DUMAGUETE CITY, Nov. 9 (PIA) -- A top official of the Negros Oriental Inter-Agency Task Force-Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) has appealed to Local Chief Executives (LCEs) in the province to assess their COVID-19 situation first before allowing cockpit arenas to resume operations.
Assistant Provincial Health Officer and IATF Ground Commander Dr. Liland Estacion made her appeal to LCEs during a press conference over the weekend at the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.
This comes after the National IATF gave the go signal to resume cockpit operations or cockfighting in areas placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) last week.
“Since it is already lifted, pwede na ta magsabong (cockfighting is now allowed).To our LCEs, yes gitugtan na, but please assess your town or your barangay kung angayan ba ta ani (To LCEs, please assess your town or your barangay if it is appropriate to hold this right now),” Estacion said.
She said some health frontliners are also concerned about this, noting that this could result to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the province.
“Frustrated na ang frontliners. I am appealing to the LCEs including the barangay captain to please assess your barangays. Bason dili modaghan ang atong cases (Frontliners are getting frustrated. I am appealing to the LCEs including the barangay captain to please assess your barangays. We hope our cases won’t go any higher),”Estacion stressed.
The National IATF granted the resumption of cockfighting operations through Resolution 79 s. 2020 signed Oct. 15, 2020.
The resolution stated that “operation of licensed cockpits and cockfighting activities shall be allowed in areas placed under Modified General Community Quarantine, or lower, subject to strict observance of health and safety protocols. Provided, in-person audience, online or remote betting, and the live broadcasting/telecasting of cockfights shall not be permitted. Provided, finally, the local government units shall have the final decision on whether such the operation of such cockpit and the conduct of cockfighting activities can proceed in their respective localities.”
Relative to this, the Department of the Interior and Local Government Unit (DILG) issued a Memorandum Circular directed to LCEs, barangay captains, and to the Philippine National Police (PNP) explaining the complete guidelines for the resumption of cockfighting activities in a certain city or municipality.
DILG’s Memo Circular 2020-140 reiterated what was stated in the Resolution No. 79 of NIATF but emphasized that “mayors shall be responsible in the monitoring of the re-opening of cockpits, focused mainly on no-live streaming, and public exhibition of cockfight.”
PNP is also directed to monitor and inspect cockpit arenas in every LGU.
Mayors should also submit monthly reports related to this to the DILG office in their area.
Meanwhile, Estacion reported in the same press briefing another COVID-19 related death.
The latest mortality is patient NegOr-Cov-351, a 59-year old male with co-morbidity from Guihulngan City who was brought to the isolation facility inside Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH).
Estacion said the patient had a stroke previously and this could be the co-morbidity that led to his death.
The patient was immediately cremated.
Aside from this, the province also had 26 additional active cases of COVID-19 infection, as the new cases are logged in Guihulngan City with 11 cases, Sta. Catalina town with 11, La Libertad with two, and one case each in Siaton and Bacong. (ral/PIA7-NegOr)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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