By Joseph B.A. Marzan
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on Tuesday welcomed the recommendation to extend the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the province until May 15, 2020.
The recommendation is contained in the national Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATFMEID) Resolution No. 29.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Tuesday morning that several areas in the country, including the province of Iloilo, are recommended to continue enforcing ECQ until May 15.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Jose Roberto Nuñez said that as of 4 p.m. of April 28, the national task force has not issued any guidelines on the ECQ extension.
Defensor placed the province under ECQ on March 20 through Executive Order (EO) No. 080, with its target expiry date on April 14, as part of the response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Due to the IATF recommendation and the rising number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province, the governor extended the ECQ to April 30 through EO No. 102 issued on April 8.
Before the ECQ, Iloilo was placed under General Community Quarantine on March 15 through EO No. 028-C.
Defensor said the provincial government had wanted to extend the ECQ, albeit with refinement from its current form.
He asked for patience and cooperation at this time.
“Amo gid man ini ang gusto naton matabo nga padayunon ang aton ECQ. Sa pagkamatuod human na ang aton Executive Order for any renewal of the ECQ, this is a refined version of our previous Executive Order on ECQ, so pangayuon naton ang kooperasyon sang bilog nga probinsya kay ginhatagan kita sang kahigayunan nga masustenir naton ang aton nga na-umpisahan nga maayo so ihatag naton ang aton nga padayon nga pag-paumod, pasensya kag pag-pahimunong,” he said.
(This is what we wanted, to continue our ECQ. Honestly, we have already formulated the Executive Order for any renewal of the ECQ, and this would be a refined version of our previous [EO] on ECQ, so we ask for the whole province’s cooperation because we have been given affirmation to sustain the good work we have started and so we have to continue to give way, to be patient and to be calm.)
He said that through the province’s cooperation, COVID-19 will not have a chance to spread like in other parts of the world.
“Kay ang ginahimo naton nga ini para ini sa aton tanan, indi na naton pagtaga-an tsansa nga maglupok ang COVID-19 diri sa aton probinsya pareho sang paglupok nya sa iban nga parte sang kalibutan kag iban nga parte sang Pilipinas. So pangayu-on naton ang pag-ugyon sang bilog nga probinsya,” he said.
(We are doing this for all of us, we will not give COVID-19 a chance to blow up like it did in other parts of the world and in other parts of the Philippines. So we are asking for the coordination of the entire province.)
SUPERVISION
Defensor clarified with Daily Guardian that the task force’s suggestion to extend the ECQ is purely supervisory.
This, after Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said on April 24 that local governments must first seek the approval of the national IATFMEID before issuing any orders relating to community quarantines.
The governor said that the extension of the ECQ will still be left to the local governments but subject to review by the DILG.
“Wala man namon to ginapakita sa ila. We just issue. Galing kay ti under man kita guihapon sa supervision sang [DILG]. The nature of supervision is that you can’t go beyond your powers. Ang aton nga [EO], we can just issue that then naga-saka gid man to sa ila sa DILG kag may review powers na sila,” he said.
(We don’t [need to] show them [the EO for approval]. We just [have to] issue. But we are still under the supervision of the [DILG]. The nature of supervision is that you can’t go beyond your powers. We can just issue our [EO] then it goes up to the DILG, and they have the review powers [for that purpose].)
OFW REPATRIATION
The governor also confirmed that repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) will be arriving at the Port of Iloilo on April 30.
He said that they will be taken to a hotel in Iloilo City which will serve as a quarantine facility.
The Regional IATF, which will oversee these quarantine facilities, has yet to disclose which hotel will be used for the quarantine.
The governor added that they will be tested using Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) upon their arrival.
“Dapat maabot na na sila sa Huwebes. Ti plastado naman ina, may hotel naman nga nakuha nga mabaton sa ila. Sugaton na sila sang [IATF], may bus na nga masugat sa ila then pag-abot nila sa hotel, i-test na sila sang province. Wala pa ko kabalo kun sa diin ni sila nga hotel. Suggestion ina sang Provincial Health Office nga didto sila i-test kay mas hapos compared kun sa port sila i-test using [RT-PCR],” he said.
(They are supposed to arrive on Thursday. That’s already fixed, they will be taken in by hotels. They will be fetched by the [IATF] via bus, then when they arrive at the hotel, the province will have them tested. I do not know exactly which hotel. The suggestion to have them tested [at the quarantine facilities] was given by the Provincial Health Office because it would be much easier to do testing there instead of having them tested at the port using [RT-PCR].)
He stressed the importance of testing the OFWs, saying that the province may even send home those who will test negative.
“Importante gid ni nga ma-test ni sila tanan. Kay kun may mag-negative gani basi pwede pa ni naton sila mapapuli para di sila magdugay,” he said.
(It is important that we test all of them. Because if there are negative ones maybe we can send them home so they wouldn’t have to wait long.)
Department of Health (DOH) data indicated that as of April 28, 2020, Iloilo has 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with seven active cases, nine recoveries, and four fatalities.
