MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos should not be alarmed by the Philippines having the most number of coronavirus cases in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) because it is not a competition but a race for detection and containment, said Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Thursday, April 16.

“The number of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) in the Philippines, we believe, is a function of the expansion of our testing capacity,” Nograles said during his regular morning briefing broadcast live on Facebook.

He added: “Hindi naman ito contest among ASEAN nations. Hindi naman ito contest na pakauntian ng number. Hindi ganyan (This is not a contest among ASEAN nations. This is not a contest of who has the smallest number. That’s not how it works).

What numbers? Latest data shows the Philippines has the most number of COVID-19 cases in the ASEAN region with 5,453 confirmed cases as of April 15, including 349 deaths and 353 recoveries.

The Philippines also ranked 9th among the riskiest countries to be in during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent analysis of global pandemic data by the consortium Deep Knowledge Group.

The Philippines also ranked the lowest – 20th place – in the list of the safest countries in the Asia-Pacific region to be in during the pandemic. 

Government’s assurance: The government is currently aiming to test around 20,000 people per day by April 27.

So far, however, the government is prioritizing patients with severe to critical infections.

Nograles claimed that like other ASEAN countries, the Philippines has been following best practices in lockdown enforcement, travel restrictions, testing, and treatment. However, reports like that of the Deep Knowledge Group, have pointed to inadequate government response. – Rappler.com