and Number of Patients, NCR (As of December 31 2020) 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT Total No. Category No. Of COVID+ With Mild Isolation Units of Bed (Private/ Cases or Asymyptomatic Government) Capacity Accommodated 119 7766 1723 In the NCR, the types of venues used as isolation units ranged from tents, hospitals and quarantine areas, to schools, hotels, and sports complex. Source: Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division, DILG-NCR. In cases where LIGTAS COVID Centers—the DOH-certified publicly or privately owned non-hospital facilities—are required to be set up, the LCEs have to guarantee that these are retrofitted as community isolation units. 26

Temporary shelter located at the covered court of Quezon Memorial Circle housed street dwellers and stranded individuals. Source: #We Heal As One: NCR LGUs’ Solutions to Beat COVID-19, vol. 2. Inventory of Special Care Facilities in the NCR need to quarantine 14 days prior to departure and, depending on (As of December 31, 2020) the quarantine requirement of the receiving LGU, after arrival at the final destination. No. of Special Care Category Facilities Bed Capacity (No.) (Private/ Government) 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT 8 792 Government Accommodation Establishments for Returning Overseas Source: Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division, DILG-NCR. Filipinos (OTSR Certified as of May 2020) No. of Establishments/Hotels Rooms Allocated For DoT/OWWA Finally, the DILG MC 2020-067 issued on April 2, 2020 (“Additional 272 20,243 Guidelines on Quarantine and Isolation Measures Relative to the COVID-19 Situation”) enjoins LCEs to help the Department of Tourism Legend: OTSR = Office of Tourism Standards and Regulation; DoT = Department of identify hotels that may be used as quarantine facilities for returning Tourism; OWWA = Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. overseas Filipinos and locally stranded individuals that are neither suspect, probable or confirmed cases but, per the health protocol, would Source: Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division, DILG-NCR. 27



2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT 29 REINTEGStRraAteTgEy

WORKING AS ONE TO ASSIST RETURNING OVERSEAS FILIPINOS AND LOCALLY STRANDED INDIVIDUALS Metro Manila was first placed under strict lockdown in March and In July 2020, some LSIs were assisted at the Philippine Army Wellness Center in Taguig City. April 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 cases. Transportation 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT inside and outside the metropolis was restricted. As a result, MMDA, Department of Tourism-NCR, Department of Transportation, individuals who wanted to go home to their regions were stranded Department of Education, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces in the metropolis. of the Philippines, and DOH, among others. To address the needs of returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and First Batch of LSIs Venue of Implementation locally stranded individuals (LSIs), the DILG issued operational guidelines on May 14, 2020 on how to systematically coordinate the Dates return of ROFs and LSIs to their hometowns. June 7, 2020 - June 23, 2020 Villamor Air Base Elementary School A sub-task unit was assigned to ensure that LSIs, for instance, Philippine State College of Aeronautics observe the 14-day quarantine protocol prior to their departure and that the receiving LGU usher LSIs to a temporary holding area for Note: Those found along the perimeter of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport assessment by the Local Health Officer and provide transportation Terminal II were later housed and assisted at the above venues. from the point of entry to the returnees’ respective residences. The first batch of LSIs of about 300 were bound for Mindanao but unable to get bus tickets or flight schedules. They were found within the perimeter of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal II, majority of which also could not present the basic documentary requirements such as Travel Authority and Medical Clearance Certification to be allowed entry to their home provinces. The DILG-NCR organized a team on June 6, 2020 to assist the group. It should be highlighted here that the LSI intervention was not a one- agency activity. It was carried out through DILG-NCR’s institutional arrangements with other agencies such the city governments, 30

The second batch of stranded individuals were those that Of these sites, it was at the Villamor Air Base Elementary School and congregated at the Villamor Air Base Elementary School, Ninoy Manila Science High School where DILG-NCR handled the overall Aquino International Airport Terminals 2 and 3, Philippine Ports camp management, providing food and other necessities and Authority, Philippine Army Wellness Center, Libingan ng mga Bayani, facilitating the return of LSIs with the receiving LGUs, among others. and Manila Science High School. Other sites/facilities, meanwhile, were led-managed by the Philippine The DILG-NCR led the coordination with other government agencies Army, Philippine Ports Authority, and the Manila International and partners in the LSI management and deployed its own personnel Airport Authority. to these sites from June 7–August 9, 2020. The agency’s personnel assumed tasks ranging from profiling of LSIs to coordinating with Total number of LSIs Assisted by DILG-NCR # of LSIs airlines for flight schedules and with the Philippine Coast Guard for (As of December 31, 2020) ship voyage of LSIs without tickets. 39,186++ Indicators The DILG-NCR also established one-stop shops and help desks at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 2 and 3, and army Processed by LGUs and endorsed to NCRPO for Travel Authority (as facilities such as the Philippine Army Wellness Center and Libingan endorsed to receiving regions) ng mga Bayani. Processed by DILG-NCR regional office and endorsed to NCRPO/ 9,761++ National CV Shield for Travel Authority Second Batch of LSIs TOTAL 48,974 DATES VENUE of IMPLEMENTATION Source: Office of the DILG-NCR Regional Director. Villamor Air Base Elementary School July 1, 2020 - August 9, 2020 Philippine Ports Authority - Manila 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT NAIA Terminal 2 NAIA Terminal 3 Philippine Army Wellness Center Libingan ng mga Bayani July 8-10, 2020 Manila Science High School Quirino Grandstand, City of Manila July 4-5, 2020 Rizal Memorial Stadium, City of Manila  Hatid Tulong Initiative Grand Send-Off July 25-26, 2020  Hatid Tulong Initiative 2nd Wave Grand Send-Off 31

2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT Photo credit: Caloocan City website (“Bayanihan to Recover As One Act”). It should be noted, too, that on November 6, 2020, the IATF approved the Philippine COVID-19 32 NATIONAL ACTION PLAN: Vaccinations Roadmap and Implementation Plan. MOVING ON TO PHASE III To operationalize the third phase, the government adopts a people- centered, LGU-led and nationally enabled approach. The latest The National Action Plan against COVID-19 presents the national Plan’s efforts can be categorized into three clusters: Response, strategy and general guidelines to contain, prevent, and eliminate Vaccination, and Recovery. the threat of the pandemic and mitigate the social, economic, The Response Cluster is headed by the DOH and composed of environmental, and security impacts to the country. It consists of several task groups, including the Task Group on Contact Tracing, three phases. The first phase was implemented from March to which is lead by the DILG. June 2020, focusing on prevention, containment and elimination of The DILG is also the lead of the Sub-Task Group on Monitoring, COVID-19. Enforcement and Sanction under the Response Cluster’s Prevention The second phase of the Plan ran from July to September 2020, Task Group. where measures to keep the COVID-19 fatalities low were adopted Meanwhile, under the Recovery Cluster led by the National Economic as the country considered the need for economic recovery to Development Authority is the Task Group on Governance, again commence. headed by DILG. As it enters the third phase starting October 2020, the Plan shifts now from risk aversion to risk management, where the government Photo credit: Caloocan City website aims to strike a delicate balance between health safety and economic recovery. Phase III aligns with the directives in Republic Act 11494

THE REHABILITATION AND Response Strategies. Among the response strategies to mitigate 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE NCR losses starting 2020 were the DILG’s guidelines on the Management of the Dead (DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-063) and the DILG- Crafted by the MMDA in close coordination with regional line NCR’s development of its MDMS. Meanwhile, LCEs on the ground agencies and LGUs, the Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan for the looked after their constituents’ welfare in terms of livelihood or NCR (RRP-NCR) now focuses on preparing the country transition business relief assistance, implementation of mobility restrictions to the New Normal. After reviewing the metropolis’ responses to to prevent the spread of the virus, etc. the COVID-19 crisis, the Plan’s proponents aim to consolidate the rehabilitation and recovery efforts of various stakeholders and Rehabilitation and Recovery Strategies. Among the seven partners in the next phase. sectors is Governance. Here, LGUs continue to play an important role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, in close coordination Such plan for the NCR was approved by the Regional Task Force- with national government agencies. NCR COVID-19 on September 25, 2020. The DILG-NCR, as the lead of the Governance Sector, acknowledges Strategies to be employed will be hinged on three main objectives: the insightful input and data from the 17 LGUs that formed part of • to convey the right information to the public so as to gain the RRP-NCR. In her message in the RRP-NCR document, DILG-NCR public trust and confidence (immediate goal); Regional Director Maria Lourdes L. Agustin specifically commended • to mitigate losses (mid-term goal); and the LGUs’ “commitment in creating innovations in service delivery”. • to adapt to the New Normal (long-term goal). 33 The mid-term goal, in particular, is to “restore the socioeconomic conditions in NCR while building higher resilience to health emergencies and reducing poverty” in these sectors: • Economic • Health and Nutrition • Social • Peace and Order • Environment • Infrastructure and Transportation • Governance Strategies are either: (1) response strategies to mitigate losses so as to ensure food security and reduce financial losses sustained and (2) rehabilitation and recovery strategies that aim to address the new set of challenges from the COVID-19 crisis and to help transition to the New Normal.



2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT 35 OTHERofFORMS ASSISTANCE

MONITORING THE DISTRIBUTION OF EMERGENCY SUBSIDY FUNDS 2020 ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT The declaration of the enhanced community quarantine starting The emergency subsidy program was implemented by the DSWD March 2020 meant suspension of transportation, work, and classes, as lead agency. Its social amelioration fund was released through its and regulation of food and health service provision in the NCR (and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), a program that is later, the rest of Luzon). While the measure helped manage the part of DSWD’s protective services for the poor, marginalized and spread of the coronavirus, it also impacted the socio-economic lives vulnerable/disadvantaged individuals. of many. Meanwhile, the DILG-NCR’s monitoring and reporting on the status Through Republic Act 11469 (or the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act”), of the release of DSWD social amelioration fund to beneficiaries the government authorized the release of an emergency subsidy started on April 8, 2020. Data and information were gathered from to 18 million low-income families most affected by the economic the local social welfare and development offices of the 17 LGUs standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the NCR, the subsidy through the DILG-NCR’s field offices. was ₱8,000 per family for the month of April 2020. Records showed—and confirmed by the local social welfare 36 development office/s to DILG field offices—that as of May 26, 2020,