PRESIDENTIAL contender Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso assured Manileños that work will continue in the different departments and offices in City Hall despite the surge in COVID-19 cases, particularly its highly-contagious Omicron variant.

In a speech during the regular flag raising ceremony at Manila City Hall, Moreno said many of their colleagues were not spared by COVID-19 and got sick during the past week thus affecting city hall operations.

“Mahirap itong isang linggong pinagdaanan natin dahil marami tayong kasamahan sa gusaling ito ang naimpeksyon. Magkagayunman ay patuloy pa ring naglilingkod ang ating mga kapwa kawani sa ating mga kababayan,” Moreno said.

“Life must go on. We must serve. Inaasahan tayo ng taong-bayan. Bagamat nahihirapan kayo sa kanya-kanya n’yong ahensya dahil marami sa atin ay hindi pumapasok, hindi natin pinapapasok, ang hinihiling ko lang ay dapat magtulung-tulungan tayo,” he said.

Despite the prevailing situation, the 47-year-old local chief executive rallied city hall employees to continue serving and do their best in providing quality service to the public.

“Gusto ko ligtas kayo, gusto ko may trabaho kayo, gusto ko makapaglingkod tayo sa ating mga kababayan. Tuluy-tuloy lang tayo. Walang titigil, walang tulugan. This is the price we have to pay in public service dahil wala namang ibang aasahan ang ating mga kababayan,” the Aksyon Demokratiko presidential bet said.

“Maraming, maraming salamat sa bawat isa sa inyo and another week for us. And I hope we’ll be safe, everyone is safe and healthy. May awa ang Dios, makakaraos tayo,” Moreno said.

At the same time, Moreno assured residents that the widespread vaccination against COVID-19 will continue this week so that more people will get protected from the virus.

He said the Manila city government will also continue providing residents and even non-city residents with free medicine for COVID-19 and booster shots within the community and drive-thru.

“Libo-libong kababayan ang naitawid natin ngayong linggong ito sa pagkakasakit ng COVID-19. At mananatili sa maliit nating kaparaanan na gagawin nating manatiling mailigtas ang bawat tao. Mayaman, middle class, mahirap, lahat ng tao, pantay-pantay,” Moreno said.

“Pipilitin natin i-ahon sila at ang layunin natin ngayong panahong ito dala ng surge ng Omicron ay mabuhay ang tao. Ang bawat buhay ay mahalaga,” he said.

The Manila Health Department said that as of 7 p.m. January 9, a total of 3,086,252 vaccine doses have already been injected to the people.

On the other hand, the number of active Covid-19 cases in Manila as of 12 noon of January 9 stood at 1,413 (255 new active cases) with 91,811 recoveries (166 new recoveries) and 1,784 deaths (zero new deaths).