MGCQ? Not much difference from GCQ!

When my friends asked me what is there under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), frankly speaking, the only thing that I really know is that the coronavirus is still very much around. However, I opened up The FREEMAN newspaper yesterday and learned that restrictions in the movement of people would remain in Cebu City even as it is under MGCQ this September. For instance, the use or requirement for quarantine passes would still be needed when going out and the mandatory stay at home directive for individuals as earlier covered by Mayor Edgardo Labella’s Executive Order 89.

As mandated by the EO, any person below 21 years old, those who are 60 years old and above, those with immunodeficiency’s, comorbidities, or other health risks, pregnant women, including any person who resides with the aforementioned, shall be required to remain in their residence at all times, except when indispensable under the circumstances for obtaining essential goods and services, or for work in industries and offices or such other activities permitted under MGCQ.

We also learned that Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief implementer of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Operations Center (EOC) in Cebu City, said that residents should instill discipline if they don’t want the city to go back to a stricter quarantine classification. He added that we’re asking for the public to understand. We’re doing this for Cebu City and Cebu Island. Meanwhile, authorized persons outside residence (APOR) are exempt from this requirement.

Also mass gatherings, such as but not limited to sporting events, religious services, and work conferences, shall be allowed provided that participants shall be limited to 50 percent of the seating or venue capacity.

Further, activities and gatherings related to fiestas and festivals are prohibited during the MGCQ period. At least for church services this is an improvement over the old 10% capacity of the church.

Meanwhile, Mayor Labella's previous orders such as the total liquor ban and mandatory wearing of face masks in all public places, as well as mandatory COVID-19 testing for persons deprived of liberty (PDL) and children in conflict with the law (CICL), among others, remain in effect. So in reality, there isn’t any huge difference between having a MGCQ or GCQ.

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A few days ago, Cebu First District Rep. Eduardo “Eddiegul” Gullas, who is a member of the appropriations committee, revealed that they have allocated P1.2 billion initial funding for the so-called “fourth bridge” to span the Mactan Channel and connect the island of Mactan to the Mandaue City mainland.

As Rep. Gullas pointed out, in the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, the DPWH is spending up to P13.7 billion to build new bridges across the country, including the P1.2 billion for the new Cebu-Mactan bridge. “The new Cebu-Mactan Bridge and Coastal Road Construction Project is an absolutely critical component of Metro Cebu’s future infrastructure,” according to Gullas.

Finally, gone are the days when we Filipinos would sit on our laurels and bask and enjoy on our infrastructure achievements only to wake up years later that the traffic has gone from bad to worse because government no longer made plans for the future of Metro Cebu. While construction is still far away, at least we already know that Metro Cebu is getting a 4th bridge to link Mactan to the north side of Cebu province.

In short, after the COVID-19 pandemic, Metro Cebu can look forward to a better future, especially around Mactan, which today is clogged by bad traffic. With the third bridge or the Cordova-Cebu Link Expressway soon to be finished, it would also mean less traffic for people going to the south of Cebu City.

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I really don’t know why they are still talking about that idiotic idea of a revolutionary government. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has said: "The president's position remains that a revolutionary government is not what we need in these times. If there are any citizens or sectors who hold resentment and strongly feel that revolutionary government can solve their problems, then that is where public discourse on important issues affecting us as a country every day comes in." Come on Sec. Roque, a public discourse on this issue is unnecessary and not a priority!

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