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Delegate power to LGUs: Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino says that even if the period of the COVID-19 State of Calamity has lapsed, the national government should not worry about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic since local government unit (LGU) officials and workers are still ready to respond. "The local government units would know the real score on the ground on how many were vaccinated, how many got infected. They were the ones who worked and faced COVID-19. It’s not the national IATF. It’s not the vaccine czar. It was the governor, mayor, barangay captain and barangay health worker. These are the real heroes. They are the ones facing the challenges every day, giving aid and vaccinating people," Tolentino said in English and Filipino. This is in response to Sen. Pia Cayetano's privilege speech, Tuesday, January 24, 2023, where Cayetano invited her colleagues to review the possible effects of the lapsing COVID-19 State of Calamity to certain provisions of pandemic-related laws. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)