We laud Mayor Sara Duterte for her continued proactive approaches not only in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Davao City, but also mitigating the impacts of the pandemic to every Dabawenyo.

Mayor Sara Duterte’s effective government interventions have aided Dabawenyos in their daily struggles as they found themselves confined in their homes and lacking a stable source of income and resources, following the strict implementation of community quarantines.

Davao City’s four types of food relief programs, namely the food ration, agri-food, hot meals-on-wheels, and the rice distribution program, provided basic necessities and sustenance for the majority of Dabawenyos and greatly helped towards managing the infection rate in the city by allowing Dabawenyos to remain indoors.

To assist Dabawenyos in their livelihood, Mayor Sara Duterte efficiently executed in her locality the national government’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers or TUPAD Program. This was further augmented by undertaking the “Work for Davao”, “Eskwela Davao”, and educational assistance programs as the city battled the economic and financial impacts of the pandemic.

The clustering of people through the swift implementation of coded passes, such as for food and medicine, allowed and promoted for the limited movement of the people in the city which helped even further in controlling the spread of the virus.

Dabawenyos showed great discipline, as instilled by Mayor Sara Duterte’s leadership and that of her predecessors, throughout the community quarantine in following protocols and observing health standards. This has made Davao City’s COVID-19 response, a model of response and management for other local government units to emulate, as part of their contribution towards our collective fight against COVID-19.

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