Metro Manila mayors are expected to meet on April 25 to discuss whether to ease lockdown restrictions in the region in May, Metro Manila Council chairman Edwin Olivarez said on Friday, April 23.
The modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the second strictest form of lockdown under the Duterte administration, is set to expire on April 30 for Metro Manila and 4 nearby provinces, collectively known as “NCR Plus”.
“Usually, ang meeting namin is every Sunday ng gabi. Pero itong pagpupulong na ito ay magiging base sa magiging recommendation sa darating na katapusan (We usually meet every Sunday night. The upcoming meeting will tackle our recommendation by end-April),” Olivarez, also Parañaque Mayor, told Teleradyo.
“Magpupulong po kami kasama po iyong ating representative ng [Department of Health] para malaman natin ang data sa bawat isang local government unit sa National Capital Region (We’ll talk to DOH to know the data in every LGU of NCR),” Olivarez added.
Olivarez was mum on whether he preferred a shift to the less stringent general community quarantine (GCQ), but pointed out that the COVID-19 situation in his local government unit (LGU) was improving.
“Dito sa Parañaque… gumaganda po iyong number namin dito, at mas dumadami ang recoveries (Here in Parañaque, our numbers are improving, the number of recoveries is increasing),” Olivarez said.
As of April 23, the Philippines was still dealing with six-digit active cases, at 102,799. This though was a notable decline from the country’s record number of active cases at 203,710 on April 17.
For Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, maintaining Metro Manila’s MECQ status may be the most appropriate response for now.
“Active cases are high [as well as] bed [occupancy in hospitals] too. Vaccination is ongoing [but] with limited vaccines,” he told Rappler through the city public information office on Friday.
Mandaluyong Mayor Menchie Abalos also acknowledged the dire hospital situation in the region, but pointed out that financial hardships of Filipinos without jobs will factor in her decision.
“COVID-19 patients are spilling out of our hospitals and have to wait for their turn in parking lots or out in the streets. On the other hand, we are aware of the financial hardships that workers in establishments included in the negative list are going through, and how our economy as a whole is suffering,” she told Rappler.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno echoed Abalos in a press release issued by his city PIO on Friday.
“There is a thin [line] between life and economy. While I choose life, at the same time [I know that the people need to work],” Moreno said in a press release, citing his remarks in an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel on April 22.
San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora and Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco meanwhile said they would rather wait a few more days before making a call.
“I will wait first for the data from health experts,” Tiangco said.
“Let us see what the numbers will be in the next few days. We are hoping that the downward trend continues,” Zamora said in a separate conversation with Rappler.
The Department of Trade and Industry, on Friday, said a shift to the GCQ may be possible if more beds are allocated for COVID-19 patients in “NCR Plus”.
On April 22, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque brushed aside rumors of the potential easing of quarantine restrictions, saying making such speculation was “premature”. – Rappler.com
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