Interior Secretary Eduardo Año returned work Friday, April 16, after a medical leave which lasted 3 months because it was extended twice.
“He has not given [instructions], except to continue doing our job, and monitor the distribution of supplemental aid in different [local government units] in ‘NCR Plus’,” Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Malaya was referring to the travel bubble imposed on Metro Manila and 4 nearby provinces after the area was placed under the enhanced community quarantine from March 29 to April 11.
The region, which is the ground zero of COVID-19 infections in the Philippines, is still under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the second strictest form of lockdown.
Año initially took a one-month leave in January to fully recover from COVID-19, which he contracted twice in 2020 – the first time in March, and the second in August. The medical leave was extended twice upon the advice of his physicians.
Año was admitted to the hospital for 11 days during his second bout with the highly-contagious respiratory illness, he said in September.
Undersecretary Bernardo Florece Jr served as officer-in-charge of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) while Año was on leave. – Rappler.com
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