Palace: Some cities in Metro Manila eligible for MGCQ

MANILA, Philippines — Some cities in Metro Manila are qualified to be downgraded to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) by October, Malacañang said Monday.

But presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said placing only certain cities in Metro Manila under might be difficult since the region is one geographical unit. Thus, Metro Manila mayors would have to decide if the entire Nationa Capital Region (NCR) should be placed under a single quarantine status.

“Sa data po ng IATF, lumabas na may ilang mga siyudad sa Metro Manila na pupuwede na sanang mag-MGCQ,” Roque said in an interview over Teleradyo. But he did not identify which cities he was pertaining to.

(Based on IATF’s data, it shows that there are several cities in Metro Manila that may already be placed under MGCQ.)

“Kaya lang napakahirap naman pong mag-MGCQ sa ilang siyudad lamang dahil alam naman po natin na ang Metro Manila ay iisang geographic unit. So kinakailangan, bumoto rin po ang mga mayor na kinakailangan isa lang ang classification ng buong Metro Manila at hindi hiwa-hiwalay,” he added.

(However, it’s hard to only place several cities under MGCQ because we know that Metro Manila is one geographical unit. So the mayors have to vote if they want one quarantine status for the entire Metro Manila and not separate measures.)

Metro Manila, Bulacan, Batangas, and Tacloban City have been placed under general community quarantine until September 30.

In the past, Metro Manila mayors agreed to place the entire region in a single quarantine status.

Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Infectious Diseases will meet Monday to discuss their recommendation to President Rodrigo Duterte, who is expected to announce a new community quarantine status that will take effect by October 1.

“Ang alam ko po isasapinal ang recommendation ngayon araw sa IATF at baka mamayang gabi po, magkaroon ng desisyon ang ating Presidente,” he said.

(From what I know, the IATF will finalize recommendations today and maybe later tonight, the President will decide on it.)

Previously, Roque said several areas with zero virus transmission the past month are being eyed to shift to the “new normal” starting October.

The Philippines has so far recorded 304,226 COVID-19 cases with 5,344 deaths and 252,510 recoveries.

KGA