CDO mayor: Despite criticized meals, outside food still no-no at quarantine facilities

MANILA—Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno on Friday apologized for free meals being served at the city's COVID-19 isolation facilities that were allegedly not freshly cooked.

This developed after a quarantined woman complained on social media that the food was unsatisfactory.

"You can't satisfy everyone . . . I saw her post pero humingi pa rin ako ng patawad (I apologized). Sabi ko nga (as I said), kahit na the city is doing its best to serve our people, everyday 3 meals a day ang ating sini-serve . . . and 1,000 a day ang pinapakain natin (that we feed)," Moreno told Teleradyo.

For the mayor, the meals costing an average of P80 were decent.

"Masarap naman po. Ako kinakain ko rin 'yan. May ano diyan, chicken, itlog at gulay," Moreno said. (I think it's tasty. I eat the same food, too. It has chicken, egg and vegetables.)

"If our best is not enough, humihingi pa rin ako ng patawad dahil serbisyo lang ito talaga (we want to apologize because this is our service)."

The woman posted on Facebook photos of food, which were allegedly salty and not freshly cooked. 

She asked the city government to allow her family and friends to send her freshly cooked food, as she was recuperating from the respiratory illness.

However, Moreno said he couldn't allow patients to receive food from outside facilities due to risk of spreading COVID-19.

"It's going to be operationally a nightmare. In quarantine, we are very strict about it . . . Hindi ito bakasyon (this is not a vacation). Dapat ang quarantine nila, it's not only for them, it's also for the people they love. Konting sakripisyo lang (we need a bit of sacrifice)," he said.