MANILA - Mandaluyong City on Monday declared a state of calamity as the local government sought more funds to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Under the law, local government units are authorized to spend their calamity funds should their area of jurisdiction be placed under a state of calamity.

“There is a need to establish preparedness and ensure appropriate and efficient government response to assess, monitor, contain, control and prevent the spread of the disease,” the City Council said in an ordinance dated March 15, 2020.

As of March 14, 3 COVID-19 patients, 6 persons under investigation, 125 persons under monitoring are in Mandaluyong City, according to data from the local government.

The declaration was made on the same day the national government placed Metro Manila under a community quarantine to limit movement of the public in the Philippines’ most populous region.

Health authorities earlier said the disease can be transmitted through the transfer of bodily fluids from infected patients.

As of March 15, there are 140 patients in the Philippines who tested positive for the disease. Twelve have died, 2 recovered, while the rest remain confined in hospitals.

The World Health Organization called the disease that originated from Wuhan, China as a global pandemic after it killed some 5,000 people and infected 140,000 others worldwide.