Lanao del Sur, Bacolod City placed under MECQ until Sept. 30

September 8, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte has placed Lanao del Sur and Bacolod City under modified enhanced community quarantine due to rising number of coronavirus disease.

This was after the recommendation made by the National Chief Implementer of the Philippines' Declared National Policy Against COVID-19 and was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in a meeting on Monday.

The MECQ will take effect on September 8 until September 30, IATF Resolution No. 69-A said.

In separate Resolution No. 69 also issued on Monday, the IATF approved the request of Western Visayas, Iligan City and Lanao del Sur to suspend the inbound travel of locally stranded individuals as recommended also by the National Chief Implementer.

In the same resolution, the task force also approved the recommendation of the Economic Development Cluster to require government agencies, large corporations, and firms registered in economic zones to provide regular shuttle services for their employees.

But for companies which are not able to financially sustain provision of shuttle services, they may adopt alternative arrangements such as cost-sharing, partial vouchers for use of Transport Network Vehicle Services and other alternative arrangements to facilitate employees' transportation needs.

The IATF also gave its nod on the implementation of the service contracting of public utility vehicles, which will partially subsidize public transport operations, incentivize PUV operators to return and serve commuters, restore livelihoods of displaced transport workers, empower the government to enforce health, safety, and operational standards, as well as fund the additional cost of sanitation protocols.

Other transport-related approvals are the following:

Establishment of an interoperable automatic fare collection system for all PUVs, to promote cashless payments and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission;

Setting up and enforcing dedicated lanes for PUVs in major routes, along with building more PUV stops and stations, to increase the headway of PUVs and reduce commuters' time inside PUVs and in queues; and

Putting up of protected bicycle lanes and racks, at-grade crosswalks, wider walkways, and other forms of active transport infrastructure that will make walking and cycling safe, healthy, and comfortable for the public.

All of these shall be implemented upon the issuance by the Department of Transportation, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Labor and Employment, and such other concerned agencies of the necessary implementing guidelines, the IATF said. Celerina Monte/DMS