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Duterte on COVID-19 pandemic: Buhay muna bago ang lahat
President Rodrigo Duterte stated that fully reopening the Philippine economy to pre-COVID-19 levels is not currently an option due to the continuing rise in infections nationwide.
He emphasized that prioritizing lives over other considerations, stating "Buhay muna bago ang lahat."
Duterte cited government interventions, including lockdowns, which he claimed prevented up to 3.5 million infections based on expert projections.
He acknowledged initial difficulties in ramping up testing capacity but noted that the country now has 93 accredited testing laboratories and aims to conduct 1.4 million tests by the end of July.
The Philippines has reported 82,040 cases with 26,446 recoveries and 1,945 fatalities, ranking it second in Southeast Asia for infections.
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President Rodrigo Duterte urged Filipinos to work together and show solidarity to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing that the government cannot achieve this alone.
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Lawmakers and a political analyst expressed disappointment over President Rodrigo Duterte's fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), citing a lack of a clear and concrete action plan for the country's COVID-19 recovery.
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President Rodrigo Duterte is set to present a COVID-19 recovery plan during his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27.
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Malacañang asserted that President Rodrigo Duterte's fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) included plans for COVID-19 recovery, refuting claims of its absence.
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