Will Cebu City shift back to GCQ?

Is it the last day of our ECQ or will Cebu City continue in its path for the next 15 days? Whosoever makes this decision for us Cebuanos, I only hope and pray that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has also considered that Cebu City needs to restart the economy because we have been on quarantine lockdown for at least a quarter. This means business persons need to restart their flagging businesses and give their employees a chance to survive this pandemic and start living again.

I learned from Department of Education-7 Director Sal Jimenez that today is the last day for enrollment in public schools. They extended this deadline up to today so that DepEd would know how many students are enrolled in our public schools so they can prepare the various modules for each particular class and, more importantly, the budget needed to allow these classes to prosper.

Mind you, I already wrote a column yesterday to ask President Rodrigo Duterte to allow Siquijor to go on a face-to-face classes simply because they never had any problems with COVID-19 infections, nor fatalities, in the last three months. In short, if I were in Siquijor, I wouldn’t be wearing any masks nor doing any social distancing. But of course, I would still wash my hands thoroughly for the sake of good hygiene.

As I already pointed out, there are many other islands in the Philippines like Palawan that has no coronavirus infection. So why should they all follow the protocol that that IATF prepared for cities strapped with COVID-19? This is like my common complaint when Martial Law was declared throughout the Philippines. Why include areas that weren’t influenced by the communist insurgency? Let’s hope that Pres. Duterte will listen.

* * *

Regarding the issue about the “tuob” kits. I don’t want to join the debate on this but allow me to say that doing the “tuob” in your home is not the cure for the coronavirus. However, for those having a bad cold, “tuob” is a very old way to relieving a cold. Mind you, a long time ago, my mother had me do the “tuob” when I really had a bad cold and, yes, it did allow me to breathe better after. But like I said, it is not the cure for COVID-19. On the social media, I learned that Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said that he would investigate how the city ended up buying “tuob” kits worth P2.5 million, considering that he and the City Council did not authorize the purchase. It was then that I read in The FFREEMAN that Cebu City Legal Officer Rey Gealon said that no public fund was spent for the steam inhalation or “tuob” kits distributed in some barangay isolation centers as these were donated by the supplier. Each kit came with one electric water heater/steamer, a steam gown, an industrial plastic chair, an adult bath towel, two hand towels, and a water basin.

However, Gealon admitted that the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) prepared the procurement papers in case the city would purchase “tuob” kits. But the mayor did not give his permission to purchase these kits. So, clearly, this should end the argument on this tuob issue.

* * *

Another issue that Mayor Labella has to overcome is the reality that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which is under Sec. Roy Cimatu, has stopped the construction of the emergency cemetery in Guba due to the cutting of trees. I’m sure that Sec. Cimatu understands that this is an emergency situation for Cebu City needs to bury the people who have died due to COVID but cannot afford to cremate their remains. I would like to believe that Sec. Cimatu would understand this.

In another glaring issue, I heard that the Department of Public Works and Highways DPW-7 is constructing several dormitories for frontliners beside the Cebu City Quarantine Complex along Logarta St. at the North Reclamation Area. What’s the budget for this project?? Who approved this? I understand that Land Transportation Office-7 offered its facility as temporary home for our frontliners at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC). Last April 8, LTO-7 Director Victor Caindec and CCMC Hospital Administrator Ma. Yvonne Feliciano signed a memorandum of agreement for the use of LTO-7 facility for CCMC health frontliners. Why not use it rather than build a new one and waste government funds for other things?

* * *

For email responses to this article, write to [email protected]  or [email protected]  . His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com .