Presidential Communications Operations Office
Presidential News Desk
TALK TO THE PEOPLE OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE ON CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)
I will start by saying to my countrymen I hope you had a very good ex --- I would say communion with God during Easter.
I’ll go to the point now of our discussions for today. We are facing --- nagkakaroon tayo ng problema. Hindi ito perfect kaagad especially so na noon pa sinabi namin ‘yung national ID makatulong. Ang problema nito ang proponent na ayaw or the proponents of the “don’t”, itong mga left. Kaya kita mo ngayon wala tayong ID system until now.
Kung may ID system lang tayo, we could have na --- naiwasan natin itong mga ‘to. Because all we have to do --- ang kailangan lang namin tanungin namin ‘yung DILG, ilang tao ‘yang barangay na ‘yan, then isi --- ipadala namin ‘yung pagkain at kunin na lang ninyo doon sa tindahan ninyo or the disposal point wherever it is, ipakita mo ‘yung card mo, ibigay sa iyo.
Ngayon ayaw ninyo, ‘yung iba ayaw magpalista. You are not a --- hindi ka nakatira sa barangay na ito or nakatira ka sa barangay B or C. Kaya noong nagse-census ang mga barangay pati ‘yang DILG, kung wala kayo sa listahan, then hindi kayo mabigyan.
Hindi na kasalanan ‘yan --- huwag kayong magturo sa gobyerno kasi ginawa namin ang lahat noon pa kaya gusto nga namin may ID eh naniwala naman kayo sa mga left, mga komunista, eh ‘di sige. Doon kayo maniwala, may eleksyon na dadating. Doon kayo kasi mahaba pa ‘to.
Iyan ang problema. So inaayos namin ‘yan. Gusto ko lahat mabigyan. Ayaw kong may mamatay ni isang Pilipino na gutom. Kaya may another survey tayo madalian. Ang dapat diyan barangay captain because that is your duty, inyong duty ‘yan and the mayors to determine sino ‘yang hindi nasali sa listahan at mabigyan kaagad.
You know it’s a --- may Comelec listahan. Kayong mga flying voters noon, kung saan-saan kayo nagboto ayan. Hindi namin malaman ngayon kung nasaan kayo. ‘Pag tawag, wala naman kayo. So that is really a problem. It is a problema that confronts government. Problema ninyo, problema namin.
But kung magdating na tayo sa laro ng sisihan, the blame game, eh mag-unawa sana ninyo kung ano ang talagang sitwasyon ‘yung totoong realidad ng buhay natin.
Pagka ngayon we are distributing to 18 million low-income families. And ang problema nito everybody wants to have it too. Kung naman talagang wala kang kita, wala kang trabaho, naturally I said after a re-eva --- re-evaluation or revalidation at malaman na namin, I’m sure Secretary Bautista can act immediately tutal kunin lang naman ‘yan.
And sabi ko nga hindi sabihin na kung wala ka, wala ka ng --- purnada ka na. It’s not that. But kung wala ka, maghintay ka and we will come up --- alam ko sigurado. Tutal sabi nga hindi tayo maubusan ng pera. Mag-utang tayo nang mag-utang, mag-utang --- kay mag-utang, ipagbili, mapagbili, ipagbili natin lahat hanggang maubos tapos punta na tayo lahat sa Amerika.
Alam mo bakit ko sinabi ‘yan? Alam mo, I’d like to address my --- may pinapatamaan ako ang Pilipino mismo pati ‘yung mga countries that traditionally have been lukewarm or refusing to understand or causing problems for other nations --- America.
Ngayon ganito ang problema namin, America is part of the problem of the Filipinos now. Kasi sa karaming tinamaan sa kanila, marami ng patay maski sino na lang nananawagan sila basta ‘yung nurse, mga nurse sige punta kayo sa embassy, i-process nila ang visa one day, kinabukasan lipad ka na.
So ‘yung tayo naman ang task force ganito, huwag kayong umalis lahat either may gusto o wala, kagustuhan mo ayaw mo dahil mangangailangan --- there’s no end in sight, anong katapusan nito, wala pa --- and our numbers are increasing. From the 200 lang ngayon, it has ballooned umabot na ng 4,932 cases. Ang nag-recover 242, ang patay 315.
Okay na ‘to. Bakit? Hindi kami nagpapa-hero, gobyerno ‘yon nag-decide na mag-lockdown tayo. So ‘yung mga turista galing China, galing Asia, hindi na natin pinapasok at sinara ko na kaagad. So wala nang pasahan ng sakit, na menos.
Kaya kita mo sa Philippines tayo ngayon ang second. The Philippines has --- ang patay 315; Malaysia, 76; Indonesia, 373; Thailand, 40; Singapore, 8; Vietnam, 0; Brunei, 1; Cambodia, 0; Myanmar, 4; Laos, 0.
Iyan ngayon. Ayaw ko nang mag-ano sa ibang lugar. Ito ASEAN lang ‘to. Sa ibang lugar, libo na ang patay nila. In one day, America died about --- noong isang araw 1,000, yesterday… 2,000 today? Yesterday? Araw-araw ‘yan.
So ngayon nangangailangan kayo ng nurse, express. Kami naman dito nakakabahan kasi wala kaming pangbigay kasing laki so ang mga nurse natin --- eh naintindihan ko ‘yan eh self-preservation ‘yan. So kailangan magtrabaho sila. May trabaho ngayon sa Amerika, eh ‘di nagpupuntahan sila.
Ang problema nito itong Amerikano, you could have relied on your own human resource. Ibig sabihin dapat kayo umasa sana sa sariling mga tao ninyo. Eh ngayon kinukuha, kinakaltasan mo ang Pilipinas pagdating ng panahon magkulang, sorry na lang tayo.
But I cannot --- hindi ko sinisisi, hindi ako galit, wala akong emotions actually about this. But kung gusto ninyong kayong mga nurse na Pilipino gusto ninyong magsilbi sa ibang bayan, sa ibang tao, okay lang sa akin. Ito lang tandaan mo pagdating ng panahon kung maghirap kami --- hindi natin alam ngayon eh pa-increase nang increase, first wave pa ito.
So kayo na lang mag-intindi, wala akong… Iyong sinabi ni Teddy Boy na hindi natin mapigilan ang pag-alis ng mga Filipino to honor ‘yung kontrata, kasi may kontrata na, impairment of obligation of contracts at saka ‘yung their right to travel.
Ako, I’d like to take the opposite view that itong ganito sa ordinaryong --- ordinary times, talagang hindi kayo mapigilan at walang makasabi sa inyo umalis kayo o huwag kayong umalis, tanggap kayo, magpirma ka ng kontrata.
Pero alam mo during an emergency ‘yung sa ibang bansa --- gaya ng China, ‘pag sinabi ng China para, para. ‘Pag sinabi ng China bukas, bukas.
Ngayon, ‘yung Hubei, saan galing --- saan nanggaling doon ‘yung --- itong corona, naka-lockdown. Ngayon open na sila, open na ang airport. Kasi nung sinabi ni --- ng authority ni Xi Jinping, stay home for 59 days, naputol nila ang… Wala talagang lumalabas ni isa.
Eh alam mo naman sa China, delikado ka doon. ‘Pag sinabing ganun, ganun ka. ‘Pag hindi, diyan ka sa… Alam mo na. It’s a communist regime. I’m not trying to say that it’s not a democracy. It is a communist regime at it demands total obedience. Hindi ka pwede doon magsabi, “Ah hindi, hindi ganito.” Huli ka.
Dito hindi ko magawa ‘yan kasi demokrasya, papasok ang human rights, nandiyan sila Diokno, mas marunong sa --- lahat na, mga human rights, sa mga left. Kagaya nito ni Zarate, daldal nang daldal ng intelligence fund na wala hangin.
We will start giving the aid to those who are not in the list. DSWD and again mag-pinch-hit ang DILG to help in the --- or you divide the territory, ‘yung iba DILG, ‘yung iba DSWD.
‘Yung mga tao na hindi nasali sa listahan. Gagastos tayo para sa Pilipino. I said we will borrow, we will sell. Pati --- kung sinong gusto mag… ‘Yang Mt. Apo maganda ‘yan. Iyo na ‘yan, solohin mo. May butas na ‘yan doon sa taas, pumasok ka. Maganda ang cave doon. Doon nagtatago ‘yung mga NPA. Sindihan ko ‘yan. Eh ‘yung sundalo, buhusan mo ‘yan ng limang drum tapos sindihan mo.
Ika nga, sabi dito, you cannot flog a dead horse. Meaning, paano mo papakainin ‘yung kabayo kung patay na? So hindi ko kayo kabayo, just an analogy.
‘Yung low-income, that is the promise of this government that we will try to --- I’d ask Secretary Sonny to talk about this. Nauna lang ako kasi para ma-ano ninyo.
Tapos ito speech ‘to. Hindi ko lang --- hindi ako nag… Nag-i-speech ako pero istorya, istorya lang ‘yan. Eh speech, speech, lalo tayong mamatay nito.
May isa pa, ‘yung discrimination ng mga health workers. Alam mo, ‘pag tinamaan kayo ng COVID, didiretso kayo sa ospital pagka grabe na kayo. Sinong nagsusugal ng buhay nila doon? ‘Yung mga doktor pati ‘yung health workers.
Bakit ninyo…? Tutal paglabas niyan sa hospital, hoy, mga g***, cleaned na ‘yan sila. Naghugas na ‘yan. ‘Yung mga damit nilang sinuot doon hinubad na. Hubad lahat, walang naiwan. Panibago. So huwag ninyong i-discriminate ‘yan.
I’d like to order the police. If there’s a report of somebody harassing or facing a discriminatory act, you arrest the person. Huwag mong bitawan hanggang hindi ko sinabi na bitawan. Tawagan ko lang kayo kung panahon na na ano. Lalo na ‘yang binabato ‘yung bahay. Hulihin mo. Dalhin mo sa Bicutan, huwag mong i-release.
Ngayon, kung idemanda ka, sabihin mo ako. Ituro mo sa korte siya. Okay lang ‘yan tutal… At ‘yung nasa preso naman, huwag mong pakainin. Hayaan mo magutom. Ang titigas ng ulo ninyo, ‘yung mga tao… So nagsusugal ng buhay, naghihirap tapos ganunin ninyo.
Kung ganun, huwag kayong magpa-ospital. At kayo namang mga health workers, kung nakita ninyo ‘yung tao nagbato ng bahay ninyo, nandoon sa ospital ninyo, alam mo na. Alam mo na kung anong gawain mo.
Ang isa pa dito may problema kasi ‘yung reported na corona patients... Ang problema natin ‘yung not reported tapos namatay sa mga bahay-bahay at hindi ninyo alam COVID pala ang --- corona pala ang dahilan o ayaw ninyong sabihin kasi hindi kayo makapag-burol nang matagal o nahihiya kayo.
Sa tatlong ito, ilagay mo talaga ang bayan mo sa alanganin. Kaya hindi na hindi matapos ito kung ganun.
So again, it behooves upon the barangay captain to see to it that kung sino ‘yung namatay siguraduhin lang pagsabi, heart attack. Kasi kung walang pinagsasabi then testing kaagad.
‘Yung pamilya mismo ng namatayan, testing kaagad. At kung malaman ko na namatay sa corona, kunin ko ‘yung patay at sa gusto ninyo at hindi, magagalit kayo sa akin, wala na rin akong magawa, trabaho ko ‘yan, dalhin ko ‘yan doon sa crematory sunugin ko. ‘Yan ang trabaho ko.
Maganda pakinggan sa inyo, okay lang, nagpapasalamat ako. Ayaw ninyong umintindi, okay rin sa akin. Maligaya rin ako tutal ito akin trabaho lang.
‘Yung minsan ‘yang cruelty, not at this time. We need to treat the sick, we have to feed our people and we need the frontliners, nurses, doctor, lahat, health workers, nakakapagtrabaho ng may kooperasyon sa inyo.
Sabihin ko sa inyo, hulihin kayo dalhin kayo sa Bicutan at huwag i-release hanggang hindi matapos ang COVID. Bahala kayo sa buhay ninyo. Hiningi ninyo eh.
Now itong pagkukulang, may mga medisina kasi --- may mga kits, testing kits na kailangan natin. I… Maybe Joey Concepcion will explain it to us. Tanggalin mo lang ‘yung ano. Hindi ka naman mamamatay, mayaman ka naman. Maraming pera.
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP JOEY CONCEPCION: Mr. President, so…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Ah sandali. Tapusin ko lang itong --- kaunti na lang.
Itong namatay Joey na hindi tinanggap ng anim na hospital. I don’t know if this is true. For example, there’s a patient in the City of Cabanatuan who was refused admission by six hospitals.
Alam mo, you know guys, alam ninyo mali ‘yan. So ‘pag totoo ‘yan, I will really ask the Justice Department to prosecute you kasi alam ninyo na hindi pwede ‘yan, especially the government hospital.
Merong gobyerno. You could have just looked for a house there na ano o kwarto kung saan adjunct diyan sa hospital at i-sanitize na ninyo at doon ninyo nilagay.
Paano ‘yung mga Pilipino na ganoon? Kaya lahat na magkasakit, heart attack, appendicitis, pumutok ang kung anong puputok diyan, pumutok ‘yung utak, especially government hospital, my order is: must accept admission. You fail on that, I will relieve all of you sa hospital and you can consider yourself suspended because the written order will follow.
Itong sa swab, mayroong mga ano --- ang sabi hindi mabili kasi ito ganito kulang sa health assessment so we do not have that certification and I cannot wait until all Filipinos die. Sabi nila hindi daw. And there are some objections ng mga --- mga --- even doctors.
Look, if you have a better way of dealing with the problem, tell us please. Kung kayong mga left may mabuti kayong paraan, sige kayo dito.
Sabihan ninyo itong mga trabahante, sila General Galvez, Sonny Dominguez and we will accommodate you and do exactly what you would advise us to do. But if you do not have a better way of dealing with this problem, then I said kindly step aside and keep quiet.
Just like in other countries, ‘yung iba na sumunod talaga kagaya ng Korea and --- ‘yung may disiplina na bayan, alam mo medyo humina sila.
Pero sa Amerika, kasi maraming hindi rin nag --- sumusunod. At Pilipinas, hindi tayo bumaba. Tumaas tayo from a few hundred to a thousand now, 4,932 as of 4 p.m. today. Ngayon, April 13, at 4 p.m., the record stands like this: number of cases, four thousand --- ulitin ko ito para papasok sa utak ninyo --- 4,932; ang nag-recover, 242; ang patay, 315. Mas marami ang patay kaysa naka-recover.
At ‘yang recover na ‘yan it’s not a recovery of one day, two days. Stay in the hospital or you stay where you are. If you are treated, you might pull through.
Hindi na nahinto ito kasi maski nag --- kaya ako na-late kami, ‘yung expert ng mga taga-WHO… Hindi talaga ito maputol. Maganda pa naman sana ang record ng Pilipinas because naka-lockdown tayo on time. Nasira natin ‘yung pinto bago pumasok ‘yung mga aswang.
Pero may pumupuslit eh, ‘yung sumusugal. Pumupunta ng --- magsugal, mag-inom o kaya sa palengke. There seems to be a lack of uniformity in the matter of enforcing the distance rule, ‘yung social distancing.
Alam mo ‘pag hindi natin ito susunod, walang mangyari. Wala talagang mangyari. Kami dito salita nang salita hanggang makuha rin namin ang COVID, baka una kaming mamatay. Pero hindi talaga ito makatulong sa Pilipino.
Huwag munang lumabas ng bahay. Ang buong mundo, pwera sa China, doon sa Hubei, doon nag-umpisa ‘yung --- Hubei --- nag-umpisa ‘yung kuwan, ngayon ayos na sila. What a --- anong tawag nito? How would I…? Napaka-ano na --- what an irony. Galing sila --- sa kanila, tapos sila ang nauna nag-open, okay na sila.
Ganito ‘yan ha. Patapos na ako, tapos si Joey.
Itong epidemic or pandemic hindi ito natapos na sabihin mo ‘yung nasa ospital, ‘yung ginagamot ngayon, ‘yon ‘yung first wave. May second wave ito.
‘Yung mga tao noong ka --- kakahawa lang o noon sipon pa lang tapos ginagamot na itong nauna, ‘yung iba namatay, ‘yung iba na --- lumusot --- eh ‘yung iba hindi pa masyado, ‘yan ang second wave. Tapos kung naubos na ‘yan meron pa talagang third wave.
Ganito na lang para maintindihan ninyo. Kung ako ang nagbebenta ng mangga, ang order ko sa mga supplier ko, bigyan mo ako ng hinog, ready to eat, ready for serving. Tapos bigyan mo rin ako ‘yang hindi masyado hinog, ‘yung green, yellow kasi ‘pag natapos na ito, itong mga hinog na ito within two, three days mahinog na rin ito, ‘yun ang ipapasok, ‘yon ang second.
Ang third, ‘yon ‘yung mangga na talagang green pa. Wala pang yellow, wala pang --- walang kulay pa, ito ‘yung third wave. ‘Pag nabenta mo na itong second wave, ito ‘yung third. Ganun ang epidemic.
Habang namamatay ‘yung unang tinamaan, ospital o sa bahay, ‘yung iba na nahawa lang bago lang, ‘yon ‘yung ang --- sila ang second wave. Tapos ‘yung third wave ‘yung panghuli pero paliit na ‘yan.
‘Yan ang ibig sabihin kung bakit kayo i-maintain ninyo ang social distancing or the distant rule.
Ngayon ang mga mayor dito… Noong una ko hong nakita sa palengke, mga ano pa, may tiga-bantay tapos parang… “Sige, ikaw na ang sunod.” Parang sa bangko. Tapos nakapila, “O ikaw naman.”
Pagpasok sa palengke, ang gawain ninyo dito, bili kayo ng tarapal mainit ‘yan, pero --- o you might want to use another material that is not --- that is heat absorbent, palinyahin talaga ninyo.
Kayong mga mayors, huwag kayong maglaro kasi ang ayaw ninyo mag-social distancing mapipilitan ako puntahan kita at arestuhin kita. Ayaw kong mag-aresto ng mayor.
So huwag ka magsabi, “Ay hindi meron kaming batas sunod.” Sa panahon na ito ang batas isa lang, ang batas ng DOH as implemented by Lorenzana, Año, Galvez, pati itong isang… ‘Yan, ‘yan ‘yang silang tatlo. ‘Yan ‘yung batas ngayon.
Ngayon kung salubungin mo ‘yan, mapipilitan akong puntahan ka at sabihin ko sa inyo, anong klase ka? Meron nang ibinibigay na instruction. ‘Yung iyong point of view o sarili mong paniwala, taguin mo lang ‘yan. Punta ka doon sa --- pasok sa kwarto mo, kunin mo lahat sa bulsa mo ‘yung iyong opinyon, ilagay mo sa drawer mo tapos sundin mo lang ang gobyerno.
Okay tayo diyan? Mayor? Governors? Ako... I am your public servant. Kayong mga mayor bata-bata lang ninyo ako. Utusan ninyo ako kung anong gusto ninyo basta makapabuti sa bayan gagawin ko. Huwag kayong mag-alala hindi na ako politiko.
Wala rin akong silbi na. Pag-retire ko, wala na akong gawin eh. Nandiyan na lang ako sa bahay, hindi na ako makalakad. Kasi maglakad ako magsabi ‘yan si Honeylet, “O saan ka? Wala ka namang appointment bakit ka labas nang labas? Siguro may ano…” Hindi ka talaga nagkamali. Pero hindi --- hindi ka naman makalabas. Away lang. Awayin ka ng anak mong babae, magsumbong eh. “Ala o ‘yung Dada mo gusto na…” Eh ‘pag pumorma na 'yang anak mo, eh ‘di wala na.
So ‘wag ninyo akong --- ready to ano ako --- ready to go. At asahan ninyo hindi ako magpapakulong. Pero ito ha, ito tatandaan niyo, Pilipino, ayaw ko talagang kulungin kita. Maski ako dito, t*** i** kinulong ako. Mabuti kayo wala kayong guwardiya. Akala mo ba maniwala itong guwardiya ko?
Sabihin ko ‘yan sila minsan, pagalitan [garbled] pati mga anak ko. Ang sagot sa amin, sir, ang trabaho namin hindi ikaw, batas eh. Sinusunod lang ‘yung --- sinusunod lang namin ano ‘yung inuutos ng batas sa amin. Eh kung ikaw gusto mong magpakamatay, hawakan ka talaga namin. Pero ‘pag naasar kami itutulak ka talaga namin sa Pasig. P***, kaya ganun.
Meron ng --- I cannot mention the pharmaceutical giants. Pero meron na hong nakade --- nakapag --- gumawa ng antibody. 'Yung antibody na hindi galing sa tao. ‘Yun kasing ‘yung antibody na mag-fight ang ano mo, ang sarili mong antibodies tapos ma-overwhelm mo ‘yung kalaban, ‘yan gawa ng katawan mo. Mukhang ito sa basa ko... Wala akong ginawa kung hindi magbasa, makinig, mag --- inuutusan ko sila psst… Hindi man ako marunong ng ano --- hanggang pindot-pindot lang ako.
Meron ng medisina, antibody ang isang giant pharmaceuticals. Tapos naghahabulan sila. Sabi by May baka they would start to market it, ipabili na nila. Ang problema sabi nga ni --- we are on the last ladder. Ang mauna niyan ‘yung mga mayaman na --- kasi marami ‘yan eh, kailangan. So as fast as they can really manufacture or farm out the --- the product, just retain the copyright para magtulungan sila.
Kung meron na 'yan tapos makita ko na ginagamit na ng tao, ili-lift ko. Tutal kung magkasakit kayo may antibodies naman tayo mabili. Ngayon, kung wala kang mabili, problema mo na ‘yan kasi tapos na ‘yung --- I will lift the quarantine.
Ngayon paglabas ninyo ganun pa man, I would still insist… Kasi sabi ng mga scientist dito nakikinig ako --- hindi ‘yang scientist sa TV ‘yang nagsasalita na personal --- sikreto ganun pa man. Mask --- 'yung… [Saan na ‘yung akin? Ah ito. Ganito…] [puts on a face mask] Mask, alcohol, pati maghugas. Hindi na 'yang sabon na --- sabon na ordinaryo. Basta soap and water, okay na ‘yan.
Alam mo ‘pag --- ‘pag nagsama lang tayo kaya natin ito. Kaunting panahon na lang. Alam ko igit na igit na kayo na makalabas. Ngayon ‘pag lumabas lang itong antibody na gawa nila sa labas. Parang inumin mo, parang --- kumbaga sa bacteria pa, antibiotic, sisirain niya. Kasi itong… Ah huwag na. Para mo pang sabihin ma-scientist pa ako. The nature of a COVID, gusto ko sanang… Baka sabihin ninyo, “Bakit? Hindi ka naman doktor.” Bahala na ang mga doktor mag-explain.
So I will start with Joey. Kasi ngayon ang pinakaburning issue ‘yung middle class ba, ‘yung mga MSME. After that Sonny will follow. Joey mauna ka, then Sonny will give his piece of…
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP JOEY CONCEPCION: Mr. President ah…
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Mukhang kayo lang man ang dalawa ang ano dito. I'd like to ask the Presidential Spokesman to listen so that you can formulate a very coherent thing of presentation.
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP JOEY CONCEPCION: So Mr. President I think a state --- a question was asked a couple of weeks ago: which is more important life or money? There is no doubt that life is the most important. But however, without money, how will people eat? How will people buy medicine? And how will our MSMEs recover? So how do we bring back the economy in a sustainable way and still make it safe?
Mr. President, you did the right thing when you locked down at the right time. We are close to having… We basically are close to finishing the one month. And are we --- we are moving to the second --- the third reset which is two more weeks. So it’s a total of three resets or six weeks in total that we have been locked down.
And I think now is the time that we should really look and plan on how to gradually shift towards reviving the economy because in the end, social amelioration cannot last forever. We have to bring back the jobs. For confidence to be brought back, I think they have to see that are numbers --- the number of people getting infected are starting to taper off and go down.
And I believe that with that and with the assurance that we, in government, are really on top of the situation and finding all means to really help every Filipino worker out there, I think we will win this war. And I’m sure that with our three veteran generals who are now implementing this whole execution, and I believe that in the end, you can have a great plan --- but in the end, the key is really execution.
So I am confident that Secretary Galvez is leading this role and I think he definitely has the full private sector’s support. The donations from the private --- the support has been quite immense. And the --- our… We are still there because in the end, if we don't bring back the economy, then many of our Filipino brothers will suffer.
And that's our goal to really push hard. And I think, in the end, Mr. President, with your leadership, and your gut feel, I think we will succeed.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Thank you, Joey. I hope I'll have the time to review your suggestions then I'll come up with something which we can convey to you maybe in two days’ time?
And now, we would like to ask Sonny, Secretary Dominguez. He has a lot for you, you just listen itong mga...
DOF SECRETARY CARLOS DOMINGUEZ III: Thank you very much, Mr. President. First of all, thank you for again being very decisive and protecting the Filipino people against this COVID.
I had a meeting with the World Bank a few days ago and they said that your decisiveness in first, reducing the number of --- the number of people coming into the Philippines in February and then in March followed up by the lockdown probably has saved 100,000 lives in the Philippines. So again, thank you for being so decisive.
This is the trade --- this is the real trade-off. How many people are going to get sick and how many people are going to die? So I said this is just a first pass. It took us two weeks to get this thing done.
I asked the private sector to do it because they have actuaries, they have access to data. But they have not come out with it. So I'm not saying this is the final. I'm just saying this is the beginning of a discussion.
DOF UNDERSECRETARY KARL KENDRICK CHUA: Good evening po, Mr. President, Senator Go, and Cabinet members. This will just be very quick. So the proposal is we provide small businesses with a wage subsidy. And I will just discuss quickly the rationale, background, the proposal, key features, and what else we are proposing to help them with.
So on the rationale, Mr. President, basically we are going to help the middle class because in one of your speech a few days ago, you wanted to help the middle class. And so we have proposed a program to help the middle class. And the middle class, Mr. President, works in the formal sector.
So apart from the 205 billion pesos na ibinibigay po natin sa mga informal sector or low-income, we are going to give --- we are proposing to give 51 billion pesos to the employees of small businesses. So that is the first.
The second is we will improve upon the social amelioration programs because 'yung proposal po natin is automated, hindi manual. So mabilis at ipapaliwanag ko po mamaya.
Pangatlo po is dadaan po tayo sa data ng SSS and BIR kasi formal sector. Dapat ito po 'yung gawin natin so that we can target better kasi alam natin kung sino sila at i-incentivize po natin 'yung better compliance kasi 'yung mga nagko-contribute ng tax at ng SSS, 'yan po ang unang tutulungan natin.
On the background from March 15 to April 30, we placed Luzon in an enhanced community quarantine. And the rest of Visayas and Mindanao actually followed in various forms.
Basically, ang nangyari po is this led to a shut down of most businesses except 'yung pinayagan ng Inter-Agency Task Force 'yung mga pwedeng mag-operate on skeletal or 'yung mga essential para magbenta ng pagkain, logistics, supermarket, drugstore.
Ang epekto po nito, there are 1.6 million small businesses in the informal sector: 436,000 po napilitang magsara; 'yung 1 million, skeletal force. So ibig sabihin 50 percent or 'yung iba mas kaunti. At 117,000 lang 'yung pinayagan po natin na magbukas para magbenta po ng pagkain, mag-trucking, or so on.
Ang apektado pong workers ay 3.4 million. These are the middle class, whether low middle class or medium middle class. 'Yung 2.6 million na po ito ay nasa BIR Alphalist. Ibig sabihin, 'yung employers po ay nagko-comply with the BIR submissions. So 'yan po ang unang tutulungan natin.
Pero 'yung .8 million workers, tutulungan din natin pero ang problema po 'yung employer nila hindi nagko-comply pero alam po natin. Tutulungan po natin pero second priority.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Now, if there is nothing more to say, that leaves me to two matters, actually.
One is that I would advise the checkpoints not to be dismantled especially by the police but this is my order: Do not stop motor vehicles carrying food and other vegetables from the province. Wave them through and do not delay their journey because people are waiting for the supplies.
Second is that there is a kind of a ruckus now regarding the procurement of the PCR testing kits of 900 people. Essential kits and other kits in activation supplies, [PCR] consumables, seven [PCR] machines, 10 automated extracting machine and 10 biomedical freezer additional equipment for subnational and regional testing laboratories.
Eh kasi itong ano dito, when you use public funds on anything that's medical or medicine, you want to have the health assessment. I think it comes from the Department of Health.
But unfortunately until now, they are still debating on the efficacy of the rapid tests we would like to buy. Alam mo, there is no FDA ruling yet because they cannot act on it without the assessment something --- health assessment of the entire --- maybe the entire country before they would act on it --- ang FDA, which I can understand.
But 'yung assessment na galing sa DOH or a section of that department handling the assessment of the entire health spectrum, it's been there and nobody seems would --- would like to act on it with a --- well, in a jiffy.
Parang ano pa sila --- daladalawang-isip. And there's a rule that we cannot use public funds to buy medical supplies, medicines, without the FDA signal. So there's a... Na-hostage 'yung mga rapid tests that we would like to buy.
I will take the risk. I will order the Health department and everybody. In the meantime, the private sector is doing it. Maybe we can take over someday or do it altogether with your help. I am clearing the way by ordering the purchase tutal walang FDA local.
But what we are trying to buy outside is approved by the FDA United States of America. So in a sense that almost all of what we eat, buy products of all sorts, pagka meron ng FDA approved, there's a mark sa FDA and galing Amerika, kampante naman tayo niyan.
As a matter of fact, I do not really believe that they would do more testing. Ganun lang 'yan. And so pagka walang 'yung assessment galing doon sa baba sa DOH, hindi natin mabili. I'm clearing the way. I will ask Secretary Duque to talk to the people in charge --- si Secretary Galvez.
And they can proceed to buy it immediately as fast as you can really do the procurement at this time. Take note of the fact that we are all in this, the entire world. We might not have the supply and also my fear that kung nandiyan 'yung antibody, of course the rich nations will get it first before we can.
And that I condition --- I placed a condition there na kung nandiyan na 'yung antibody available na sa market dito and they’re being sold in quantity --- in numbers --- then I am inclined to maybe, at that time, lift the lockdown.
Yes, Secretary Nograles?
CABINET SECRETARY KARLO ALEXEI NOGRALES: Mr. President, we might have a solution to the problem. ‘Yung limitation po natin is because of the Universal Health Care Law. And the Universal Health Care Law specifically provides na ‘yung DOH and PhilHealth cannot procure unless may approval ng HTA Council. Ito ‘yung HTAC, ‘yung Health Technology Assessment Council.
But nothing will preclude, Mr. President, any other agency from purchasing. So hindi lang pwede ang DOH at PhilHealth but because we are in the state of calamity, OCD can purchase. So tama ‘yung sabi mo sir na si Secretary Galvez and OCD can do the purchase. But --- or PS-DBM, sir. Basta huwag lang DOH, PhilHealth. But PS-DBM can do the purchasing or the OCD, sir.
SEC. DOMINGUEZ: How much?
PEACE PROCESS SECRETARY AND COVID-19 CHIEF IMPLEMENTER CARLITO GALVEZ JR.: Sir, we have to tandem the ano --- the PCR and the ano --- for safety, sir. So we will ano --- if we will buy 900,000 --- actually sir, 40,000 kits of Sansure can already test 900,000. So if we will test 900,000, the ano --- the rapid test should be more or less twice as the PCR.
So the PCR that we will be buying worth 3.3 billion to include all the ano --- the capacitation of more or less --- more or less 28 nationwide accredited civilian and priv --- government --- government hospitals.
Because we believe in your --- in your briefing…
SEC. DOMINGUEZ: Two million, 2 million. ‘Di ba Karl? Two million, that’s 2 million.
SEC. GALVEZ: Yes, sir, 2 million --- 2 million… Actually we will test --- rapid test 2 million and 900,000 for the PCR for the confirmatory. So that’s ano --- that’s the ano sir --- that’s the…
We have --- we have --- we have to have really to have a safety for the false positive and false negative with the PCR. And also, in order for that --- for us also to test the ano --- the ano, the efficacy of the rapid test. So that’s the --- that’s the point sir that we have to really to buy both.
SEC. DOMINGUEZ: How much do you need?
SEC. GALVEZ: The ano --- the PCR and all the ano --- the automated refraction and all --- included the PCR sir, it costs us three --- 3.2 billion.
I already submitted it to PS-DBM for the immediate procurement.
SEC. DOMINGUEZ: How about the rapid test?
SEC. GALVEZ: The rapid tests, we have not yet… Because --- because we have to ano sir, we have to be careful. There are rapid tests that sometimes it really gave us false ano, sir --- merong mga rapid test na ano sir na kailangan maano natin talaga na FDA approved.
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP JOEY CONCEPCION: Sec., I can answer that. If you buy in volume, the releasing purchase of Ayala, you can get it anywhere between five dollars to seven dollars. If you buy a million dollars’ worth, it will go down that low.
So there are… It is based on volume. We can get it much cheaper if you’d get it in volume eh.
There’s one FDA brand that was purchased recently by Ayala. That’s a --- but you have to buy it via quantity. I asked DTI to canvass all the different rapid test, IgG and IgM. They have a list there and I can have them send it to you. But the price goes down if it’s really in a big volume.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Well, I said you can go ahead and buy it immediately. You have my clearance. Okay.
So there you are, sana na --- napaintindi ko sa mga kababayan natin kung ano ang ginagawa natin and what are the things that we intend to do in the future.
This corona is --- ano ito --- it’s a wildcard sa health ng tao. So, we do not know how this will end, when. But for lack of a better way of protecting the people that is except by asking you to go inside your houses, with my assurance that when the antibody that’s being --- I said it has passed the medical test o ‘yung clinical test nila, it’s ready to be sold by May. Kung makita ko nandiyan at magkaroon tayo ng supply, then I am ready to lift.
Kasi wala talagang vaccine. It might come, it might not. But itong antibody which is --- which has been manufactured outside of the human body parang killer ito na ano --- just like the antibiotic, talagang bibirahin niya ‘yung bacteria.
Ito naman ‘yung virus --- ‘yung katawan lang natin. But you know, for whatever it is really worth we have to thank these guys for coming up and whether… If we --- the efficacy is really sort of hangs in the balance. But with the assurance that they have tested it medically, I am sure that we are able to come up with something. Buy it. And if I think that it is really there for good and can help people, then I am ready I said to lift the lockdown.
Rolly has a --- ah wala ka namang problema, Rol? Everything is smooth. I said the middle class, your patience.
‘Yung hindi nakakain, I give it to the barangay captains and the mayors to supervise and look for those guys who are there in the periphery of the barangay --- not exactly inside, and that is why maybe they are not included in the listing. Look for those guys in the periphery or na-distansiya.
Sometimes you have to walk about five or 10 --- not really 10 --- five or about two kilometers sa bukid. That is the average between one house to another. We have to reach out to them, and this can only be done if the mayor, municipal or city, orders it and the barangay captains follow the order. Then we would have shortened everything. As explained by Mr. Concepcion, Joey, things might go all right for this country.
So I’d like to thank everybody and if you still have some… Let me see itong dagdag. They come in…
All that I ask is that you wear a mask, one that’s durable. One that is --- hindi ‘yung laylay. Eh ‘yung iba naka --- nakasabit na lang diyan sa ilong ninyo. It is not sealed, hindi mo ma…
Well, at least itong paggamit nito [puts on face mask] i-ganun mo. Sabi ni --- ito as demonstrated by Dr. Dominguez kanina, i-ganun mo parang iselyado mo so that hindi magpasok ‘yung ano... Higpitan mo lang kaunti dito and be sure to…
‘Di matanong ko muna. Do we have enough masks for the entire country?
SEC. GALVEZ: Sir, the Indian community and also with the --- the Indian Chamber just bought 6 million --- 6 million masks. And I believe when they donated to us 115 --- 150,000 masks, they are planning to buy it again to China. So they already distributed it.
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP JOEY CONCEPCION: Yeah. Si Rex Daryanani is planning to bring --- he brought two planes. He’s looking at bringing another plane.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I don't know if I have to say this but I have a sort of a note from President Xi Jinping expressing his full support for us at this time and citing what we did to help China and of course to erase the --- not really erase but to counter the malign that they were suffering at early at this stage.
Hindi naman nila kasalanan galing ‘yung --- who would really want to invent a microbe to kill humankind pati ‘yung iyo.
So he says that they are ready and I would like to thank President Xi Jinping for his support. At kung galing lang China, wala kayong problema.
I think we can have the priority anytime. It’s in the other countries, producing the antibody. But if China catches up with them, eh ‘di okay na. Then maybe miracle will happen and civilization is back on its feet. That is how I see it.
So mga kababayan ko, ginawa --- ginawa namin lahat ito. One is that I really do not want to see a single Filipino dying of --- lalo na ‘yung mga bata.
So again at the risk of being redundant or repetitious again I would like to say that: Go out and seek the hungry before they die and itong mga…
Actually I do not know if it’s still applicable. It’s a poor man’s standard eh. Nobody should be offended by this because that is what we have been using even in our speeches in public.
Alam mo kasi unfairly though, I don’t know if it is a --- the classification is still good pero ang ating society in terms of wealth or who has the capacity to hold the money --- ang number one is the class A, group A which are really the billionaires: the Ayalas and all of them. Good for them. And the second is class B, still the millionaires but not as rich and not as powerful as class A.
Then we have the C --- class C. I don’t know if this holds --- if this will hold true until now --- ang class C ‘yon ‘yung mga mayaman na nakapagbili kotse bago, bahay.
Ang class D, you have to divide this: upper D, 'yung may mga trabaho at wala masyadong utang. At ito namang lower --- Class D lower, dalawa 'yan division na kailangan talaga ng tulong.
At 'yung nagbabayad, I said that… Well, it was Governor Remulla who suggested it first. It was just also a prayer to government na this group or this class of people should be looked into and receive assistance.
So I said we study and we might be able to produce the money. Sonny is doing his best and I said ang ano lang is we can still borrow. But 'pag wala na then we start to...
Kung ano 'yung mga bagay-bagay natin. Kaya nga eh, meron kang ano diyan to save for the rainy day and when everything is almost gone and there is nowhere --- a source that you can find, we can always start selling the properties.
Now ‘yung kung sino ‘yung makabili ng Cultural Center, parang palasyo 'yan. Pwede mong gawaing palasyo nandiyan ka sa trono then... Marami 'yan. The whole of Dewey Boulevard, marami tayong lupa diyan. And its --- itong --- the peripheral lands around PICC pati 'yung Cultural Center.
So 'yan ang sinasabi ko. Ang problema is wala pang vaccine. It should be the number one cure actually. But there's a glimmer of hope dito sa mga medisinang nagawa ng mga pharmaceuticals.
Again, I repeat, ito 'yung antibody. It is not a vaccine because hindi naman ito kinuha ng tao. I really do not know. It might pero little lumalabas doon sa data na ibinibigay diyan sa --- sa mga media outlets. Pero 'pag nandiyan na 'yan, at least siguro na tayo.
So with that, I'd like to thank everybody. Still, my salute, my snappy salute goes to the health workers, mga doktor, nurses, and we will protect you. We will find a way of...
You know pagka gabi na and you are still far away from your home kasi hindi naman dineli --- you are not delivered or conveyed hanggang hagdanan. So ito lang ang magawa ko sa lahat. If you are still about a kilometer away na malayo ka at may makita ka ng pulis, parahin mo. Tumigil ka diyan sa gitna at sabihin mo sa pulis, magpahatid ka.
So the PNP is put on notice that kung 'yung mga ganun, hindi naman stranded. But there are few public motor vehicles running at saka 'yung may mga franchises, most of them are also inside their houses or has taken off for a vacation. So the police should come in. Iyong mga health workers may card man 'yan na naglalakad, tanungin ninyo kung gaano siya kalayo pa at pasakayin ninyo. Give them a lift and deliver them to their house.
Galing terminal hindi naman na-deliver 'yan ng tao por tao sa bahay, bababa sa terminal and if you feel that you have to walk, you have --- you really have to walk. And if you feel tired or just want to go easy, you flag down any police, military or police and my order is this: Give them a lift. Tumulong kayo sa kapwa tao natin.
These guys are important in our fight because without them all is lost. So again I ask for everyone's cooperation.
Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat.