Balaba asks barangays to set up PA systems in fight vs COVID-19

COUNCILOR Joyleen Mercedes L. Balaba is requesting all barangays of the city to set up a public address system in strategic places as part of the information drive to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her special report during the regular session presided over by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy, Councilor Balaba re-echoed and reemphasized the city’s efforts to strengthen its information campaign.

“Although we may have been placed under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) after a month of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), there has not been a significant decline of our positive cases with the Delta variant in our midst and the newer strain detected which are said to be more communicable and transmissible than the original variant,” she stressed.

The lady councilor recalled that Councilor Ian Mark Q. Nacaya authored a resolution urging media influencers including social media, civil society organizations, religious leaders, academe and barangay officials to steadfastly campaign and promote strict adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions to prevent COVID-19 infection, especially to vaccine-hesitant individuals.

Councilor Balaba proposed the inclusion of a provision requiring the City Information Office (CIO) to provide all barangays with audio materials for the people to hear, listen and understand.

“These audio materials should be played regularly or daily or hourly,” she suggested.

“As had been said, information saves lives and in the context of COVID-19 pandemic for there has been an excess of information and false rumors, we must take a proactive action against these information and to reach out with clear messages to the population,” Balaba concluded.

Vice Mayor Uy referred her special report to the Committee on Barangay Affairs chaired by Councilor Alam Lim for appropriate action.