'Pera niyo 'yan:' Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian tells constituents to thank themselves for food vouchers

Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian told his constituents to not thank him for the food vouchers they're receiving as relief amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat.

Instead, Gatchalian told them to thank themselves.

"Sa mga nakakuha na ng food vouchers nila. Please don't thank me. Thank yourselves for paying taxes...pera niyo yan,"  Gatchalian wrote in a tweet.

...sa mga nakakuha na ng food vouchers nila. Please don't thank me. Thank yourselves for paying taxes...pera niyo yan.

— Rex (@rex_gatchalian) March 24, 2020

In a separate tweet, Gatchalian posted photos of scenes at their city hall where his constituents were seen following a strict assembly line and practicing proper social distancing as they redeem their food packs.

Just last week, Valenzuela set up modular tents and military cot beds in two isolation centers to handle cases of COVID-19.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed Luzon on enhanced community quarantine to contain the spread of COVID-19, which started on March 17.

According to the quarantine guidelines released by the Palace, only one person per household is allowed to go outside to buy necessities.

The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed 90 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total number of infections in the Philippines to 552 with 35 deaths and 20 recoveries. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News