BACOLOD City – The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) appealed to the Office of the President to extend the state of calamity due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) until June 30, 2022.
“This is to ensure that local governments will be able to continue to mitigate the threats of the pandemic and facilitate local economic recovery,” said Mayor Evelio Leonardia, president of the LCP.
The 145-member LCP expressed concern over the expiration of Presidential Proclamation No. 1021 on Sept. 12, 2021.
“If not extended, this will cripple the ability of cities to respond to COVID-19,” Leonardia said.
Under the state of calamity, cities have the authority to utilize Development Funds, Special Education Funds, Disaster Risk and Reduction Funds, and other local resources to respond to and eliminate COVID-19 in their localities.
“The extension of the state of calamity across the country will allow cities to implement programs that can lower the current case rates of COVID-19, open more COVID wards and critical care units, contain the surge of the Delta variant, and could supplant the requirements of the ongoing vaccine rollout,” Leonardia said.
He assured Duterte that city mayors “are committed to working closely with the President’s Office and relevant national agencies to ensure that we will overcome this pandemic soonest.”/PN
