Malacañang on Monday named new ‘czars’ responsible for enforcing the country’s strategy in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, five months after the first Philippine case was recorded.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque introduced the “Philippine anti-COVID czars” during a Palace virtual press briefing. The said czars include Bases and Conversions Development Authority President and CEO Vince Dizon, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, and Health Undersecretary Dr. Leopoldo “Bong” Vega.
According to Roque, they will be the focal persons for key areas of the government’s framework to fight the pandemic which they called T3 (Test, Track, Treat).
The framework consists of five phases to address the health crisis–planning, detection of the virus, isolation, treatment, and reintegration.
Dizon is the testing czar and will be in charge of expanding the country’s COVID-19 detection efforts. Mayor Magalong of Baguio City will be the tracing czar after his city was hailed by the national government for its best practice in contact tracing in light of pandemic.
Public Works Secretary Villar meanwhile is the isolation czar and will lead the government’s plans in establishing more quarantine facilities across the country. Health Undersecretary Vega will serve as the treatment czar, in charge of monitoring the critical care capacity of hospitals for COVID-19 cases.
To date, the Philippines recorded a total number of cases to 56,259 which includes 1, 534 deaths and 16,046 recoveries.
