“Hindi ko kayo mapigilan na lumabas. Hindi ko kayo mahuli lahat. Ang problema pati mga bata…you allow children to go out when the place is not yet ready for them outside, at nagkasakit [sila], ‘wag ninyo kaming sisihin. Do not forget that we warned you about the grave consequences.”
[I won’t be able to stop you from going outside. I can’t catch all of you. The problem is, you also allow children to go out when the place is not yet ready for them outside. When they get sick, don’t blame us. Do not forget that we warned you about the grave consequences.]
President Rodrigo Duterte uttered these words of warning to the public as he addressed them in a scheduled briefing about the government’s COVID-19 pandemic response.
“Madami pa ang namamatay (many people are still dying),” he added, noting of tallies of coronavirus-linked fatalities across the world.
Duterte called on the public to continue observing COVID-19 policies, like physical distancing and wearing face masks.
The Philippines, as of Monday, has recorded 26,420 COVID-19 cases with 1,098 deaths and 6,252 recoveries.
Duterte also expressed his sentiments against holding physical classes, pushing for Department of Education’s implementation of online enrollment policies and “blended” learning for students, which involves mixed-use of online platforms, printed or digital modules, and radio and television.
“In your desire to resume classes, ang kapalit niyan is really… the COVID is still here. Instead, we will follow a blended learning approach. Part of this learning strategy is distance and online learning using communications technology and digital devices,” Duterte said.
