League of Municipalities head Singson opposes stricter travel protocols

League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) national president and Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor Chavit Singson on Tuesday opposed setting stricter travel protocols even amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

At the Laging Handa public briefing, Singson said allowing people to go to provinces will prevent Metro Manila from becoming overcrowded.

“Palagay ko mas makakatulong kapag pabayaan natin na umalis ang tao na pumunta sa kani-kanilang probinsya. Huwag nang istriktuhan,” he said.

(I think it would be more helpful if we let the public go to their provinces. Don’t make it stricter.)

“Noong araw, istriktuhan, naiipon sila sa Metro Manila. Hindi sila makauwi sa kanilang lalawigan,” he added.

(Previously, when we made the travel protocols strict, people crowded in Metro Manila. They cannot go home to their provinces.)

In his province, Singson said they have already eased their control at borders. He said they just advise travelers to undergo quarantine at home once they arrive in the province.

Singson said the best practice of COVID-free municipalities is conducting information campaigns.

For him, local government units should consistently inform and remind their constituents about the disease and the minimum health standards to avoid its spread.

As of March 14, at least 24 municipalities remain free of COVID-19 cases.

Of this number, 11 are located in Luzon, one in Visayas, and 12 in Mindanao. Almost half of the 24 municipalities are located in the Bangsamoro region.

The COVID-free municipalities are spread out across 14 provinces: Sulu, Batanes, Abra, Maguindanao, Aurora, Ilocos Sur, Palawan, Romblon, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga del Norte, and Eastern Samar.

Batanes (66.7%), Sulu (26.3%), and Aurora (12.5%) have the highest number of municipalities that have remained COVID-free amid the pandemic. —KBK, GMA News