12 ML - COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Tagged as the locale of one of the world’s longest lockdowns, the National Capital Region (NCR) remains the epicenter of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. With the presence of this hazard, NCR corresponds to the highest score of 4 in terms of exposure level. Although agricultural assets are not directly exposed to the biological disaster’s impacts, 13,966,233 individuals in NCR may still potentially be affected. Especially with a high population density of 21,765 people per km², there would be a larger likelihood of COVID-19 transmissions and exposure amongst individuals. There are also 20 public hospitals and 98 private hospitals in the region, which could be considered as primary sites for COVID-19 patient care. These physical structures would then be faced with huge responsibilities when pandemics hit, while hospital staff and medical frontliners would be one of the firsts to be exposed to the virus. Moreover, 21.10% of the country’s total MSMEs (201,123) operate in NCR and may be exposed to the effects of the pandemic, especially since lockdowns, work-from-home setups, and skeletal systems in the workforce may negatively affect company revenues. Meanwhile, the vulnerability level of NCR corresponds to a score of 3, indicating that it is highly susceptible to the impacts of the pandemic. Although over 59.66% of the NCR population and around 10,000 minors with comorbidities have been fully vaccinated, lowering their vulnerability, the region still consists of the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with comorbidities, which have significantly weaker immune systems and have a higher possibility of experiencing complications or severe symptoms upon catching the disease. In the economic aspect, MSMEs cannot afford to cease operations due to low business funds and the “no work, no pay” situation of many employees. Limiting operations would inevitably increase unemployment and also slow down the economy. Additionally, due to landfills likely being unusable in 16 years, the possibility of massive amounts of hospital waste generated from the pandemic would make NCR susceptible to the environmental impact of excessive and improper waste disposal. The insufficiency of local medical supplies, test kits, PPEs, vaccines, and hospital beds would also hinder the population from effectively coping with the pandemic since the need for constant importation makes it more difficult for immediate responses. Moreover, the Philippines has ranked 115 out of 180 countries in the 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index, which highlights the lack of efficient and transparent government action. The country’s lack of investments in public health, research and development, and education also lower NCR’s adaptive capacity. Despite the P246.9 billion given to DOH in 2021, 62% of it still remains unspent, indicating that investments are also not thoroughly maximized, while less than 1% of the country’s GDP is being utilized for research and development. Furthermore, although education is a vital tool in overcoming the pandemic, 5 in every 10 Filipino families do not even receive basic education. As long as the government fails to address these root problems, NCR would be faced with high disaster risk, making it difficult for it to truly develop resilience to disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

MOST VULNERABLE BARANGAYS

Barangay Bagong Silang,

Caloocan City

Residing in the “most populous barangay in the Philippines”, the 261,729 individuals in Barangay Bagong Silang (Brgy. 176) are not only highly exposed, but also highly vulnerable to COVID-19. Among these individuals are 8,499 senior citizens, who are most susceptible to the disease. Additionally, due to the large population and scope of the barangay, many areas remain unreached by government services, thus resulting in poor living conditions for many households. Barangay Councilman, Carlito Peralta, stated that accessible health centers in the area are also limited, thus the citizens still need to travel large distances for health care (Melican, 2013). During the COVID-19 pandemic, this barangay is constantly placed in granular lockdowns due to the high number of active COVID-19 cases reported.

Barangay Commonwealth,

Quezon City

Barangay Commonwealth is the most populated barangay, with around 213,229 individuals, in Quezon City — the most populated city in NCR. This makes the area more vulnerable to rapid transmissions of the COVID-19 virus. Within the population, there are also around 5,898 senior citizens, who are also prone to severe symptoms of COVID-19 due to their weaker immune systems. In addition, it was reported that the barangay's captain was not given full responsibility by the mayor to directly distribute financial aids to the citizens, thus making government responses less efficient (Lalu, 2020). Oftentimes, this barangay also has a high number of active COVID-19 cases.

Barangay Batasan Hills,

Quezon City

Another highly populated barangay of Quezon City is Barangay Batasan Hills, consisting of 166,572 individuals, of which 4,879 are senior citizens, who are highly vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease, as they may also have other underlying health conditions. This barangay is most notable for being one of the slum areas in NCR, where there are plenty of informal settlers and a large urban poor population. These low-income families would also experience difficulty in receiving proper health treatments, especially when they have contracted the COVID-19 disease. Like the other barangays, Barangay Batasan Hills has also been placed in special concern lockdowns, due to its high amounts of active COVID-19 cases.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN

SAFETY TIPS AND HOTLINES

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