League of provinces in favor of placing entire country under MGCQ

The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) on Wednesday said it is in favor of placing the entire country under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the least stringent measure, in March.

Asked by Super Radyo dzBB if provinces are ready for MGCQ, LPP president and Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr. said: "Alam niyo po 'yan, meron talagang mga lugar na mataas ang infection rate o 'yung attack rate o transmission. Okay naman 'yan na lahat gawing MGCQ at nakikita naman natin ang policy ng gobyerno na pagalawin ang ekonomiya."

However, the governors would like to be given authority to impose lockdowns or change their quarantine status if the need arises, he said.

"Pero ito lang pong sa amin po, bigyan awtoridad ang LGU [local government units] na bigla pong mag-lockdown o ibalik sa GCQ [general community quarantine] o ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] kasi nga po iba-iba po ang mga sitwasyon sa kani-kaniyang teritoryo, probinsiya o city," Velasco said.

"So okay po 'yung ibalik [sa MGCQ]. Actually, buksan at buksan na po ang mga businesses," Velasco said.

He added that public transport, particularly provincial buses, should also be allowed to resume servicing their usual routes.

"'Yang public transport po, dapat ibalik na ang provincial buses. Eh binibigyan pa po ng special route ng LTFRB [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board]," Velasco said.

"Dapat po diyan, 'yung usual ruta nila, i-allow na po 'yan," he added.

"Kahit po ang mga jeepneys, 'yan po ang kailangan sa pagpapatakbo ng ekonomiya," he said.

"Pero dito po sa gusto nilang MGCQ, okay po sa akin 'yon. Okay po sa LPP 'yan. Kaya lang po 'yung karapatan ng LGU na biglang pumasok po 'pag nakita nilang biglang nagkakaproblema ay kaagad kahit wala pang approval ng IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] o regional IATF ay gumalaw na po," Velasco said.

The LPP president added that they were not consulted in the past when IATF issues a resolution.

"'Pag lumabas na lang po ang resolusyon doon na lang kami umaakto o doon kami hihingi ng consideration o amendment. Kailangan makita ang lahat ng pananaw ng iba’t ibang mga sektor lalo ang mga local government pati provincial government," Velasco said.

President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the IATF to place Metro Manila and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) under GCQ for the whole month of February.

Aside from the two regions, Batangas, Tacloban City, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Iligan City were also placed under GCQ, while the rest of the country was placed under MGCQ.

The National Economic Development Authority has proposed placing the entire Philippines under the MGCQ starting March 1 supposedly to balance the country's response to stop the spread of COVID-19 and the need of Filipinos to start earning and spending.

However, Dr. Guido David of the OCTA Research Team said Wednesday the government could be taking a costly risk if the entire Philippines would be  placed under MGCQ. —KG, GMA News