NCR mayors OK with easing of age restrictions

The Metro Manila Council and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) have agreed to lower the age limit of minors allowed to leave their houses following a meeting on Wednesday evening, according to Corinne Catibayan's report on Saksi.

The report said the mayors now agreed that persons aged 15 years old and above should be allowed to go out. Previously, only those 18 years old and above are allowed to leave their homes in Metro Manila.

The proposal of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to place the entire country under modified general community quarantine or MGCQ, however, was not discussed during the meeting.

According to NEDA, placing the entire Philippines under MGCQ, the loosest quarantine classification, is seen to reduce hunger in areas still under stringent lockdowns.

NEDA's proposal was given the nod by the IATF, which will submit it to President Rodrigo Duterte for his approval.

Metro Manila, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Batangas, Tacloban City, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Iligan City are under GCQ for the whole February, while the rest of the country is under MGCQ.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos, however, was quoted as saying in the Saksi report that mayors believe the issue on the age limit was more important.

He also said there were mayors who were against the reopening of movie houses but would follow the recommendation of the IATF.

An earlier report by Raffy Tima on State of the Nation said the MMC was supposed to discuss NEDA's proposal.

The report said representatives from various sectors expressed different opinions regarding NEDA's proposal.

“Siyempre, timplahan mo ‘yan. Kung tumaaas ang infection, e 'di okay, dahan-dahan muna tayo. Pero tamang-tama, ‘yung vaccine dadating na nitong May, June, and onward, no?” Joey Concepcion, presidential adviser for entrepreneurship, said.

Meanwhile, LPP president and Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr. said they want LGUs to be given power to put an area under lockdown or revert it to general community quarantine or GCQ if needed.

“Bigyan po ng awtoridad ang LGU na bigla pong mag-lockdown o ibalik sa GCQ o ECQ kasi nga po iba-iba po ang mga sitwasyon sa teritoryo ng kani-kaniyang probinsya o city,” he said. -- BAP/KBK, GMA News