Remarks of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (On onions, state of calamity, additional test restrictions, shear line affected areas)

PBBM: We will stick firmly to the recommended price. The DTI will continue to monitor. We’re trying to find ways to bring the smuggled onions that have been caught na ilagay na sa market para mabawasan ang supply problem.

But there are some legal issues to doing that immediately. So we’re still working on that. But we will keep the prices down by monitoring what’s happening in our palengke.

Q: Sir, state of calamity extension on COVID?

PBBM: I’m still very, very hesitant to continue the state of calamity, to extend it because again we are not in a state of calamity anymore, technically speaking.

And that is the wrong mindset to be approaching the new year with. So we’re still trying to find ways to continue to provide the benefits to our medical health workers which is the main issue without the state of calamity.

Q: Sir, ‘yung ano, additional test restrictions?

PBBM: Sa?

Q: Sa mga tourists from China daw sir. Kasi other countries have imposed additional restrictions.

PBBM: Yes, well we — as long as it’s based on science and we feel that there’s a need, we will do it. But again, it depends on what the true risk is to us.

Kung naman it’s something that is manageable, then I’m sure we can find a way to — not completely close our borders to China but to find a way to have a procedure so that those coming from China who may have been exposed or who may have been infected will be tested and ‘yun lang naman ang ating inaalala.

Q: Last sir. Punta ka raw ba sa shear line areas, ‘yung affected ng shear line after your China visit?

PBBM: Probably, yeah, to see what happened. Unfortunately, tuloy-tuloy pa rin ‘yung ulan eh.

So we have to keep watching the other areas also. Kaya… But yes, probably if there is a reason to go. I think that so far our social services have done their job. But it always helps to go and see for yourself. So I’ll try to make the time to go.

— END —

SOURCE: OPS-PND (Presidential News Desk)