Baguio sectors told to submit proposed rules on operations

By Dexter A. See

 BAGUIO CITY – The city government urged concerned sectors like business establishments in the city to immediately submit to the city their proposed guidelines governing their future operations once a decision is issued from the inter-agency task force on the management of infectious diseases on the proposed localized implementation of the enhanced community quarantine after the lapse of its extension by the end of the month.

            Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said it is important for sectors to start submitting their proposals on the nature of their operations in a post-quarantine period.

            Earlier, the city government started consulting the different affected sectors for their inputs on rules governing their operations once there will be a localized community quarantine.

            He said  inputs from sectors will form part of an overall transition plan to be implemented once the national inter-agency task force on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases will decide to partially lockdown and allow certain places to implement a localized community quarantine.

            Among the sectors already consulted by the city government include the construction industry, manufacturing, business process outsourcing (BPO), hotel and restaurant, night market, mass transport, and other industries.

            The city mayor underscored that the sectors know best the most appropriate process for the transition from the quarantine period to the new normal thus the rules governing their operation will come from them.

            According to him, common measures implemented by both the national inter-agency task force and the city government will be the policy on social distancing in public and the work places and the mandatory wearing of masks, especially when they are out of their residences.

            The city transition plan will is expected to be implemented after April 30, 2020 to gradually start economic activities as source of income and livelihood and help people recover from the present crisis.

            City officials admitted the effect of the enhanced community quarantine has significantly affected the city’s economy and caused the displacement from work of hundreds of thousands of workers in the informal sector which warrants the implementation of appropriate strategies that will jumpstart the vibrance of the city’s economy in the coming months.