COVID-19 Updates: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte Press Briefing | September 28, 2020

September 29, 2020

As of September 28, 2020, 10:00 PM, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte addressed the nation through a recorded speech to provide updates on the COVID-19 situation. Below are the highlights of the briefing:

• PRRD expressed that he is satisfied with the local government response to the pandemic and reassured the public of the government’s role in serving and working for them.
• PRRD said that as areas across the country are put in varied community quarantine categories, the focus now is on the opening of classes.
  • He shared that Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones is insistent that even as the pandemic evolves, education should not be put aside.
• PRRD criticized the country’s biggest telecommunications companies as it has been a concern for Filipinos because of their poor service. He appealed to them to improve on their services so Filipinos are able to get their money’s worth.
  • On the delays of operational expansion of telcos, PPRD asked local governments to allow them to build the necessary infrastructure to help improve their service.
• PRRD said that he could not fight corruption and that he could not find a way to move people who are resistant to finding fault.
  • He asked Congress to enact legislation that would allow them to question certain officials similar to how Parliamentary countries do it during Question Hour. He is ready to discuss this with lawmakers, but must prioritize how corruption can be cut down.
• PPRD shared that he plans to reorganize the structure of PhilHealth and impose a single line of authority. He also asked Congress to limit the time of processing procedures to three days to streamline work effectively within the organization.
  • He aired his frustrations over the challenges within PhilHealth, particularly those applications that have taken years to be processed.
  • He encouraged the public to connect with him should they have complaints and he’ll be the one to resolve the problem directly.
• PRRD shared that he also offered to resign as the country’s President because he’s already fed up with corruption. He explained that it is really difficult to contain. Even with the ongoing investigations, it continues to happen daily.
  • He further explained that it cannot be stopped because even when he was still a prosecutor in Davao City, there was already widespread corruption.
• PRRD shared that he is planning to propose to Congress to abolish PhilHealth, but is encountering challenges with regards to privitiation because private companies also do not have the budget to cover these costs.
  • He explained that this is the reason why the government is selling the country’s real estate properties in Japan to raise more money to cover for the losses of PhilHealth.
• On the inappropriate module content that went viral on social media, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said that he and Senator Bong Go are already in discussion while DepEd and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are currently investigating and recommendations will be made after.
• PRRD dwelled on the vast use of Facebook as well as the issues it can cause. He then expressed his frustration over the removal of advocacy pages of the government as it was deemed to have unusual behavior.
  • He addressed Facebook directly that they were allowed to operate in the country, provided that they could also help the government. He also questioned the relevance of their presence in the country if the government is not able to espouse or advocate something that is good for the people.
  • He advised Facebook that they cannot lay down a policy for the government that would bar or prevent it from fulfilling its objectives.
  • PRRD explained that he only holds the government’s best interest, which is why he wants to have this conversation with Facebook.
• Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III reported on the different community quarantine status across the country, effective October 1-31, 2020.
  • Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ):
    • Lanao del Sur, including Marawi City
  • General Community Quarantine (GCQ):
    • National Capital Region
    • Batangas
    • Tacloban City
    • Bacolod City
    • Iligan City
    • Iloilo City
  • Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ)
    • The rest of the Philippines

DOH Advisory

As of September 28, 2020, 4:00 PM, the Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 307,288 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 49,242 of which are active cases. Recoveries have been recorded to reach 242,665 while the local death toll has reached 5,381. Overall, the DOH also reported to have tested 3,439,095 individuals.

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For consultations, you may reach the DOH via hotline: ​(02) 894 – COVID (26843) ​or​ 1555 ​(for PLDT, Smart, Sun, and TNT subscriber)

For announcements and public advisories, you may visit the following official DOH channels:

Website: ​https://www.doh.gov.ph/
Facebook: ​https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDOHgov/
Twitter:​https://twitter.com/DOHgovph