(Amid delay of ECQ passes) Labella to residents: Be patient

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has appealed to the residents of the city to be patient following several complaints on the delay in the distribution of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) passes.

Netizens are complaining on social media that they have not received their passes three days into the ECQ implementation.

"Karon laging panahona, magsinabtanay gyud unta ta," said Labella.

"Di lang ta karon magmugbo og pasensya. Magpasensyahay ta kay this is the first time that we have this kind of problem," he added.

The city government earlier announced that the distribution will be done within the next five days from the implementation of ECQ. After such, the strict implementation of the ECQ will be done.

Labella said he is confident that each household will be provided with the passes within the schedule. Aside from the delay, some are also complaining because the ECQ passes given to them do not complement the number of households in the barangay.

For instance, a Facebook post stated that Barangay Talamban was given 4,000 ECQ passes only when there are about 13, 000 households, including condo units and boarding houses in the area.

Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia explained that the purpose of the ECQ is to limit the mobility of the people.

"If you have a population of Cebu City of one million, di ka ganahan na ang one million magsige’g suroy-suroy," said Garcia.

Garcia said they might infect others and also get infected.

"Mao na nga nag-issue ta og two hundred fifty thousand (250, 000) green passes kay para instead of one million nga magsige’g suroy-suroy, two hundred fifty thousand nalang ang magsige’g suroy-suroy. Ug mag sige lang ta og add og pass, dili nato i-limit... What's going to happen? Mas modaghan gihapon ang tawo, mas modaghan gihapon og takod ang mga tawo," said Garcia.

The city government is issuing four types of ECQ passes. The city residents are given green; officials and employees of government offices will get red; non-residents will get blue; and crisis management team members and frontliners will be issued white.

Garcia said the city government is very strict with the one pass, one household policy.

"Para usa ra gyud ka tawo ang mogawas, mopalit sa ilahang mga needs for the entire household," he said. FPL (FREEMAN)