Metro Manila mayors to push for easing age restrictions of persons allowed to leave homes

October 13, 2020

Metro Manila mayors are eyeing on adjusting age restriction of those who will be allowed to go outside their homes amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) threat

In a radio interview on Monday, Paranaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez, chair of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) said they will recommend to the Interagency Task Force (IATF)lowering of age requirement from 21 to 60 years old to 18 to 65 years old.

“We will have a recommendation on the adjustment of the persons (allowed) to go out because right now, persons (allowed) to go out are aged 21 to 60. Our recommendation is to make it 18 to 65,” Olivarez said.

With this recommendation, Olivarez said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) should consider allowing more public utility vehicles tp operate to accommodate more passengers.

“This should be studied by the DOTr, and also LTFRB… Because our consensus is to help our economy, we need to relax the minimum age requirement,” he said.

As to the curfew hours, Olivarez said the 17 mayors agreed to maintain their 10pm to 5am curfew in their cities.

The Paranaque City mayor said exempted from the said curfew were frontliners and other authorized persons outside of residence (APOR).

“Our consensus is 10 (pm) and our mall is still allowed (to operate) until 9pm… Those who are working at BPO, APOR, workers, are exempted from curfew,” he said.

However, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said they eased their curfew from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. and all health protocols will be strictly enforced.

Last Saturday, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the IATF is looking at easing the curfew hours in Metro Manila to allow longer business operating hours.

As of October 12, the Department of Health (DOH) said NCR has recorded 175, 254 COVID-19 cases with 155, 659 recoveries and 3, 046 deaths. Ella Dionisio