Duterte to Pinoys: Help each other to heal, rebuild
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte told Filipinos to help one another to heal and rebuild as the country celebrates its second pandemic Christmas under the threat of a more infectious coronavirus variant and in the heels of the onslaught of Typhoon Odette.
“There is a time and season for everything, and Christmas is a time for peace. Let us continue to help each other to heal and rebuild our lives,” Duterte said in his Christmas message.
He added, “This will lead us to open our hearts and our homes, especially for those who are most in need so that they, too, may have joy and hope while we all work together towards better days ahead.”
The president also appealed to Filipinos to welcome Christmas with stronger faith and hope as the country tries to recover from Odette and the pandemic.
As the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads and upends Christmas celebrations globally, the Philippines got a taste of a somewhat normal holiday revelry as the number of new infections decreased, although some experts have flagged that the positivity rate in Metro Manila has picked up.
The government has attributed the decline in new COVID-19 cases to its vaccination drive that has so far inoculated over 43% of the population, and more than 90% of business hub Metro Manila’s residents.
But its overall response to COVID-19 is still wanting, especially on the fronts of testing and contact tracing.
With Odette, Duterte has apologized for the delay in the government’s response in areas struck by the typhoon, but vowed that aid is on the way.
He committed P10 billion in aid for Odette victims, but the budget department has only released P1 billion to local governments affected by the typhoon. — Xave Gregorio
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