Palace: Metro Manila mayors favor GCQ with shorter curfew hours
MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila mayors, whose areas account for more than a third of the Philippines' economic output, want to remain under the lenient general community quarantine (GCQ) and are in favor of shorter curfew hours, Malacañang said yesterday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) were expected to discuss the mayors' recommendation and the updated quarantine classifications on Monday night.
"The president will make the announcement but for now, there is no fixed recommendation yet from the IATF although the recommendation of mayors is (for Metro Manila) to remain under GCQ although there would be easing of measures," Roque told state-run Radyo Pilipinas.
Under GCQ, public transportation is allowed and most industries can operate partially. Only up to ten persons who can join gatherings to ensure that physical distancing is observed.
Roque said there were also claims that Metro Manila can be downgraded to the most lenient modified general community quarantine because of the capital region's contribution to the economy.
"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 that the start of the curfew be adjusted to 10 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. Local chief executives of the capital region imposed uniform curfew hours of 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. from August 19. Only Navotas wanted to retain the present curfew hours, Roque said.
Asked if the president would agree with the proposal to adjust curfew hours, Roque said it would depend on the decision of local governments.
"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.
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.
- Latest
- Trending
