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On March 14, president Rodrigo Roa Duterte held a nationwide press conference
to address the current situation of the country; the Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) in the Philippines. He announced to place an immediate community
quarantine over the National Capital Region (NCR) in order to stop the spread of the
COVID-19. The Department of Transportation (DOTr), on March 15, released their
guideline regarding the community quarantine and the recommended social distancing
measures, following the order of the president to teach the people the “one-meter”
distance from one another. Social distancing, as they describe, is having a strict
maximum of passengers in every public transport, walking or standing at least one
meter away from others, avoiding mass gatherings, and making sure not to have any
physical interactions with anyone. On March 16 of 2020, the president announced an
advanced community quarantine all over NCR, which later on turned into a complete
lockdown within Luzon. This made many people panic, heading over to groceries and
shops to stock on food and medical equipment. Due to the sudden changes in the
announcements, the government had to immediately implement a lockdown and
provide checkpoints in Metro Manila, social distancing was highly recommended, and
almost all public establishments had to shut down temporarily.
Security or military checkpoints were added across Luzon after the lockdown in
response to the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Military control and
protocols were strictly followed, checking everyone in the area and asking them where
they are headed to. Recently, the late suspension of work became an issue as most
Filipinos had to squeeze themselves in public transportations (buses, trains, jeepneys,
etc.), despite the recommendation of the DOTr, when going to work, cancelling out the
supposed ‘social distancing’ for days. Many citizens were enraged by the improper
management and confusing implementations or suspensions, and many were unable to
go indoors because of the sudden lockdown--they were not able to pass the
checkpoints thus were forced to stay where they were. The announcement simply led
the people to panic in going back to their homes, most to their provinces. An example
would be the traffic on March 16, when the vehicles were piled around Metro Manila
during rush hour. Yes, there is a process that the people need to go through before they
are able to travel, but it is simply impossible for everyone to observe the so-called social
distancing in a country where many are exposed to poverty, plus the fact that the