Magandang araw sa ating mga tagapakinig.

Ang banta ng SARS ay patuloy na nagdudulot ng pangamba hindi lamang dito sa atin kundi maging sa ibang bahagi ng mundo.

Sa Asean Summit on SARS na aking dinaluhan noong Martes sa Thailand, nagkasundo kaming mga lider ng ating rehiyon na pagsamahin ang mga kakayahan at talino ng ating mga bansa para pigilan ang paglaganap ng SARS sa Asya.

Sa nasabing pulong din, nagpahayag ako ng espesyal na panawagan sa ngalan ng libu-libong manggagawang Pilipino na matatagpuan sa buong Asean. Pinaki-usapan ko ang aking mga kapwa lider na tiyakin na ang pinakamagaling na posibleng pag-asikaso ay ipa-abot sa mga Pilipinong pinag-sususpetsahan o napatunayang may SARS; at ang lahat ng posibleng tulong ay ipagkaloob sa kanila para sa kasiguruhan ng kanilang trabaho sa gitna ng paghina ng pang-rehiyong ekonomiya.

Kailangan nating protektahan ang kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan, ng kanilang trabaho at ng kanilang kabuhayan sa gitna ng bantang ito sa sangkatauhan.

Sa kabilang dako, nakakataba ng puso ang ipinahayag ng Singapore sa Asean Summit na ang Filipino Health Workers ang nasa unahan ng paglaban sa SARS sa kanilang bansa. Naalala ko tuloy na mahigit isang milyong Pilipino rin ang nagtaya ng buhay sa Gitnang Silangan ng dahil sa giyera sa Iraq. Sa bawat araw, nagpapakita ng kabayanihan ang mga Pilipino sa lahat ng sulok ng daigdig. Kaya naman, binigyan natin ng akmang parangal ang dakilang manggagawang Pilipino sa nakaraan nating pagdiriwang ng Labor Day noong Mayo Uno.

Kaya ang nakaraang araw ng paggawa ay isang araw ng karangalan para sa lahat ng Pilipino. Ito’y araw upang alalahanin ang lahat ng indibidwal at tulong-tulong na sakripisyong ginagawa natin sa araw-araw para sa ating mga pamilya, sa ating komunidad, sa bayan at sa buong mundo.

Sa kasalukuyang krisis, kinakailangan din nating mag-sakripisyong lahat at i-ambag ang ating maitutulong sa pagsugpo ng sakit na SARS.

Nananawagan ako sa lahat ng ating mga kababayan na huwag maging instrumento ng pagpapalaganap ng dis-impormasyon at anumang maaaring maging dahilan ng pagkawatak-watak ng ating mga komunidad. Sa halip, tulungan ninyo ang pamahalaan na imulat ang nakararami sa wastong paliwanag tungkol sa SARS at sa mga kailangang isagawang pag-iingat.

I am asking every Filipino, especially our officials and leaders in our barangays and our communities, to make it a personal responsibility to respond to this challenge, to do what is right for the public interest.

Containment measures may seem harsh but I seek our people’s understanding and full compliance.

Tulungan natin ang gobyerno sa pagpapaliwanag na hindi porke isina-ilalim ang isang barangay sa quarantine ay may SARS na ang mga nakatira doon. Isang magandang halimbawa ang ginawang kuwarentenas sa barangay Vacante, Alcala, Pangasinan. Matapos ang takdang panahon, ini-angat ang mandatory quarantine dahil napatunayang ligtas na ang buong lugar na iyon sa SARS. Kapuri-puri ang ipinakitang pakiki-isa at sakripisyo ng mga taga-barangay Vacante bilang pag-iingat para sa kabutihan ng nakararami.

I went to barangay Vacante yesterday to thank the people for their sacrifices and forbearance for the greater good of the public. This is an example we must emulate.

Huwag nating pandirihan ang mga taong naninirahan sa isang komunidad na isina-ilalim sa kuwarentenas. Ginagawa lamang ito dahil ang quarantine ay isang mabisang paraan upang malaman kung mayroon ngang apektado sa lugar na iyon, at kung mayroon man, kaagad na mapipigilang mahawa ang iba pa.

Tulungan rin ninyo akong ipaliwanag na wala tayong nilalabag na karapatang pantao sa pagpapatupad ng kuwarentenas. This is curtailing the movement of a few for the greater good of all our people. Let’s not make it a human rights issue.

I will be certifying as urgent a proposed SARS act. This will show our people that we mean business in containing SARS, and help institutionalize measures contained in the executive order I issued which grants the necessary powers and authority to the Secretary of Health, as crisis manager for the SARS contagion, in order to contain, control, prevent and otherwise restrict the spread of SARS in the country.

I admire our health workers who are at the frontline of the anti-SARS campaign. They will be accorded full protection in their work. We will make sure they get the necessary safety gear. Philhealth shall shoulder the cost of hospitalization of any public health worker who gets sick of SARS, up to P100,000. Health workers in private hospitals will be entitled to the same amount if any of them acquires this dreaded disease, God forbid.

We will not take any chances with the safety and welfare of those who are bearing the brunt of sacrifice. Our resources will be used on the most basic and effective points of prevention, containment and treatment.

Sa pamamagitan ng ating pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan, natitiyak kong malalampasan natin ito, kagaya ng maraming pagsubok na atin ding napagtagumpayan noong mga nakaraang panahon.

Manatili sana tayong mahinahon at alerto at ipagpatuloy natin ang pagsunod sa mga alintuntuning pinalabas ng ating health authorities, gayundin sa pagpapanatili ng kalinisan ng ating kapaligiran. Makilahok tayo sa "Cleaning Up and SARS Consciousness Week" na ating sisimulan sa Lunes, ika-lima ng Mayo.

Sama-sama nating supilin ang pagpapalaganap ng SARS, at bigyang katuparan ang isang tahimik, mapayapa at maunlad na kinabukasan para sa ating lahat.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has issued proclamation No. 366 declaring May 5-9, 2003 as National Anti-SARS Consciousness and Clean-Up Week.

The President said she issued the proclamation to educate the public on SARS and its prevention, control and management. This would address public fear and anxiety.

The President hoped that everybody would get involved in the campaign and would coordinate with concerned agencies in mitigating the non-health consequences of SARS on tourism, trade and industry, labor and employment and the deployment of overseas Filipino workers, among others.

"We are doing everything to overcome the crisis," the President said, as she called on all citizens to take part in all government programs to fight SARS.

According to Proclamation No. 366, SARS has caused an alarming number of deaths totaling 144 in 23 countries.

"It has become essential and timely to develop an integrated and comprehensive health plan to combat SARS or reduce the number of SARS cases reported," the President said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today urged local government executives to help assuage public anxiety and fears on the dreaded Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Speaking at a national-local government conference on SARS at the Philippine International Convention Center attended by 79 provincial governors, 115 city mayors and 1,496 municipal mayors, the President urged for an aggressive anti-SARS information campaign as she prodded media to be responsible sources of verified information on SARS.

"And as government, let us do our share in obtaining the necessary information on SARS, as well as in coordinating with the international community on holistic and best practices to deal with SARS," she said.

She added that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has supervision over local government officials on SARS in the:

• Isolation and control of quarantine areas;

• Maintenance of peace and order in local communities; and

• Provision of the necessary assistance in the conduct and transport of SARS cases and/or SARS suspects.

The President mentioned the San Lazaro Hospital and the Resesarch Institute for Tropical Medicine as the lead hospitals for SARS patients.

She added that government would enlist other hospitals to receive SARS patient in all regions of the country.

The President said that from the P1.5-billion SARS fund, some P500 million was set aside to improve the infrastructure, equipment and facilities for selected SARS hospitals.

She added that health workers in the agencies in charge of SARS would be given complete SARS kit for protection.

"We will not gamble the safety and security of those who carry the weight of sacrifice, our health workers," the President said.

She stressed the importance of information. "Let’s stay alert. Let’s actively participate in a nationwide clean-up campaign."

"With or without SARS, cleanliness is healthiness. Healthiness is the wealth of a strong Republic," the President said.

"Carry on, let us win this battle for the sake of our people, for the sake of their livelihood and normal lives," she concluded.

The one-day national-local government conference, spearheaded by the DILG and the Department of Health has "Sama-samang Pagkilos ng Pambansa at Lokal na Pamahalaan, Pribadong Sektor at Mamamahayag Laban sa SARS" as its theme.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today hailed the signing of memoranda of agreement (MOA) to implement the Northrail and Southrail relocation programs.

The President noted the MOAs as initial steps to assure the execution of vital transportation projects that would ease traffic in Metro Manila and afford safe, fast and comfortable travel to the northern and southern flanks of the metropolis.

The President witnessed the signing of the MOAs by and among officials of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), National Development Corporation (NDC), Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), North Luzon Railway Corporation (NLRC), Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) in simple rites at the PNR Central Station in Caloocan City this afternoon.

Under the MOAs, the NDC would provide a P4-billion interim financing loan to the NHA, sourced from the proceeds of the NDC bond float.

A soft term loan would also be contracted through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) or from the winning proponents of the relocation programs.

The proceeds of the soft term loan would be used to fully pay the loan with NDC.

Further, the MOAs provide that the DBM should allocate to the NHA subsidy funds – under the annual budget – to service the loan from the NDC and other subsequent loans that might be contracted for the program.

The DBM should ensure the release of the subsidy funds, as most government resettlement and relocation programs on major public infrastructure projects are subsidized.

In the same occasion, the President also witnessed the hand over of a certification showing that the PNR Caloocan Central Station has been cleared and ready for NLRC’s use.