COVID-19 RESPONSE

LGUs to take lead role in protecting communities under GCQ —Año

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on Saturday asked local officials to take the lead role in boosting their efforts in the drive against COVID-19, ahead of the shift to a more relaxed General Community Quarantine (GCQ) in the National Capital Region.

In a statement, Año also reminded LGU officials to implement minimum health standards strictly in their communities — such as the use of face masks in public places, curfew implementation, the maintenance of physical distancing in markets and other public places, and one-passenger rule in tricycles, among others.

Under GCQ, strict measures on movements of people will be relaxed, and Año said local officials are expected to make sure that the freer movement of citizens won’t result in bigger numbers of COVID-19 infection.

“Dapat paigtingin ng mga opisyal sa ating mga lokal na pamahalaan mula sa probinsya hanggang sa mga barangay ang kanilang mga ginagawa para masigurong ligtas ang lahat mula sa pagkalat ng sakit dahil nakasalalay sa inyo na mabawasan ang mga kaso ng COVID-19 sa inyong komunidad," he said.

Año also reiterated that LGUs must use their authority to impose localized lockdowns in critical barangays, in concurrence with the regional inter-agency task force (IATF).

Also, he pointed out that during the GCQ, local officials are saddled with more accountability and responsibility in the campaign against COVID-19.

Likewise, he urged the public to cooperate with authorities, but they should be willing to report any failure on the part of local chief executives in implementing health measures to protect the health of their constituents.

Local officials must re-study the local situation, make a plan, and implement localized measures to change behaviors to curtail the further spread of the virus.

“LGUs must also consider new ways of doing business such as, on-line applications of all types of permits, on-line payment systems, use of tele-medicine platforms for their constituents, use of courier services to accept and deliver documents, as well as other innovations,” Año said.

Moreover, he reminded local officials to prepare to deploy more police personnel and barangay tanods and other force multipliers in places where crowds always gather, to ensure public order and monitor physical distancing and bio-safety compliance in those places.

These places include banks, ATMs, supermarkets, public markets, drug stores, and pharmacies, clinics, and other places frequented by people for their basic needs, he added.

While he said that the government is winning the war on COVID-19, he also pointed out  that local officials must be on guard against anything that will cause a spike in cases in their communities.

He assured local executives: “The National Government will provide all your needs but you will have to give more energy and dedication in these times when we make our people survive and emerge resilient from this crisis."

President Rodrigo Duterte placed Metro Manila under GCQ beginning June 1.

Duterte added that Davao City will remain under GCQ, while Regions 2, 3, 4A, and the provinces of Pangasinan and Albay will also be placed under GCQ "until we have reviewed the general situation."

Cebu City will be under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), while Iloilo City and Baguio City will be under GCQ.

The rest of the country will be placed under a modified GCQ, the President added. —LBG/KG, GMA News