A Facebook post by a regional news outlet about doctors from Bicol requesting the national government to put the region under quarantine ran a photo of medical workers in Manila instead of in Bicol.
The photo of health workers in protective suits transporting a body uploaded by the Facebook page Tagkaró on June 16 was actually taken at a hospital in Manila last August.
The caption for the misleading photo reads:
MGA BIKOLANONG DOKTOR, NANAWAGANG ILAGAY SA ECQ ANG BICOL REGION
Sa ipinadalang sulat ng grupo ng mga Bikolanong doktor sa DILG Secretary Eduardo Año, nananawagan ang mga ito na ilagay sa ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE (ECQ) ang Bicol region sa loob ng 2-4 linno dahil sa surge ng COVID-19 cases sa rehiyon.
(Doctors from Bicol urge to put Bicol region under ECQ
In a letter sent by a group of doctors from Bicol to DILG Secretary Eduarde Año, they asked that the Bicol region be placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in 2-4 weeks due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the region).
The status update states:
"BICOL BUBBLE?"
Mga grupo ng mga Bikolanong doktor ang umaapela ngayon ng tulong mula sa pamahalaang nasyonal na isailalim sa ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE (ECQ) ang buong Bicol Region dahil sa nakakaalarmang patuloy na pagtaas ng COVID-19 cases sa rehiyon.
(“BICOL BUBBLE?”
Groups of Bicolano doctors are appealing to the national government to put Bicol Region under Enhanced Community Quarantine [ECQ] due to the alarming increase of COVID-19 cases in the region).
A reverse image search shows the photo is owned by Associated Press and was taken on Aug. 6, 2020 by Aaron Favila.
The original photo available on the AP site was labeled “APTOPIX VIRUS OUTBREAK PHILIPPINES” and was captioned:
Health workers in protective suits transport a corpse at a hospital in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. The capital and outlying provinces returned to another lockdown after medical groups warned that the country was waging a losing battle against the coronavirus amid an alarming surge in infections. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
The photo has appeared in multiple news reports, including on Aug. 28, 2020 and Nov. 21, 2020 in Inquirer.net.
In an interview on Teleradyo on June 16, Dr. Carslen Antonio, president of Albay Medical Society, confirmed health professionals in the region had signed a letter outlining the current situation in some provinces in the region and sent it to Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año.
According to the June 21 update of the Department of Health Bicol Center of Health and Development, a total of 16,207 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the region, of which 5,590 are active.
Tagkaro's post has gained over 8,100 likes, 1,800 comments and 8,400 shares as of writing. The page has 201,817 likes and 224,421 followers since it was created in August 2018. (JA)
References
Antonio, C. (2021, June 16). Doctors want Bicol placed under MECQ, as COVID-19 cases spike | TeleRadyo. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD-gf5mcOPk
DOH Bicol CHD. (2021, June 21). COVID-19 Update No. 2021 - 0170 BICOL REGION As of June 2021... [Facebook Status] Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/dohbicol/posts/4372805569409426
Favila, A. (2020, August 6). APTOPIX virus outbreak Philippines. AP Images. http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/APTOPIX-Virus-Outbreak-Philippines/e994bf8c356848d5a088a28ae2601afc/58/0
Marquez, C. (2020, November 21). After lifting deployment ban, gov’t urged to raise pay, benefits for health workers. Inquirer.net. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1363361/after-lifting-deployment-ban-govt-urged-to-raise-pay-benefits-for-health-workers-villanueva-2#ixzz6yP8J1H4g
Ramos, C. M. (2020, August 28). DOH hires 700 more health workers for fight vs Covid-19. Inquirer.net https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1328428/doh-hires-700-more-health-workers-for-fight-vs-covid-19
Tagkaró. (2021, June 15). "BICOL BUBBLE?" Mga grupo ng mga Bikolanong doktor ang umaapela ngayon ng tulong mula sa pamahalaang nasyonal na isailalim sa ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE (ECQ)... [Facebook Status]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/tagkaronewstv/posts/838130290154399