IATF to strongly consider mayors’ recommendation for ECQ extension in NCR —DILG

The recommendation for a possible 15-day extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) will be strongly considered by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Saturday.

Metro Manila Council (MMC) chairman Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez has announced that the NCR mayors’ group will formalize its recommendation through a resolution during a virtual meeting on Saturday. 

“Ginagalang natin ang rekomendasyon ng ating Metro Manila mayors kasi nga po katuwang natin sila sa pagpapatupad ng enhanced community quarantine,” Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson of IATF member DILG, said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

While the MMC’s resolution is simply recommendatory, Malaya said the IATF will carefully study the mayors’ recommendation.

The DILG official said that like other local government units’ recommendation, the national government through the IATF will give weight to the MMC’s recommendation.

“For example po, sa Zamboanga, dati GCQ (general community quarantine) sila. Ngunit noong nag-request ang city government na gawing ECQ, nakinig naman po ang IATF. Ganun din sa Albay, dati dinowngrade na sila sa GCQ but they requested for an extension. Pinagbigyan naman po,” Malaya said.

“Dito sa Metro Manila, depende ‘yan sa datos na makakalap ng IATF through the technical working group on data analytics kasi pinag-aaralan po talaga ang sitwasyon,” he added.

Depending on the data that will come out as the expiration of ECQ draws near, the DILG official said the IATF may have a final decision by May 13 or 14 on whether or not the stricter quarantine measure in Metro Manila will be extended.

“I am sure they will strongly consider the recommendations of the Metro Manila Council,” he said.

Olivarez earlier said Metro Manila mayors favor a metro-wide extension since cities and municipalities in Metro Manila are "very interconnected," meaning residents usually live in one city and work in another one.

With this, Malaya said that if some cities in Metro Manila will be under GCQ while others remain under ECQ, it will be impossible for workers to travel to work from one city to another.

“Speculative lang po ito dahil wala pa naman pong guidelines na nilalabas ang IATF. ‘Yun pong mga na-ECQ, hindi kayo puwedeng mag-operate so wala pong mga trabahador na pupunta sa inyo at 'di rin kayo puwede lumabas kahit ang inyong pinagtatrabahuhan ay GCQ na,” he said, adding that public transportation will be concentrated within an area under GCQ.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año earlier remarked that some areas in Metro Manila can be placed under GCQ for the sake of the country's economy.

"May mga lugar po talaga na puwede nang mag-GCQ dahil kinakailangan na rin naman nating buksan ang ekonomiya," Año said.

The ECQ was first declared on March 17 covering the entire Luzon, to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. It has been extended in several areas, including Metro Manila, twice or until May 15. —Ted Cordero/KG, GMA News