Mayor Evelio Leonardia has welcomed the selection of Bacolod City as the lone site in the Visayas for a study on the impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
“In the midst of this health crisis, we are somehow placated that our city was chosen among the only four in the country for a case study to capacitate local government units (LGUs) in addressing the COVID-19 crisis and coping with the new normal,” Leonardia said.
The three others include Muntinlupa City for NCR, Baguio City for Luzon, and Iligan City for Mindanao.
The three others include Muntinlupa City for the National Capital Region; Baguio City for Luzon; and Iligan City for Mindanao.
The project is titled “Planning for Greater Resiliency, Addressing Pandemics/ Biohazards and Public Health Emergencies and Its Impacts to Most At-Risk Populations”.
It is a joint initiative of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef).
“The expertise of these institutions in this particular field will surely redound to the benefit of our constituents.”
“We are happy because the expertise of these institutions in this particular field will surely redound to the benefit of our constituents in Bacolod. It should put us ahead in this race against the pandemic,” the mayor added.
As of May 21, Bacolod has logged 8,791 cases, including 1,166 active cases; 7,383 recoveries; and 242 deaths, data of the DOH-Western Visayas showed.
Together with other city officials, the mayor attended an online orientation meeting, where they were officially introduced to the project and discussed details of the engagement.
As part of the project, the Planning and Development Research Foundation will conduct case studies to provide index coping of experiences, sectors, resources, capacity issues, and innovations in the LGU roles.
The DILG, DOH, and Unicef aim to support efforts in strengthening the capabilities of local governments in coping with the new normal, mitigate and address impacts of COVID-19, particularly on vulnerable sectors, and plan for similar emergencies that may occur in the future.
Through the initiative, there will be a review of existing LGU-related planning policies and procedures to assess their relevance and effectiveness in preparing for and responding to public health emergencies (PHE).
There will also be a recommendation for an LGU planning framework that integrates PHE with measures in reducing vulnerability and mitigating risks of health pandemics against the vulnerable and affected groups.