Duterte thanks Filipinos who helped gov’t cope with COVID-19

July 27, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday thanked all Filipinos who helped the government during this time of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic threat.

“My countrymen, there are lessons to be learned from the coronavirus pandemic,” Duterte said during his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“It jolted us to realize that gains made after spending so much planning, effort, cost and time could diminish considerably and quickly for reasons beyond one’s anticipation,” he added.

Duterte said the COVID-19 proves that it is much easier to destroy than to build and in a crisis of national proportions that affects every aspect of human life, governments need to have the support and cooperation of the people to succeed in battling the cause of that crisis.

“In this regard I would like to express my gratitude to all those who made possible the steady supply of food, water, and basic utilities [to] our households and the provision of basic social services and financial assistance to our people,” he said.

“Our profound gratitude goes to everyone who helped keep our country’s food supply chain running, the valiant soldiers, policemen and security guards who kept peace and order in our communities; the dedicated personnel who kept our essential establishments operational,” he added.

Duterte said these people showed kindness and selflessness as there are some who ask for compassion but show none themselves.

“You gave us strength. You risked your own lives to serve the greater good in keeping with the Filipino spirit of Bayanihan,” he said.

“I also thank the men and women of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and the National Task Force against COVID-19 for all the countless hours it spent to keep the pandemic in check and for all the efforts it made to ensure the safety of our people,” he said.

Duterte also thanked the efforts of the local government units (LGUs) that stepped up and initiated their own response measures to contain the effects of COVID-19 and its impact on their constituents.

“I know exactly the difficulties you are undergoing. I pray that the officials of each LGU in our country – from the barangay to the autonomous regions – would set aside partisan politics and selfish interests to do what is right and good for all,” he said.

Duterte said the gains the country achieved in the first three and a half years were put to a test when the pandemic suddenly struck the global community.

“While I am aware that the road towards a comfortable life for all would be far easy if pandemic had not occurred and along the rest of the world we suffered,” he said.

“The global scale and socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented. Yet in the throes of this global health emergency, we have been able to withstand the headwinds generated by this coronavirus,” Duterte said.

He then asked Filipinos to work with the government in fighting the pandemic “with the same fervor as our campaign against illegal drugs, criminality, insurgency, corruption in high places and entrenched parochial interests.”

“We live in a troubled time. Our dream of prosperity for our country was suddenly snuffed by a pandemic virulent virus. No nation was spared. Neither rich nor poor were exempt from the onslaught of this deadly disease,” he said.

“I do hope that the spirit of solidarity and unity will serve as a drumbeat to which we shall march in unison in our quest for the light at the end of the tunnel. Let us take care of one another,” Duterte added.

After three months of strict quarantine measures, the government decided to ease the movement restriction to help the economy however it resulted in the increased number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

As of July 27, the Department of Health recorded 82,040 COVID-19 cases. Ella Dionisio/DMS