Rappler Talk: Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro on empowering the people to fight COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines – Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Marikina City has been finding itself the subject of headlines for the right reasons. Mayor Marcelino Teodoro was among the first local chief executives to call for mass testing in the country.

He fought tooth and nail with the Department of Health to have Marikina’s molecular laboratory accredited for COVID-19 testing. Contact tracing efforts in the city have long been relentless, allowing Marikina to easily map out confirmed cases and immediately test and isolate the people with whom they have interacted. Marikina has since recorded the slowest transmission rate in the entire Metro Manila.

Its case doubling time – or the average number of days it takes for cases in the city to double – is at 8.32, outperforming other cities like San Juan, Malabon, Pasig, Las Piñas, Caloocan, and Pasay where COVID-19 cases are already decelerating.

Teodoro, however, refuses to take sole credit for what the city has achieved. He says the people of Marikina have been crucial in ensuring the city would survive the pandemic.

As of Thursday, June 25, there are a total of 325 confirmed cases in Marikina, where 157 patients have already recovered and 138 remain active cases. The city has recorded 30 deaths so far.

How has Teodoro empowered the people of Marikina to keep the coronavirus pandemic at bay? How are they preparing for the “new normal” in the weeks – or even years – to come? Watch as Rappler’s Mara Cepeda sits down with Teodoro on Friday, June 26 at 1:30 pm. – Rappler.com