Metro Manila mayors want uniform quarantine measure for NCR — MMDA

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila mayors want to impose a uniform quarantine policy in the entire region, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Wednesday, as it awaits the decision of the national government on the lockdown measures after May 31.

“Napagusapan lang na dapat talaga ang NCR, we will take them as one. Hindi pwede na ang isang siyudad, ECQ, ang isa MECQ, yung isa GCQ… Kailangan kung ano po yung isa, ganun po yung lahat kasi borderless po talaga ang Metro Manila,” MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said in a televised briefing.

(It was discussed that NCR should be taken as one unit. It shouldn’t be that one city is under ECQ, another is under MECQ and another is under GCQ. It should be taken collectively since Metro Manila is borderless.)

The modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila is expected to end on Sunday and officials are considering whether to extend or ease it.

Malacañang earlier said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases may decide on the government’s next steps Wednesday.

“The whole NCR mayors trust the IATF kung ano po ang magiging desisyon nila. We will definitely follow and 100 percent ready po ang ating mga mayors,” Garcia said.

(The whole NCR mayors trusts IATF’s decision. We will definitely follow and the mayors are 100 percent ready for this.)

Metro Manila mayors have agreed to recommend the region’s shift to general community quarantine (GCQ) starting June 1.

They also recommended that local government units (LGUs) still be allowed to impose lockdown in specific barangays or zones that have a high number of COVID-19 cases.

EDV