IATF Cebu City: Joel named deputy chief implementor

CEBU, Philippines —  With his designation as deputy chief implementer of Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Cebu City, Councilor Joel Garganera hopes to achieve three things: urgency, efficiency, and transparency.

As this developed, IATF Visayas convened the Association of Barangay Councils recently to help strengthen the partnership between the city's EOC and barangay chiefs.

Garganera’s new role is in line with implementation of the Cebu City Local Action Plan (CCLAP) which seeks to streamline processes and enhance the city's capability to stop the threat of COVID-19.

CCLAP, mainly implemented by the city's Task Force Against COVID-19 (TFAC), is undertaking a responsive, efficient, and proactive system in the fight against the virus.

“Having been appointed as the new deputy chief implementor for operations, we would like to achieve three things: urgency, efficiency, and transparency,” said Garganera.

Garganera reported the steps the city has been taking to address the rising number of cases.

With the help of Secretary Roy Cimatu, Major General Mel Feliciano, Mayor Edgardo Labella, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), and City Health Department, the city has expanded its reach and increased its resources in order to ramp up COVID-19 response.

More contact tracers

Garganera said the number of contact tracing teams and swabbing teams has been increased.

From having five groups of contact tracers last April, the city now has 50 teams with five members each who are already being deployed.

The councilor said the city established a system for internal real time updates and maximized the use of cluster clinics.

“We are also working on increasing our capacity for extraction and isolation,” said Garganera.

Garganera said the city sought the active cooperation of different stakeholders and has slowly established an advisory council for the decision making process composed of experts.

“We have already established a centralized data for level 1 and level 2 of our triage system and will be seeking the participation of the hospitals (level 3) for a more holistic and comprehensive data relating to the status of the city. We will also closely coordinate with funeral parlors relating to real time updates as to the deaths,” said Garganera.

“Simultaneously, we will also conduct data verification to ensure the integrity of our data. This data will then be analyzed in order to guide us in transitioning towards our new normal. We have also been receiving support from data analysts in order to improve the integrity and accuracy of our data,” he added.

Garganera added that City Administrator Floro Casas Jr. is currently working on incentives for the frontliners, as well as the locally stranded individuals (LSIs). Casas is also facilitating the allowances and honorariums of the volunteers for the timely release of such.

The councilor vowed to address the public as often as possible for updates as to the intervention taken by the EOC to fight the pandemic.

In the next few days, we will also be presenting our roadmap for COVID-19 response on where we are right now and the goal we want to attain. We will also inform the public on how we can cooperate together in order for us to get through this together,” said Garganera.

“Therefore, we are opening our lines for your concerns, suggestions, complaints, and questions, and we will take it objectively and constructively,” he added.

Boosting partnership

Meanwhile, IATF officials in the Visayas met with barangay officials yesterday to discuss ways on how to strengthen partnership between the EOC and the barangays.

This developed as the EOC continues to improve its data collection efficiency at the barangay level, a move that would enable the city to craft more responsive measures against COVID-19.

In a teleconference, Feliciano, who is assisting COVID-19 Cebu overseer Roy Cimatu, asked the barangay leaders to find ways on how they can more effectively enforce quarantine guidelines in their respective areas.

“Everyone should make a recommendation on the issue of lockdown. We are eyeing a granular lockdown so that we will not impose unnecessary restriction on everybody,” Feliciano said.

Garganera, for his part, said he recognizes the need to breathe life into Cebu City's economy, while ensuring the public’s health and safety.

“We really have to prepare and show that we can contain the positive cases through quarantine measures, in order to graduate from ECQ. Through our partnership, I am confident we can do this,” he said.

The teleconference was also attended by ABC President Franklyn Ong, Cebu City Police Director, Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, and EOC in charge of health facilities, Dr. Michelle Linsalata.  JMD (FREEMAN)