Provincial execs to IATF: Place Pampanga on MECQ

By Donna Rempillo

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Governor Dennis Pineda said Pampanga will appeal to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and Department of Health (DOH) to put the province under moderate enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) .

Pineda added the decision to issue the appeal was made after a consensus of 22 mayors from 19 municipalities and 3 cities was arrived at Wednesday at the Provincial Capitol.

Pampanga was one of the provinces tagged by the IATF under Resolution No. 35 released on Tuesday, May 12, that  would be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) on May 16 to 31, but the governor maintained that the province was not yet ready for this.

“We need to prepare our constituents. Hindi po pwede na by 16 maglalabasan nalang po kaagad [We will not permit that by sixteen (people) will go immediately outside].

The consensus among the mayors brought an immediate response to what will be the guidelines to follow come May 16.

“Lahat ng mga workers na gagalaw, magtatrabaho after May 15 ay kailangan mag secure ng pass [ all workers that will resume work after May 15 must secure pass]” Pineda said.

Pineda ordered all municipal and city offices to release passes to all workers that will be moving after the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is lifted.

“ Ang mga requirements na kakailanganin po ay yung ID nila, Barangay Clearance at Certification kung saan sila nagtatrabaho [Requirements would be ID, Barangay Clearance and Certificate of Employment] “ the governor enumerates the requirements for the release of the passes.

Strict compliance with the amended MECQ/ECQ guidelines, as released by the IATF through Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, will be implemented.

“The MECQ will give us enough time to prepare workers in the manufacturing, construction and other economic sectors mentioned in IATF Resolution No. 35,” Pineda said.

“MECQ would also give time to local health authorities to assess results of mass testing and for the LTFRB to establish allowed transport route” he added.

To date, the Pampanga Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (PESU) reports a total of 51 recoveries among 79 confirmed cases affected by coronavirus disease.