Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 18) — As the highly transmissible Delta variant reaches the Philippines, Vice President Leni Robredo urged the national government on Sunday to boost the funding of regions outside the capital to equip them for a possible surge of new infections.

The government official during her weekly radio show on Sunday said the government must be proactive and start extending financial assistance to regions that still lack the capacity to handle a COVID-19 spike.

“Sana buhusan sila ng pondo pandagdag ng capacity, dagdag na tao, medical equipment,” Robredo said.

[Translation: I hope they will be flooded with additional funds to increase their capacity, manpower, and medical equipment.]

Robredo stressed that if hospitals in Metro Manila had a hard time battling the surge in March, it will be even more difficult for provinces to deal with a spike in cases due to the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant.

Last week, OCTA Research Group also raised concerns that the Philippines may suffer the same fate as Indonesia, which logged over 47,000 new cases on Saturday.

The Department of Health on Saturday said hospitals must begin adding beds for COVID-19 patients, and conduct an inventory of oxygen supplies and other medical equipment.

In a report released Sunday, OCTA said three areas outside the capital region have witnessed a "rapid increase" in infections last week, namely Mariveles in Bataan, Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, and Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu.

Source: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/7/18/robredo-funding-for-regions-outside-ncr-covid-surge.html?fbclid=IwAR1_VrgT3d43WWyx0x-oDn6Ptu_uTx6Ulc6zM-W_ZHFNgcPJf77IIk6Bbr4