Metro Manila council chair backs downgrade to GCQ

?MANILA, Philippines — Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez, also the concurrent chairman of the policy-making body Metro Manila Council (MMC), yesterday pushed for a general community quarantine (GCQ) in the metropolis when the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) lapses on May 31.?

Olivarez, in a statement, said he would personally push for the shift, citing the economic impact of the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Metro Manila alone is horrible and horrifying,” he said.

“Workers in essential services such as health and frontline emergency response are at high risk of infection. Grocery workers, flight attendants and auto workers are among those who have seen both their health and livelihoods threatened by the pandemic,” he said.

He said that under a GCQ, malls and shopping centers would be opened, but leisure establishments would remain closed.?Salons, barber shops and other personal cares services would also be allowed to open under the eased quarantine.

The issue, however, would still be discussed during an urgent meeting on Wednesday of the MMC that is composed of all mayors of Metro Manila.

The country’s economic losses are estimated to reach P2.5 trillion under a “worse case” scenario, where it is assumed that the pandemic is not contained around the world and that the global economy would fall into a recession.?

Recommendations of the MMC would still be presented to the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases that would make the final decision and present it to President Duterte for approval.

Earlier this month, the 17 Metro Manila mayors were divided on whether to continue the ECQ or downgrade it to GCQ starting May 16.?President Duterte later approved that Metro Manila be placed under a modified ECQ with eased lockdown restrictions until the end of the month.