Through the Quezon City government’s “Race to Zero” campaign, cash incentives await barangays with the highest number of identified probable and suspect coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and lowest number of confirmed cases.

Outstanding barangay with population of above 50,000 under category “large” will receive PHP200,000 while outstanding barangays with population of 10,000 to 50,000 (medium), and with population of 10,000 below (small) will get PHP100,000 and PHP50,000, respectively.

Data collection started last Sept. 7 and will end on Sept. 14. The awarding will be held on Sept. 21, in time for Barangay Day.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said the campaign will further motivate barangays to intensify their search for probable, suspect and confirmed virus cases and to sustain the drop in the number of daily cases in the city.

“We’ve already seen the flattening of the curve based on the latest findings by a noted research group. We hope to sustain it further through this initiative,” Belmonte said in a statement on Thursday.

Belmonte was referring to the University of the Philippines (UP) OCTA Research, which indicated that the number of average daily cases in Quezon City dropped for three straight weeks from 540 on Aug. 10-16, to 205 from Aug. 1 to Sept. 6.

The Reproduction Number (Ro), which indicates the movement of the virus, also dropped for five straight weeks, from 1.47 (July 27 to Aug. 2) to 0.92 on Aug. 31 to Sept. 6.

“Magsisilbing hamon ang kampanyang ito sa ating mga barangay na paigtingin pa ang kanilang pagkilos para mapigil ang pagkalat ng virus sa kanilang mga lugar (This will serve as challenge for our barangays to intensify their campaign to stop virus transmission in their area),” Belmonte added.

Dr. Rolly Cruz, head of the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU), said the program will inspire barangays to be more proactive in searching for probable, suspect and confirmed Covid-19 cases.

“Unahan natin ang virus through active case finding. Lagi natin ipatupad ang contain-isolate-quarantine-treat kahit suspected case pa lang (Let’s start through active cases finding. Always implement the contain-isolate-quarantine-treat even if it’s a suspected case),” said Dr. Cruz.

Aside from identifying suspect, probable and confirmed virus cases, Barangay Community Relations Department head Ricky Corpuz said this initiative will also drive barangays to enforce strict minimum health protocols, such as wearing of face masks and face shields and social distancing.

“If we protect our community and our workplace, then we’ll be able to keep our economy going,” Corpuz said. (PNA)