Current COVID figures for Mindanao
Mindanao has total population 23.9 million as of 2015, that is roughly 23 percent of the country’s total of 105 million over the same period. Mindanao’s population is almost evenly distributed per region, the highest population concentration of which is in the Davao Region with 4.9 million.
As of May 28, the number of unique COVID testing all over Mindanao stood at 8,811, the bulk of which were done by the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City which performed a total of 7,533 tests or 85 percent of the total tests in the island. The figure however includes all tests in Mindanao prior to the operationalization of other testing centers in the island.
The total unique tests in Mindanao make up for an average one COVID incidence per 18.55 tests. The national average as of May 28 is 18.59 tests.
Breaking down the COVID cases in Mindanao are as follows:
As the chart showed, Davao City and Zamboanga remain the flash points of COVID incidence in Mindanao. Their nationwide rankings are 14th and 18th among 146 cities nationwide respectively.
Per region, the following is the ranking of Mindanao’s 5 regions: Davao Region is 5th while ZamBaSulTa is 6th while Caraga Region is dead last at 17th. The regions in Mindanao – Region 10, Region XII and BARMM are ranked 14th, 15th and 16th respectively in the country’s 17 regions.
Clearly, Mindanao has fared way better the two other main island groups in the country per an average infection of 19.87 per million population.
Where Mindanao LGUs go separate ways
If Mindanao LGUs and the rest of the country were almost unanimous in supporting the national emergency declaration of the president, they are divided over the manner the quarantine measures are to be eased up and downgraded.
When President Duterte downgraded the quarantine measures for the first time late April, many LGUs, including all in Region 12, submitted an appeal to remain at the general community quarantine level.
Mayor Inday Sara Duterte earlier announced she would ease up quarantine restrictions in her city but relented when Davao City was placed under modified enhanced community quarantine.
Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno resisted clamor for the city to remain under strict quarantine control, preferring to adopt the guidelines on moderate general community quarantine.
None of the local chief executives in Mindanao wanted the quarantine totally lifted, however.
Mayor Ronnel Rivera of General Santos City supported the appeal of the regional IATF for Region 12 remains under GCQ.
The latest pronouncement of President Duterte has again drawn mixed reactions from local chief executives and restive business sector as well as residents all over the island.
(In a sudden turn of events which caught many by surprise, Mayor Rivera announced that it will abide by the latest presidential order and lifted the clustering, odd-even scheme and virtually allowed people to freely go outside while appealing for continued observance of proper health protocols. The ordinance on wearing masks outside of their homes is still in effect, however. Curfew is now limited to minors. The General Santos City mayor is set to issue an executive order to this effect. But the new policy is effective May 30, two days ahead of the IATF June 1 order of President Duterte.)
Among the reasons cited, apart from preserving the gains of the 2-month quarantine period are the insufficiency and lack of testing centers in other regions. CARAGA, Region 12 and BARMM have no testing centers and rely on the testing facilities of SPMC in Davao City. (Cotabato City, which is still under Region 12 but will soon be transferred to BARMM, has its testing center almost exclusively for its own and Maguindanao towns of the BARMM).
So far, General Santos City and South Cotabato in Region 12 have already ordered modular testing laboratories, which should already be operational by mid-June.
Region 12 has virtually no tertiary hospital and General Santos City, which hosts 5 secondary and one government-owned primary hospitals have only 26 COVID case capable ICU beds.
Most patients requiring intensive care from nearby provinces of Sarangani and South Cotabato are heavily dependent on the hospital facilities of General Santos City.
Davao City, which hosts the tertiary level SPMC, has so far coped up with serious COVID case admittances with several privately-owned tertiary hospitals also on standby. But Mayor Inday Sara has discouraged other regions to bring COVID patients to Davao City, for fear of overwhelming the already stressed medical community in the main political and economic center of Mindanao to prevent their facilities and medical workers from being overwhelmed with serious infections.
Mayor Moreno of Cagayan de Oro has been relieved that Cagayan de Oro now has a COVID testing center. So far, the Northern Mindanao region has also contained the spread of the disease with Cagayan de Oro implementing quarantine measures according to the guidelines set by the national IATF.
There are signs of agitation however on the continuing exercise of restrictions in many parts in Mindanao. Some are still wary and fearful of spreading the virus while others are restlessly looking to become more mobile again.
So far, with the exception of Davao City and Zamboanga, the numbers would support easing up restrictions including border crossing as stipulated in the modified general community quarantine guidelines and even in the main GCQ advisories.
But South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayao and Gov. Steve Solon of Sarangani are adamant that border crossings remain closed to human traffic.
Solon cited the still growing number of COVID infection in the Davao Region which lies next to its farthest town of Malungon.
“There were about 22 cases in Davao Region (these) past few days, so mas mahigpit pa ngayon,” Solon said.
But he clarified that ‘business gods can still flow as usual with compliance to checkpoints and health protocols.”
Gov. Tamayo, meanwhile, asked residents to give him until June 30 to set up all the necessary measures to avoid infection when the borders of South Cotabato is opened to human traffic.
In Davao City, Mayor Sarah is encouraging travel within the region but some provincial governors are still reluctant to open their borders.
On Monday, June 1, the entire Mindanao with the exception of the cities of Zamboanga and Davao is now placed under modified general community quarantine which practically open up the island to all economic activities.
But not all has fully responded by adopting the IATF guidelines on different levels of community quarantine.
Again, General Santos City was the first to ease virtually all restrictions with the exception of wearing of facemask, which has become mandatory under a city ordinance and the standard social distancing.
