Metro Manila under GCQ for 1 more month

MANILA, Philippines — More businesses are allowed to reopen beginning today even as Metro Manila remains under general community quarantine for one more month while Cavite and Laguna, which host special economic zones, are eased into the most lenient modified GCQ.

Also under GCQ are the provinces of Bulacan and Batangas and the cities of Tacloban and Bacolod.

The rest of the country will be under MGCQ, except Iligan City, which was placed under the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ.

Iligan officials had asked the regional coronavirus task force to allow them to return to the strictest ECQ due to rising COVID-19 infections, with 21 of the 44 barangays in the city recording third-degree local transmissions.

But officials have said widespread lockdowns are no longer sustainable as they harm the economy and disrupt livelihoods.

The new quarantine classifications were approved by President Duterte last night during his meeting at Malacañang with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

Starting today, establishments offering personal grooming services, as well as review and tutorial centers, gyms and internet cafés are allowed to operate in GCQ areas, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

As more businesses are allowed to open, greater police presence is expected in establishments where strict health protocols will remain in force, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the IATF was expected to discuss the updated quarantine classifications last night.

“The President will make the announcement but for now, there is no fixed recommendation yet from the IATF,” Roque told state-run Radyo Pilipinas.

Under GCQ, public transportation is allowed and most industries can operate partially. Only up to 10 persons are allowed in every gathering to ensure that physical distancing is observed.

Roque said further relaxing Metro Manila’s quarantine status to the most lenient modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) is also being discussed as the National Capital Region accounts for more than a third of the country’s economic output.

“These are being discussed, we are looking at the critical care capacity, we are looking at the case doubling rate, we will know later on, the President will conduct an inspection,” he said.

Roque previously said the capital region’s case doubling rate is nine days while the requirement for an area to be placed under MGCQ is 28 days. Under MGCQ, more sectors like tourism can resume operations and more modes of mass transportation are permitted. Restrictions on public gatherings are also relaxed.

Roque said mayors have also proposed shorter curfew hours – from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. – from the current 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Only Navotas wanted to retain the current curfew hours, he said.

“It won’t be immediate because they (local governments) still have to amend their ordinances. Other local governments have given the mayor the authority to change the curfew hours through executive order,” the Palace spokesman said.

Shorter curfew

In an interview over dzBB yesterday, Metro Manila Council (MMC) chairman Edwin Olivarez said yesterday that after a meeting last Sunday, the mayors agreed to recommend extending the GCQ for 30 days.

“We recommended 30 days and not 15 days,” he said. In making the recommendation, the mayors took into consideration the need to balance the health of the people and the economy.

“Our basis is our gradual opening of the economy without compromising our health protocols. Our countrymen are already having difficulties,” he said.

Localized or granular lockdowns would be enforced in areas with concentrated COVID-19 cases, the local chief executive said.

Olivarez also said shorter curfew would give establishments and businesses more time to operate.

The Philippines has logged more than 217,000 coronavirus cases, the highest in Southeast Asia. The pandemic has plunged the economy into a recession or two consecutive quarters of economic contraction, the first in 29 years. Officials have expressed confidence that the proposed stimulus packages and the easing of quarantine restrictions would allow the economy to recover.

At a briefing yesterday Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said “sectors like personal grooming services, testing, tutorials, review centers, gyms… will proceed with opening, September 1.”

“As agreed with Metro Manila mayors, for gyms, fitness centers and sports facilities, the specific guidelines, including operating capacity and more specific health protocol requirements shall be issued by each LGU (local government unit),” he said in a Viber message.

For internet cafes, he said the timing of the reopening, as well as the specific guidelines, including operating capacity and more specific health protocol requirements, shall be issued by each LGU.

“The other newly opened sectors can reopen up to 30 percent operating capacity,” he added.

Last month, he said gyms, review centers, internet cafes, dermatological clinics offering aesthetic procedures, establishments offering other personal care services, pet grooming services and drive-in cinemas were prohibited from operating until Aug. 31 in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.

The four areas moved to GCQ on Aug.19, after being under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from Aug. 4 to 18.

Last Aug. 1, the government already allowed review centers, gyms, fitness centers, sports facilities, internet cafes, establishments offering personal grooming and aesthetic services, pet grooming, and drive-in cinemas to operate at 30 percent capacity in GCQ areas.

These establishments had to close again in Metro Manila and the four provinces however, as the areas reverted to MECQ.

Health protocols stay

Lopez said the businesses being allowed to reopen would have to strictly follow health protocols.

He said the government is working on opening the economy in a safe way, as the pandemic is not expected to disappear until a vaccine for COVID-19 becomes available.

“Regardless of the community quarantine, the discipline should be there to follow mandatory health standards,” he said.

On extending the duration of a quarantine status to one month, Lopez said the tack is seen to provide more stability.

“In other words, it might not just be 14 days. It might be one month for the duration,” he said. But he stressed the proposed extension would still have to be approved by President Duterte.

Meanwhile, PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said they have to beef up presence at commercial establishments to make sure quarantine protocols are strictly followed.

“The easing of restrictions is for the sake of our economy. It does not mean that we should also lower our guard. The threat of coronavirus infection is still there so we should always be alert and continue doing our mandate of protecting the public from virus transmission,” Eleazar said in a statement yesterday.

He said local police commanders need continuous coordination with local governments to whip up operational guidelines in enforcing quarantine rules.

Owners and store managers whose businesses have been allowed to resume operations were also reminded to observe and enforce the minimum health safety standard protocols for their employees and customers.

“Local commanders can also tap the barangay officials for the deployment of barangay watchmen as force multipliers, or the Public Order and Safety Personnel of cities and municipalities to augment the local police,” he said.

“We should anticipate all the eventualities that may occur and these must be included in the planning and implementation in order to ensure that the quarantine rules are observed,” he added.

Eleazar also urged the public not to source goods and services from other cities to minimize the risk of infection. — Neil Jayson Servallos, Ralph Edwin Villanueva