Marcos to begin term with Metro Manila under most lenient alert status

MANILA, Philippines — President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will begin his term with Metro Manila under the most lenient alert status despite the rising number of COVID-19 infections in the capital region.

Metro Manila, the Philippines' economic center, will remain under Alert Level 1 from July 1 to 15, Malacañang announced Tuesday.

Majority or 85 of 121 provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities and 166 of 744 other component cities and municipalities will be under the least restrictive status during the first half of July. Business establishments and venues for social gatherings in Alert Level 1 areas may be filled up to their capacities.

Acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Tuesday approved the recommendations of its data analytics sub-technical working group on the new matrices to be used for the alert level system.

Under the new matrices, the two-week growth rate is no longer an indicator in determining case risk classification. Case risk classification will be based on average daily attack rates and their current thresholds. Total beds utilization rate and its current thresholds will remain as the main metric for health system capacity. The assignment of alert level will also be based on the revised cross tabulation of total beds utilization rate and average daily attack rate.

Areas that will be under Alert Level 1 are Metro Manila composed of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Pateros, Pasig, Marikina, Taguig, Quezon City, Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas and Pasay; Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Kalinga and Mountain Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan in Ilocos region; Batanes, Cagayan, City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino in Cagayan Valley; Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales in Central Luzon; Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Lucena City and Rizal in CALABARZON; Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa City and Romblon in MIMAROPA; Albay, Catanduanes, Naga City and Sorsogon in Bicol; Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, and Iloilo City in Western Visayas; Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City (Opon), Mandaue City and Siquijor in Central Visayas; Biliran, Eastern Samar, Ormoc City, Southern Leyte and Tacloban City in Eastern Samar; Zamboanga City in Zamboanga Peninsula; Bukidnon, Cagayan De Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental in Northern Mindanao; Davao City and Davao Oriental in Davao region; South Cotabato in SOCCSKSARGEN; Butuan City, Surigao Del Sur, Agusan Del Norte and Agusan Del Sur in Caraga; and Cotabato City in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Several component cities and municipalities will be under Alert Level 1 from July 1 to 15 namely Buguias and Tublay in Benguet and Kiangan, Lagawe (Capital) and Lamut in Ifugao;  Atimonan, Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Dolores, Lucban, Mauban, Pagbilao, Plaridel, Polillo, Quezon, Sampaloc, San Antonio, Tiaong and Unisan in Quezon province; Calintaan, Looc, Lubang and Rizal in Occidental Mindoro; Cagayancillo and Culion in Palawan; Basud, Capalonga, Daet (Capital), San Vicente and Talisay in Camarines Norte; Bombon, Cabusao, Camaligan, Caramoan, Goa, Iriga City, Pamplona, Pili (Capital), Presentacion (Parubcan), San Fernando, San Jose and Tigaon in Camarines Sur; Balud, City of Masbate (Capital) and Mandaon in Masbate; Anini-Y, San Jose (Capital), Sebaste and Tobias Fornier (Dao) in Antique;  Cadiz City, Candoni, City of Talisay, City of Victorias, Enrique B., Magalona (Saravia), La Carlota City, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Sagay City, San Enrique and Valladolid in Negros Occidental; Batuan, Calape, Corella, Dimiao, Duero, Garcia Hernandez, Jagna, Lila, Loay, Loboc, Maribojoc, San Isidro, San Miguel, Sevilla, Sikatuna and Tagbilaran City (Capital) in Bohol; Alcoy, Borbon, City of Talisay, Oslob, Pilar, Santander and Tudela in Cebu; Amlan (Ayuquitan), Bacong, Dauin, Dumaguete City (Capital), Valencia (Luzurriaga) and Zamboanguita in Negros Oriental; Albuera, City of Baybay, Dulag, Javier (Bugho), La Paz, Matag-Ob, Matalom, Palo, Tunga and Villaba in Leyte; Allen, Capul, Lapinig, Lavezares, San Antonio, San Jose and Victoria in Northern Samar; Marabut, Pagsanghan, Paranas (Wright), Tarangnan and Zumarraga in Samar (Western Samar); Dapitan City, Dipolog City (Capital), Jose Dalman (Ponot), Labason, Manukan, Piñan (New Piñan), Polanco, Rizal and Salug in Zamboanga Del Norte; Kumalarang, Labangan, Lapuyan, Mahayag, Molave and Ramon Magsaysay (Liargo) in Zamboanga Del Sur; Alicia, Buug, Diplahan, Ipil (Capital), Siay and Tungawan in Zamboanga Sibugay; Bacolod, Baroy, Kauswagan, Lala, Linamon and Tubod (Capital) in Lanao Del Norte; Mawab, Montevista, Nabunturan (Capital) and New Bataan in Davao De Oro; Padada in Davao Del Sur; Antipas, Arakan, City of Kidapawan (Capital) and President Roxas in Cotabato (North Cotabato); City of Tacurong, Kalamansig and Lebak in Sultan Kudarat; Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo (Albor), Loreto and Tubajon in Dinagat Islands; Claver, Dapa, General Luna, Mainit and Tagana-An in Surigao Del Norte; Bumbaran, Ditsaan-Ramain and Wao in Lanao Del Sur; South Upi and Upi in Maguindanao; and Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi.

The IATF has also placed a number of provinces and cities under the stricter Alert Level 2 from July 1 to 15. Under the alert status, indoor establishments may only use up to half of their capacities while outdoor venues are allowed a maximum capacity of 70%. Andanar said the designation is without prejudice to their respective component cities and municipalities which may be under a different alert level classification.

Areas that will be under Alert Level 2 are Benguet and Ifugao in CAR; Quezon province in CALABARZON; Occidental Mindoro and Palawan in MIMAROPA; Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Masbate in Bicol; Antique and Negros Occidental in Western Visayas; Bohol, Cebu and Negros Oriental in Central Visayas; Leyte, Northern Samar and Samar (Western Samar) in Eastern Visayas; City of Isabela, Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga Del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay in Zamboanga Peninsula; Lanao Del Norte in Northern Mindanao; Davao De Oro, Davao Del Norte, Davao Del Sur and Davao Occidental in Davao region; Cotabato (North Cotabato), General Santos City (Dadiangas), Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat in SOCCSKSARGEN; Dinagat Islands and Surigao Del Norte in Caraga; and Basilan, Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in BARMM.