MANILA - The Philippines is one of the model countries in preventing the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday.

According to Duque, the preventive measures imposed by the Philippines against COVID-19 was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as effective and imitable.

"Sinasabi nila, dapat siguro, gawin [ng mundo] yung ginagawa ng Pilipinas. 'Yun yung sinasabi nila na, halimbawa [tayo]," he told radio DZMM.

Duque added the Philippines is one of nine countries that have not yet reported any case of local transmission of COVID-19.

Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO representative to the Philippines, earlier told ABS-CBN News the Philippine government has already shown that it “has the capacity to implement a good quarantine program” after it repatriated 30 Filipinos from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of COVID-19.

“We believe they (Philippines) understand what needs to be done,” Abeyasinghe said, adding that precautions are also in place to prevent spillover.

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The new coronavirus has mainly battered China, causing 78,596 cases and 2,746 deaths. But it has spread to another 44 countries with 3,246 cases and 51 deaths reported.

--With reports from Kristine Sabillo, ABS-CBN News and Reuters