President Rodrigo Duterte is now in Davao City to assess the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation in Mindanao, Malacañang said on Sunday.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the pandemic disease has affected not just one part of the country but the entire Philippines.

“President Rodrigo Duterte is now in Davao City to visit his family whom he has not seen in months and to assess the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation in Mindanao,” Roque said.

“As a father of the nation, President Duterte -- considering his age and comorbidities -- is a hands-on working Chief Executive who spent his weekend to check how this global health scare impacted the lives of people on the ground, especially those living outside Metro Manila and Luzon,” he added.

Roque assured the public that the President will be back in Malacañang in time for the next Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) briefing on Tuesday

Meanwhile, the Palace official advised the public not to be complacent and to follow health protocols set by the authorities after some areas in the country have shifted from enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and general community quarantine (GCQ).

Roque made the statement after they received reports that people who trooped to the malls completely disregarded social and physical distancing measures.

“We must understand that we have started to slowly ease restrictions in order to revitalize the economy, and not because we are safe,” he said.

“We must learn from other countries like South Korea, which contained the spread of the virus but later experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases when citizens became relaxed,” he added.

He asked for the cooperation of the public as the whole country remains in quarantine.

“We must not put to waste our collective efforts and sacrifices. Stay at home, go out to do essential work or when authorized as we ramp up testing,” he said.

“We must continue to be vigilant of the risks of COVID-19, conduct proper hygiene, wear face mask or face shield, and observe social or physical distancing,” Roque added. Ella Dionisio/DMS