Vice President Leni Robredo has called for an "effective pandemic governance" as she joined the Filipinos in observing the Semana Santa.

In her message released on Maundy Thursday, Robredo said in Christ's passion, death, and resurrection, people see the ultimate sacrifice and shared humanity that bind everyone.

"We all feel grief at loss and suffering, but we also find hope that life will always prevail over death; that good will always win over evil; that light will always shine amidst the darkness," she said.

In this time of coronavirus pandemic, she urged every Filipino to love one another by being concern on the safety of each other.

"In this time of pandemic, love means doing everything we can to protect the person next to us from infection. It means spreading correct information about the virus and the vaccines. It means calling for effective pandemic governance. It means helping those in need, and orienting our thoughts and actions towards the other. It means ensuring that the truth that binds us all is upheld," Robredo said.

As of April 1, the Department of Health reported 603,948 COVID-19 cases in the country, including 138,948 active cases and 13,303 deaths. Celerina Monte/DMS