They may not always see eye to eye in handling the province’s COVID-19 response, but there is no ongoing conflict between the Bohol Medical Society (BMS) and the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh), according to a joint statement issued on Thursday.

In the statement signed by Gov. Art Yap and BMS president Jefferson Ong, the PGBh and the BMS said there have been rampant disagreements among members of the Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) but these were more boon than bane.  

“Being a collegial body, disagreements and debates are common within the BIATF. It is only upon these disagreements and debates that our leaders, both in the medical field and in government, can see the complete picture of our current situation,” the joint statement said.

According to BMS-PGBh, it is not surprising that disagreements arise within the group since the BIATF is “multi-sectoral,” with members having varying concerns.

They said that the business sector is also represented in the BIATF and they also have their own goals such as keeping the economy afloat.

“Sometimes, the robust discussions end in the old adage ‘we agree to disagree.’ But these disagreements have sharpened our recommendations and eventually the policies we issue in the province,” it said.

Both groups reminded the public that the pandemic persists and the “crisis is far from over.”

They also called for unity particularly as the number of active COVID-19 cases in the province remained high and amid the threat of mutated coronavirus strains.

“Our immediate task is to manage and lower the number of cases and eventually, when the vaccines arrive, ensure massive vaccination rollout in the province led by our medical sector,” it said.