Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and local government units (LGUs) to prepare areas to be placed under granular lockdown and new alert level systems by providing them appropriate time and not immediately subject to smaller scale enforced quarantine.
- The Senate Economic Affairs Vice Chairperson said he’s amenable to the principle behind these new policies which is to slowly open up the economy while at the same time manage the current health crisis;
- Under the IATF guidelines on the pilot implementation of alert levels system for COVID-19 response in the National Capital Region issued last September 13, the authority to impose granular lockdown was given to the city and municipal mayors and such granular lockdowns shall be for a period of not less than 14 days;
- Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing said the LGUs are given a leeway whether to impose a sudden lockdown or provide a 12-hour notice to the affected localities.
“I am in favor of granular lockdown as long as the public is informed in advance para makapagplano sila. Like for example, kung bababa tayo to alert level 3, yung capacity ng restaurants at 50% al fresco obviously kailangan mo ng mas maraming waiter. Papapasukin mo yung mga waiters mo. Hindi pwedeng surprise announcement ‘yan kasi kawawa yung mga negosyo and this alert level is really meant for economic activity,” he pointed out.
The Senate Economic Affairs Vice Chairperson said he’s amenable to the principle behind these new policies which is to slowly open up the economy while at the same time manage the current health crisis.
“This is really a balancing act. Kahit mataas ‘yung COVID-19 cases, nakakapag trabaho na ‘yung mga kababayan natin. Now, the areas that should be opened or not are pinpointed. But the public needs to be informed in advance because how can you plan? It has to be broadcast ahead of time so that ‘yung mga negosyo, pwede silang magplano,” Gatchalian emphasized.
Under the IATF guidelines on the pilot implementation of alert levels system for COVID-19 response in the National Capital Region issued last September 13, the authority to impose granular lockdown was given to the city and municipal mayors and such granular lockdowns shall be for a period of not less than 14 days.
It further said that the declaration of granular lockdowns by local chief executives shall be provisionally effective immediately and shall include due notice to the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF) which will immediately act on the said declaration.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing said the LGUs are given a leeway whether to impose a sudden lockdown or provide a 12-hour notice to the affected localities.
