A party-list solon expressed doubts on the proposed granular lockdown in communities with high cases of COVID-19.

Ako Probinsiyano Patry-list Representative Ronnie Ong said localized granular lockdowns will only make life even harder for a lot of families who can barely find ways to earn a living.

He pointed out that no amount of lockdowns can minimize the spread of the virus if the government will not implement effective testing and contract tracing.

“Even at the start of this pandemic, this was already our problem but the Covid Task Force still has not come up with an effective testing and contact tracing system.

“Parang wala tayong natutunan after two years into this pandemic. Laging lockdown pa rin ang solution ng gobyerno,” said Ong.

The solon lamented that despite the creation of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), the government still has not come up with a single nationwide contact tracing system and a national database for fully vaccinated individuals.

He stressed that the granular lockdown does not make any sense because it would lock down people who are not positive and deny them the opportunity to earn a living.

He added it is also ridiculous that APORS (Authorized Persons Outside Residence) are locked out of their homes if their communities are placed under granular lockdown.

“Can the government feed and sustain the families who will not go to work? Definitely not!” Ong pointed out.

“And what is the sense of APORS being not allowed to return to their homes during these granular lockdowns? Saan matutulog ang mga iyon? Bibigyan ba sila ng pabahay? Our businesses are already suffering too much so we should not expect them to shoulder the lodging of their employees,” he added.

Instead of resorting to short-term and temporary solutions to mitigate the spread of the virus, Ong said President Duterte should give an ultimatum to the DICT to come up with a reliable contact tracing system and vaccination database.

And while the government has spent so much on face shields and face masks, it has not invested on testing which remains very expensive.

Ong said if there is an efficient contact tracing system and accessible testing, the government can immediately isolate and require simple home quarantines for mild and asymptomatic patients even before they could re-infect other people.