TOBOSO, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The mayor here has offered his personal property as one of the possible sites to put up isolation areas for suspected COVID infections.
“That way there is no need to bring patients here to Bacolod City,” Mayor Richard Jaojoco told DNX on the third day of the lockdown he has declared over this northern town, 120 kilometers north of Bacolod City, the province’s political and economic center.
Jaojoco said the lot where his house stands has enough space to put up isolation tents where persons under investigation can be isolated.
Elders of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints have also offered the use of the grounds of two Mormon churches here as isolation areas, he revealed.
Jaojoco said the town has also requested the education department to allow them to use two school buildings here as isolation areas.
Stringent DepEd procedures, however, has delayed the plan to use the government facilities. (READ: “Experimental” technique vs COVID in little town)
APPEAL TO BRIONES
Jaojoco appealed to Education Sec. Leonor Briones to relax the rules on school building use.
“We are under extraordinary times and strict protocols will delay the urgent need to use whatever government has,” the mayor said.
He pointed out, as an example, the DepEd’s insistence to sign a memorandum of agreement with the local government before they can use the buildings.
That process, he said, takes a lot of time in a situation that requires swift and decisive action.
“If the time comes that DepEd needs my help and I will burden them with a lot of requirements that would not look nice, too. Isn’t it? he said.
