Government Response Towards COVID-19 Pandemic in Virac, Catanduanes

“To Thrive or Otherwise: An Analysis of Government Response Towards COVID-19
Pandemic at Virac, Catanduanes”
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Background of the Study
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly
discovered coronavirus. Human cases with onset of symptoms in early December Retrospective
investigations by Chinese authorities have identified human cases with onset of symptoms in
early December 2019. While some of the earliest known cases had a link to a wholesale food
market in Wuhan, some did not. The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through
droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. These droplets are too
heavy to hang in the air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces. You can be infected by breathing
in the virus if you are within proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a
contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose, or mouth. Health protocols were implemented
during this pandemic to control outbreaks, contain the virus within a place, and mitigation.
According to official reports, the largest numbers of confirmed cases are in the United
States, Italy, Spain, and France. However, even the countries that the new coronavirus has hit
less aggressively are still under considerable strain. Many countries have taken measures —
some of them stringent — to slow down the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes

COVID-19. While some of these countries are now considering whether to ease the measures,
others have already decided to keep them in place.
In the Philippines, the government is taking several steps to control the spread of the
virus, including travel restrictions, closure of schools and colleges, as well as training schools of
the Philippines National Police. Educational institutes in the country were announced to be
closed. The government announced earlier on 2 February 2020 that all persons except Filipino
citizens and permanent resident visa holders were temporarily barred from entering the country.
A mandatory 14-day quarantine for Filipinos returning to from China or its special
administrative region was announced. Even though the response of the government was rather
late and slow, the economy is now slowly going back up.
On the 13th day of March 2020, a modified lockdown was due to be implemented on
March 14th in Catanduanes. Related to this, the Acting Governor Shirley A. Abundo released an
Executive Order after the PDRRMC meeting. After a while, it was decided on the PDRRMC
meeting that the first approved “modified lockdown” to be changed into a title that says, “an
order establishing strict measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the province of
Catanduanes.” According to Mr. William Aldea of DILGCatanduanes, the word “lockdown” was
causing panic to the public and even the president said in his order to use the term “community
quarantine” instead of “lockdown.” In the said order, it was allowed to enter Catanduanes
starting on March 14, 2020 but only to Catandunganons. The incoming Catadunganons from the
mainland were subjected to self-quarantine after these people got home for 14 days. Tourists
were not allowed to visit Catanduanes until April 14. The citizens of Virac were told to follow
the guidelines in minimum public health safety protocol being implemented such as wearing of
mask, wearing of face shield, observing physical distancing, frequent hand washing, and proper

cough etiquette. LGU Virac encouraged its citizens that individuals who are 21 years below and
60 years old above to stay at home.
The aim of this study is to measure the effectivity of response from the local government
unit in Virac during the pandemic period of March 13, 2020 until December 2020.
Statement of the Problem
This study aims to have an analysis of how the government responded to the COVID-19
pandemic from randomly selected residents of Virac, Catanduanes.
Objectively, the study aims to answer the following questions:
1. How did the government implement these public health orders and protocols?
2. What is the correlation ofthese demographical profileson respondent’s analysis
towards government responses?
 Age
 Socioeconomic status
 Residency
3. Which barangay/s did or did not strictly implemented public health orders and
protocols?
Scope and Delimitation
The study aims to identify the effectivity of government responses towards COVID-19.
To make this study reliable, the researchers aim to target those residents of Virac LGU who are
mainly implemented by the public health orders and protocols that were made by the LGU of

Virac Catanduanes. Those residents who are included in the registered voters of the next 2022
election are selected because they are on legal age and basically aware of the pandemic setting
and situations.
The study will set limitations on variables such as incompetency and other absence of
response of LGU officials which re also in a sense are responses of LGU. Hence, those aforesaid
factors and inclusions are hereby the scope of the study.
Research Hypothesis
To the target respondents of the study who are residents in the municipality of Virac,
Catanduanes, the researchers believe their grasp for their research because the selected
respondents are those who are already aware on their societies’ circumstances. They are mostly
being affected by the public health orders and protocols that were made by the LGU of Virac.
 The government’s response towards COVID- 19 pandemic may tend to prevent or control
the spreading of the virus.
 The variables such as the demographical status of the residents influence the
government’s response towards COVID-19 pandemic.
 Prospectively, the respondents that are socially aware and have a higher educational
status may tend to follow such public health orders and protocols that has been
implemented by the government for COVID- 19 pandemic.
 The barangays who are strictly maintaining public health orders and protocols may tend
to have the lower case of COVID- 19 rather than those barangays who are not strict.