28 September 2020 – Mayor Benjamin Magalong doubled-down on his rallying call to the public for them to inculcate the virtue of “disiplina muna” as the Summer Capital surely but cautiously transitions to a “new normal” in its battle against the coronavirus 2019 pandemic.
During the management committee meeting at the Baguio Convention Center, September 21, the Mayor touted the need for discipline in light of the expected surge of Covid cases due to on-going aggressive contact tracing and expanded testing activities especially in the city’s vulnerable sectors.
Earlier, the chief executive stressed the importance of learning to co-exist with the Covid-19 disease for people and the economy to move on.
“Covid-19 will never go away hence we need to co-exist with it, we need to learn how to live with it, how to function with it and how to do business with it in our midst,” he said.
Magalong has often pointed out the importance of having discipline in one’s self, family and community in strictly adhering to minimum health protocols if the city hopes to achieve a “flattening of the curve” of virus infections.
The protocols include frequent washing of hands, proper wearing of face masks, and physical distancing. Also mandated is the wearing of face shields in crowded areas.
All the health regulations and controls geared towards stemming the tide of infections will go for naught if discipline is not practiced in faithfully following these rules starting on a personal level, the Mayor said.
He emphasized the need for cooperation as he rallied the public to “circle the wagons” and put up a united front against an invisible enemy that has already taken so many lives worldwide.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has designated Mayor Magalong as the Cordillera region’s Disiplina Muna ambassador and the city’s champion.
Disiplina Muna is a national advocacy campaign aimed at activating the real concept of governance where citizens are made aware of their roles and responsibilities and become active participants in nation building.
The Mayor has formed a team comprised of representatives from the government and civil society to map out strategies to ensure the program’s success and sustainability in the city and region. **Gaby Keith
