COVID-19 restrictions: Bukidnon gov tells sugar mills to stay shut during quarantine

MALAYBALAY CITY—-Bukidnon Gov. Jose Maria Zubiri has ordered the province’s two sugar producers to stay shut to heed an enhanced community quarantine to stop the transmission of COVID-19.

In separate letters to Busco Sugar Milling Company and Crystal Sugar Company, both of which are in Maramag town, Zubiri said the slack period should be used to disinfect their premises.

Both mills employ more than 500 workers, and purchase sugarcane from over 10,000 planters. Their combined output accounts for at least 10 percent of national production.

Zubiri first ordered the temporary shutdown of the sugar mills from March 28 to April 5, when the province was placed under enhanced community quarantine.

Before the period was over, he extended it to April 13, and again to April 26.

In a message to planters, Busco’s planter relations officer Eduard V. Carlos said the company “tried to make an appeal to the governor but he is firm in his decision for the good of the many people of Bukidnon.”

Busco assured planters that once mill operations resume, at least 110,000 metric tons of sugarcane would be processed every week to make up for the suspension of operations.

Starting on April 13, Zubiri ordered Bukidnon to be sealed off from nonresidents, except for health workers, security personnel and disaster responders.

Residents who go out of the province will not be allowed to enter until after April 26.

While previous guidelines barred only nonresidents and allowed a limited number of public buses to ply provincial routes, the recent order suspended all public transport during the 14-day period.

Local government units, however, may allow a number of smaller vehicles like tricycles or small vans to transport residents going out to work or buy food.

“We want the people to go back to their respective villages, and to limit their movements outside the home,” Zubiri said.

Only one person per family is allowed to go outside to buy food, medicine and other essential goods.

Trucks transporting food and supplies will be allowed on the roads as long as there are only two persons in the vehicle. The same goes with private vehicles and motorcycles that must carry only one person.

All business establishments are also ordered closed except those considered essential like grocery stores and supermarkets; water refilling stations; food and other delivery services; hospitals and pharmacies; banks, credit cooperatives, and money transfer services; gas and LPG stations; funeral parlors and utilities.

Government offices, which are already operating on a three-day work week scheme since March 24, are ordered to resort to skeletal forces. Those involved in security, social services, disaster mitigation, health and sanitation were exempted.

The order also required component local government units to provide free transportation to employees providing basic services.

Zubiri’s new order prescribing more stringent quarantine measures came as a village chief in Valencia City tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a cockfighting derby in Davao City last March. WITH REPORTS FROM RYAN ROSAURO

Edited by TSB