Capitol to limit transpo in GCQ

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu provincial government is already planning out the resumption of operation for a few public utility vehicles (PUV) for the province’s transition to general community quarantine (GCQ).

In her virtual press briefing yesterday, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced that earlier that day, she met with representatives from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchise Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to discuss which PUVs would be allowed to operate under GCQ.

“Under the general community quarantine or GCQ, duna na man ta’y i-allow nga public transportation so gikataga-tagsa na ni nato ug take-up,” she said.

Among the items discussed were the specifics of allowing the operation of some buses and minibuses in the province’s component cities and municipalities.

Garcia also added that they also took up the case-to-case bases of the reoperation of tricycles per local government unit (LGU).

She did not elaborate as to the specific protocols yet, as it will still be taken up in the meeting with mayors this May 15 at the Municipality of Balamban where the rest of the plans for the transition to GCQ will be particularized.

Also included in the meeting yesterday are representatives from Marina and the Philippine Coast Guard to talk about the inter-island travel. The governor stressed that this entails travel only to and from the province’s islands such as Mainland Cebu, Camotes and Bantayan.

She is also set to meet with the bus operators, minibus operators, and cargo and passenger ship operators today to map out the routes of the sea travel allowed within the province.

Sea Travel

As for sea travel to and from other neighboring islands now under GCQ, Garcia said it is a discussion to be held with other governors.

Among the provinces in Region 7 that will be under GCQ are Cebu Province, Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental.

“Amo pa kaning pagahisgutan kung unsay mga protocols nato. Kay actually allowed na na from one GCQ zone to another GCQ zone, subject to existing protocols of the LGU,” she said.

The Province of Cebu, as per Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution No. 35, will be put under GCQ from May 16-May 31.

In total, the province has a total of 57 COVID-19 cases. Of which 37 are from the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center and 20 are spread in the province’s LGUs.

Garcia is set to sign an executive order laying down protocols for GCQ after the meeting she will hold with mayors.  GAN (FREEMAN)