By Joseph B.A. Marzan
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on May 28 said that the province will maintain the minimum health standards he imposed even if the province slides to the more “permissive” Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) on June 1, 2020.
Earlier, the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases issued Resolution No. 40, recommending Iloilo province as one of the areas that will shift to the MGCQ.
In a press conference, Defensor considered the IATF resolution as a “validation” of its response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“At least it’s a validation, somehow, of our actions, our investments, and our pleas for patience and forgiveness. These blossomed because our transmission [of COVID-19] wasn’t exponential. There was no inter-municipality transmission. Transmission was limited to high-risk contacts. It was because of how we implemented quarantine procedures,” he said.
The governor clarified that he was not celebrating the shift, but merely welcoming it.
“Of course, I’m not celebrating because this is not over. MGCQ is not relaxed. GCQ is not relaxed. The situation is still the same. We have to iron out our handling, otherwise we will be in danger,” the governor said.
He said that the MGCQ shift will help restart the economy, which has slowed down during the previous community quarantine measures.
The province has been under GCQ since May 16 and is set to end on May 31.
Previously, the Enhanced CQ (ECQ) was implemented from March 20 to May 15.
“We will adjust our Executive Order based on [Resolution No. 40]. The tendency is that it will loosen up the economy. Community quarantine measures are not really long-term measures because of the effects on the economy,” Defensor said.
He also said that the MGCQ will now allow non-essential establishments to resume operation subject to minimum health standards.
“[The MGCQ] adds establishments that we will allow to open and industries to operate, and at the same time implementing strict social distancing,” he said.
He also said that the province will sustain its ‘3M’ policy – “Magmaskara” (wear a mask), “Magdistansya”(observe social distancing), and “Manghinaw” (wash hands properly).
He also said that he will still take serious consideration of salient GCQ procedures such as border control with other provinces and the sale and consumption of alcohol products.
BALIK-PROBINSYA
Defensor also welcomed the national government’s Balik Probinsya program as an effort to revitalize other areas outside of the nation’s capital in Manila.
President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order No. 114 on May 6, instituting the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa Program (BP2 Program) to drive inclusive and balanced urban and rural development.
“That is a good direction [for the province] to create growth centers outside of Metro Manila, so that we will distribute the wealth of the country. We want to redistribute opportunities and resources of the country because that is one of the visions of the province,” he said.
OFW TESTING
Defensor said that the province will adjust testing for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and locally stranded residents of the province.
“We will put a quarantine post at the [Iloilo International Airport] and we will put stations there, and we will test them when they arrive, so that they wouldn’t need to place them in hotels,” he said.
He said that swabbing at the Airport will be done by teams from the Provincial Health Office with support from Municipal Health Offices.
