Overall Situation
• On March 7, the Department of Health raised the COVID-19 Alert System Code to Code Red Sublevel 1.
• On March 8, with the recommendation of the DOH, the Office of the President declared a State of Public Health Emergency.
• On March 12, a Presidential Press Conference was conducted announcing the raising of the Philippines’ COVID-19 Alert Level System to Code Red Sublevel 2.
• On March 16, a Memorandum from the Executive Secretary was issued regarding Community Quarantine Over the Entire Luzon and Further Guidelines for the Management of the COVID-19 Situation.
• On March 16, the entire Philippines was placed under a State of Calamity.
• On March 25, a State of National Emergency was proclaimed, and President Duterte was granted Special Powers to resolve the COVID-19 outbreak.
Reports on Affected Populations
• As of March 28, 657 Patients Under Investigation (from the previous 615) are currently admitted in different facilities in Regions I, II, III, CALABARZON, VI, VII, VIII, X, XI, XII, CARAGA, CAR, and NCR.
• A total of 803 cases (from the previous 707) were confirmed in Regions I,II, III, CALABARZON, VI, VII, X, XI, CARAGA, CAR, and NCR. Of which, 54 (from the previous 45) were reported dead and 31 (from the previous 28) have recovered.
• A total of 1,539 cities/municipalities in all regions declared suspension of classes.
• On March 17, a work from home arrangement was implemented in the government’s Executive branch, except PNP, AFP, PCG, and health and emergency frontline services, border control and other critical services, which shall ensure a skeletal work force.
• Work in all government offices in the provinces and Ilocos Norte and La Union were declared suspended on March 14 and March 16, respectively.
• Work suspension at the Provincial Government of Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro were declared on March 17.
• Work of Municipal Government of Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro was suspended on March 17 except the frontline offices.
• Work in the City Government of Butuan, Agusan del Norte was suspended effective March 16 and in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte on March 23 until April 3.
• Land, domestic air, and domestic sea travel to and from Metro Manila is suspended from March 15 to April 14 as declared by President Rodrigo Duterte during the Presidential Press Conference on March 12.
• The following areas were also declared under State of Calamity prior the declaration of the National State of Calamity:

REGION/PROVINCE/CITY/MUNICIPALITY DATE
REGION II
Isabela March 10
Region III
Balanga, Bataan March 17
Tarlac City March 16
Province of Pampanga March 16
Baler, Aurora March 18
MIMAROPA
Rizal, Palawan March 19
Culion, Palawan March 20
Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro Marcn 17
CAR
Ifugao March 17
Mt.Province March 17
NCR
Mandaluyong City March 15
Manila City March 12
Muntinlupa City March 16
Pasig City March 15
San Juan City March 15
Las Pinas City March 15
Malabon City March 15
Navotas City March 17
(Source: NDRRMC)

• 14.4 million non-regular workers and informal earners, or 3 out of 5 employed person in Luzon, are most at risk of lost wager and earnings due to the Luzon-wide lockdown. Many low-income Filipinos in poor-quality jobs or precarious work – or work that is insecure, low-paying, and lack benefits – face lost wages and earnings during the lockdown.
• There are already reports of workers faced with reduced work hours or forced leave due to limited operations of business establishments. Others, like small business owners and their employees have had significant loss of earnings due to the drop in customer traffic.
• Of the P27.1 billion spending plan for COVID-19 rolled out by the government, on P2 billion has been allotted as wage subsidy or financial support for displaced workers and P1.2 billion for social security unemployment benefits. Non-regular workers may not be able to avail of this cash assistance because of their irregular or informal status. (Source: IBON Foundation)
• In Bacolod City, poor families, who continue to worry where to get their next meal, are now bracing for the impact of the enhanced community quarantine in this city beginning March 30.
• The Filipino crew of virus-hit Grand Princess cruise ship are about to complete their 14-day quarantine on March 29, but they are concerned about going home to their families without getting tested first.
• Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Jojo Garcia has tested positive for COVID-19.
• The government has directed all health facilities to get the consent of COVID-19 patients to disclose their identities to the public, to help authorities seek out their contacts who may have also contracted the virus.
• Six more confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Cagayan Valley, bringing the region’s total number of cases to 11.
• A teacher and her son of legal age were arrested without warrants in General Santos City over what local officials tagged as a “provoking” Facebook post, and face charges of inciting to sedition and disobedience to authority, respectively.
• Pangasinan authorities confirmed 3 new cases of COVID-19, among them a man who didn’t disclose that he was under investigation for his symptoms.
• About 5.5 million Filipinos aged 60 and above are most vulnerable to COVOD-19, according to a research brief recently released by the University of the Philippines Population Institute.
• The Department of Health in Bicol confirmed the first 3 cases of COVID-19 in the region.
• Nine new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Western Visayas, bringing to 13 the total number of confirmed cases in the region.
• Rep.
• About 5.5 million Filipinos aged 60 and above are most vulnerable to COVOD-19, according to a research brief recently released by the University of the Philippines Population Institute.
• The Department of Health in Bicol confirmed the first 3 cases of COVID-19 in the region.
• Nine new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Western Visayas, bringing to 13 the total number of confirmed cases in the region.
• Rep. Eric Go Yap of ACT-CIS Partylist “remains negative” for COVID-19, contrary to earlier reports saying he had contracted the novel coronavirus.
• Sen. Manny Pacquiao was forced to self-quarantine in his Makati residence after a video of him and Koko Pimental attending a party circulated online.
• Four individuals earlier listed as PUIs in Tarlac tested positive for COVID-19.
Update from Regions (STPRC, PCDR and CORDIS):
Province Confirmed Cases PUI PUM Death Implementation of ECQ
CALABARZON
Cavite 14 in 8 municipalities No data No data 1 – Bacoor Bacoor – lockdown
Tagaytay – lockdown
Dasmarinas – lockdown
Indang – lockdown
Alfonso – lockdown
Gen. Trias – lockdown
Laguna 8 301 2,433 Binan – lockdown since March 23
Batangas 10 25 2,198 1 Quarantine since March 15
Rizal 21 Taytay – 16 Taytay – 154 Taytay – 2
Quezon 3 76 2 – PUI
Subtotal 56 418 4,785 6
MIMAROPA
Mindoro Occidental 73 5,441
Mindoro Oriental 62 10,615 3 – PUI Community Quarantine since March 14
Marinduque 1 87 8,449
Romblon 87 6,961
Palawan 1 – Australian 60 1,171 San Vicente – lockdown since March 21
Subtotal 2 369 32,637 3
Aklan 27 4,123
Antique 15 3,707
Capiz 16 3,347
Iloilo Province 32 6,968
Iloilo City 1 20 1,438
Subtotal 1 110 19,628
CAR 4
Total 63 897 56,780 9

• In Cavite, the LGU went to get the number of families of peasant communities in Dasmarinas for food packs. In Silang, only few farmers were given agricultural loans.
• Fisherfolks are not allowed to go to their mussel and oyster farm in Bacoor and demands economic relief and livelihood support due to poor income because of the strict implementation of the ECQ.
• Since the LGU has no jurisdiction over the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), some companies have gone on voluntary production shutdown. But some did not. The risk for workers to be infected on the way to work or to their home is very high.
• Families of labourers like construction workers, drivers and vendors are the most affected.
• There is still no announcement when the food packs will be given to the communities. Although there are some officials in some barangays that went house-to-house to distribute food packs or disinfectants. Some barangays were able to distribute quarantine passes to their residents.
• There were also students in Cavite State University that were affected by the lockdown and were not able to go home. They received donations from private individuals. The university did not provide food for them.
• To add to the residents’ burden, a fire ni Longos, Bacoor City affected 500 families.
• In Los Banos, Laguna, residents are still allowed to buy groceries, go to pharmacies without a quarantine pass as long as they maintain physical distancing, wear face masks, and follow safety protocols.
• There were students that were not able to go home. Students in the dormitories were provided with food supplies from donations.
• In Batangas, food producers are in threat of starvation because of the strict implementation of ECQ, leaving them with no food and money.
• Contractual workers are not sure if they will not be given financial assistance packages from DOLE or if they will be provided free shuttle services or terminated for being unable to report for work. A sugar mill in Nasugbu only provides shuttle service to regular employees.
• Since the lockdown, some of those who were affected by the Taal volcanic eruption were not able to receive any food assistance from the LGU or private sector. In Boso-boso, Laurel, Batangas, the LGU is distributing previous donations for the Taal eruption. There are reports that children and senior citizens are getting cough, colds and fever in the evacuation centers. The calamity fund is still being processed.
• Residents have to rent tricycles to get to the market and those that do not have enough money are forced to walk. In Lemery, they are only given window hours to buy food in the market. Each barangay is given only 1 hour to go to the market, without consideration to their distance to the town center. Residents sitll do not receive food packs.
• In Rizal, there are reports that indigenous people cannot bring their produce to the market. They are staying in their “kaingin” for fear of the virus.
• In Quezon, quarantine passes are given in Lucena with schedules for market, pharmacy, and other needs.
• Indigent families were given 2 kilos of rice and 2 cans of sardines.
• In Oriental Mindoro, only farmers with their own lands are able to continue working.
• In Occidental Mindoro, farmers cannot bring take their products to the market. Vegetables are sold only within their respective barangays.
• Fisher folks are not allowed to go fishing.
• There are also reports that some barangays do give quarantine passes to residents. Food packs are distributed to persons in home quarantine.
• Residents are asking for assistance from the LGU.
• In Northern Palawan, 3 kilos of rice were distributed to each household. There are reports in Taytay, Palawan that the barangay sells the rice to IPs instead of giving it to them for free, even asking them to loan if they do not have money.
• In Southern Palawan, residents do not receive any support from the LGU. They eat only their root crops.
• People are scared to go out because they might be jailed.
• In Iloilo City, there has been suspensions of major public gatherings, religious gatherings, and classes, operating hours in malls and similar establishments have also been reduced, and strict implementation of physical distancing have been ordered to hospitals, clinics, hotels, resorts, and similar establishments. On March 19, Mayor Jerry Trenas signed EO 55 that puts the whole Iloilo City under Enhanced Community Quarantine until April 14.
• In the whole Iloilo province, similar measures have been done by the LGU such as suspension of public gatherings and classes, as well as border restriction and community quarantine under EO 028-C by Gov. Arthur Defensor, Jr. However, on March 20, the whole province of Iloilo was put under Enhanced Community Quarantine until April 14.
• In Roxas City in Capiz, an Enhanced Border Restriction was also implemented under EO 14 of Mayor Ronnie Dadivas, effective March 20.
• In Aklan, EO 19, an order restricting the movement of the people and regulating the entry of goods as well as mandating physical distancing measures, was implemented effective March 15.
• In Iloilo City, due to the imposed curfew, restriction of mobility, and suspension of some work, urban poor workers, mostly from the informal sector, were greatly affected. Small street vendors were not allowed to sell because of the observance of physical distancing. Market vendors and market workers experience decrease in income and salary because the number of customers going to the markets has greatly decreased. Same is true with carinderia workers. Some construction workers were also advised to stay at home, without pay, due to temporary suspension of work. Women working or offering laundry services are also experiencing decrease in customer demand.
• In Roxas, a city that relies on fishing and fish vending, people were also affected by the imposed curfew, restriction of mobility, and observance of physical distancing. Due to the limited time brought by the curfew, small fisher folks are experiencing low catch. Usually, fisher folks would go at night to fish and return in the morning to sell their catch. Moreover, with the cost of fishing at P700, fisher folks now only earn P300 from the usual P500-P600. Due to the limited number of customers going to the market, fish and dried fish vendors are experiencing almost 50% income loss. For instance, squid, which was P300/kilo before, are now being sold at P150. That is why they appeal to relax curfew hours so that customers, although limited, will have time to buy their catch in the market.
• In Aklan, workers, also from the informal sector, were greatly affected mainly by suspension of work, and observance of physical distancing and curfew. Workers in construction, service establishments, and the like, were advised to stay at home, without pay.
• Due to the lockdown, there were also students stranded in campus dormitories with very limited source of food. According to them, the school administration’s support is very limited, so they are asking for donations from different organizations and even from the LGU. Moreover, they are also facing threats of being pulled out from the dormitories due to a lockdown to be imposed in the campus.
• Based on assessments, the sector most affected by the border restriction or lockdown, curfew, and restriction of mobility, are those in the transport sector, particularly jeepney, tricycle, e-tricycle, sikad, and PUV drivers. According to the drivers, for 14-16 hours of transport, they usually earn P300-P500. In Iloilo City alone, 5,000 PUJ drivers, 4,000 tricycle drivers, 10,000 sikad rivers, and 1,000 e-tricycle drivers will be displaced from their work due to the suspension of public transportation for a period of 1 month.
• In Roxas City and Aklan, where primary mode of transportation is the tricycle, the number of passengers allowed was reduced due to the observance of physical distancing. In Roxas City, only 1 passenger is allowed, while in Aklan, 3 passengers is allowed. Even though they were not suspended to operate, drivers expect a 50% income loss. According to drivers in Roxas City, there was no proper plan as to what the government will do to them.
• In the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), there are 4 confirmed positive cases.
• Classes in all levels were suspended since March 13. At first, there were pre-arranged online quizzes among college students but this was not sustained because many students do not have stable internet connection.
• Farming activities were disrupted in the early days of the ECQ when they were required to get permits/passes. However, they now allow farming activities to go on.
• Food transportation is not hampered but they have to pass through every checkpoint.
Emergency Response Efforts
• On March 12 and 13, CDRC conducted staff meeting to discuss initial response plans.
• On March 16, employees were advised to work from home.
• Regular publication of situational reports.
• Published statement on COVID-19
• Regular information sharing and awareness-raisin on social media platforms.
• Launched Call for Donation online.
• Efforts to raise funds continue.
• Regular updates to funding partners.
• Initial communication with partners (CARE Philippines and World Jewish Relief)
• Coordination with CREST.
• Acquired humanitarian pass from Quezon City
Resources Available
• Standby emergency funds
• Prepositioned goods at the CDRC warehouse
Expressed Needs
• For responders and front liners – N95 masks, latex gloves, personal protective equipment, alcohol
• For families in need – food relief pack, hygiene and protection kit, vitamins
Coordination
• Citizens’ Disaster Response Network
Contacts
• Kim Augiline Leduna, Executive Director, (insert cellphone number), info@cdrc-phil.com
• Malen Serato, Field Operations Department, 0916-499-1410, fod@cdrc-phil.com
• Hanna Fiel, Research and Public Information Department, 0945-8355589, hanna.fiel.cdrc2019@gmail.com
• Cora Jazmines, Local Partnerships Department, 0928-182-4969, lpd@cdrc-phil.com