President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the declaration of state of calamity over the Philippines for one year, or until September 12 next year, as the country continues to battle the coronavirus.
Under Proclamation No. 1021 signed on September 16, the extension is in effect from September 13, 2020 until September 12, 2021, unless earlier revoked or extended as circumstances may warrant. The country was first placed under a state of calamity for six months last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The extension comes as COVID-19 positive cases and deaths continue to rise despite efforts and interventions to contain the virus. It is also the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The proclamation effectively gives the national government, as well as local government units (LGUs), “ample latitude to continue utilizing appropriate funds, including the Quick Response Fund, in their disaster preparedness and response efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, monitor and control prices of basic necessities and prime commodities, and provide basic services to the affected populations.”
It also enjoins all government agencies and LGUs to continue to assist and cooperate with each other and mobilize the necessary resources to undertake critical, urgent, and appropriate disaster response aid and measures in order to curtail and eliminate the threat of COVID-19.
All law enforcement agencies are also directed to continue undertaking all measures to ensure peace and order in affected areas.
As of September 18, COVID-19 cases in the country have reached 279,526, of which 208,790 are considered recovered while 4,830 have died. The country currently has the highest number of cases in Southeast Asia, while also having the longest period of enforcement of quarantine.
