Gov’t agencies to lead NTF Covid-19’s task groups named

In a virtual presser aired on government-owned PTV-4 late Friday, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said his office was tasked to lead the NTF Covid-19’s task group on strategic communications. (PNA file photo)

MANILA – The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Friday identified the government agencies that would lead the task groups of the National Task Force (NTF) on Covid-19.

In a virtual presser aired on government-owned PTV-4 late Friday, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said his office was tasked to lead the NTF Covid-19’s task group on strategic communications.

On the other hand, he said, the departments of health and social welfare were delegated to lead the task groups on response operations, and resource management and logistics, respectively.

“The National Task Force organizational structure, as amended, is hereby approved,” said Nograles, who also serves as the spokesperson of IATF-EID.

He noted that the Department of Information and Communications Technology would form part of the task group on strategic communications, while the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Coast Guard, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources would be part of the task group on resource management and logistics.

National Incident Command head

Meanwhile, Nograles announced that Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementer of the national policy on Covid-19, was also tapped to head the National Incident Command, which has been tasked to take charge of the daily concerns and operations in controlling the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

He also bared that the Department of Budget and Management would be a new member of the IATF-EID.

Nograles said the respective organizational structures of the Regional Task Force Covid-19 and the Local Task Force Covid-19 were approved and adopted.

New IATF technical working group

He said the IATF-EID also agreed to create a separate IATF technical working group (TWG) for anticipatory and forward planning, to be chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Other TWG members are the departments of health, agriculture, trade, and education, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, he said.

“(The) NEDA is directed to propose the inclusion of agencies or offices in this IATF TWG, subject to the approval or modification by the IATF,” Nograles said.

He said the TWG was mandated to develop detailed recommendations in the ”rebuilding of consumer and business confidence and the resumption of a new normal state of economic activities, including strategic stockpiling.”