The DRRMO team of Lapu-Lapu put up signages outside the home of Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan last Friday, June 12. | Nagiel Bañacia
CEBU CITY, Philippines— With Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan being under home isolation due to the virus, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Management Office (DRRMO) head, Nagiel Bañacia, said that this had not affected the team’s effort to fight against the battle with COVID-19.
“We are not affected by or sa pagkapositive ni mayor. We already prepared for that, (and) that’s part of our planning nga if nay top officials nga ma pin down we have already contingency plans,” said Bañacia.
(We are not affected by the mayor being positive of COVID. We already prepared for that and that is part of our planning that if one of the top officials would be pinned down, then we have already contingency plans.)
Read more: Contact tracing, mass testing caused rise in Lapu’s cases
He said that since last Friday, June 12, when the team put the mayor’s house into a lockdown, they had already talked with the mayor on how the team should continue operating as the crisis management team of the city.
“We have a crisis management team. The crisis management team is the one running the show, si mayor aduna siyay iyang mga advocacies sab but in terms of the fight against COVID, it is city health, DRRMO and the hospitals who are in the frontline,” added Bañacia.
(We have a crisis management team. The crisis management team is the one running the show. The mayor, he has his own advocacies, but in terms of the fight against COVID, it is the health, DRRMO, and the hospitals who are in the frontline.)
Read more: Lapu-Lapu mayor Ahong Chan tests positive for COVID-19
The DRRMO team together with the other members of the crisis management team of the city has been running on normal operations since the mayor’s isolation.
The team is still in contact with the mayor from time to time to give updates and report on the situation with the communities.
“We are in running in normal operations, the mayor is managing through remote control or through phone calls like what he has always done,” he said.
The Oponganons are in good hands, according to Bañacia.
He also assured that they were doing their best to ensure the lives of the people in Lapu-Lapu City. /dbs